The State of Israelis by Laura Ben-David
December 4,
2006
Over the last century or so, people from communities all over
the world have been moving to Israel. They’ve brought over their
food, their customs, their culture, their ethnicity; but, with
few exceptions, they left one thing behind: their communities.
The forefathers of Zionism aspired to create a free country for
the Jewish nation. But what is the Jewish nation? For 2000
years, Jews were defined as ethnic individuals; not as a part of
a normal nation that has territory and a government. United by
deep-rooted tradition and beliefs, the Jewish people, though
scattered throughout the world, never forgot the historic dream,
the promise to once again live together as a free people in
their own homeland, the Land of Israel.
As Zionism began to take root, in the early part of the 20th
century, the veteran immigrants took on the important task of
integrating and acculturating the new arrivals into Israeli
society. Great efforts were made with the new immigrants to
Israel to strip them of their culture and mold them into the
“new Israeli”. The Yemenite, the Ethiopian, the Russian Jew
could be no longer. In its place stood the Israeli. The
transformation was swift, from Jewish individuals gathering from
communities all over the Diaspora, to the birth of a homogeneous
nation. The declaration of the State of Israel was followed by
the signing of the “Scroll of Independence”. No constitution was
formed and the rights of the individual and different groups
were protected by a few understandings known as the status quo.
In this great transformation from diverse individuals to a
single nation, a very important civic structure was neglected –
the community. In the Diaspora, each community revolved around a
religious and cultural center; a center that provided social and
welfare needs, and religious services. An amazing institution
that served as a bridge for individuals from all walks of life,
to bring people together, and to provide a friendly and open
environment in which to exchange ideas, and provide support on
all levels. In Israel’s early days, this wonderful communal
structure was dropped, and the bureaucratic national system took
its place, alienating people, emphasizing their differences, and
locking them up in different political parties. Religion,
health, social and welfare services were taken away from the
individual communities and given a national bent.
Back in the early days, this arrangement worked. “All for one
and one for all” was the motto of the time, and the people set
about building Israel, protecting its borders, engaging the
worlds’ financial markets—living the true Zionistic ideal. The
climax of this process was in 1967. The nation experienced the
unprecedented victories of the Six Day War, the newly-bred Sabra
triumphed, Zionism triumphed. A new generation was born, a
generation of Israeli-born men and women, Sabras, sons and
daughters of Sabras!
Today, this generation is in their mid- to late-thirties,
immersed in a post-modern world, with many of the Zionistic
dreams of their fathers, dead and buried. This generation did
not struggle to form Israel’s nationhood, and, as a consequence,
takes its successes as a given. This generation would do well to
heed JFK’s rousing call to action “What can you do for your
country?” Instead they are listening to themselves asking, “What
can Israel do for me?”
Rabbi Ori Einhorn, founder of the non-profit organization,
Kehilot, said, “Today the fabric of Israeli society is torn:
religious and non-religious, different ethnic groups, rich and
poor, left and right, liberal and conservative. The melting pot
just doesn’t work anymore, the stew is overcooked and burned,
and threatening to overflow and extinguish the fire!”
What was meant to be the realization of a 2000 year old dream is
rapidly threatening to become a nightmare. Without the old
communal social structures to hold onto, and without new ones in
their place, the modern-day Israeli feels disconnected from
Israel generally and from his fellow Jews, specifically. The
“One for all and all for one” motto of old has been replaced by
the modern Israeli with “Every man for himself”.
The community crisis appears not only in Israel, but the
phenomenon is well documented in the west today. Professor
Robert D. Putnam, of Harvard University, in his important book
Bowling Alone – The Collapse and Revival of American Community,
warns that the very fabric of our connections with each other,
has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities. Putnam
draws on evidence including nearly 500,000 interviews over the
last quarter century to show that we sign fewer petitions,
belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors
less, meet with friends less frequently, and socialize with our
families less often. We're even bowling alone. Putnam shows how
changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life,
television, computers, women's roles and other factors have
contributed to this decline.
What is a worrisome trend in the US is a catastrophe in Israeli
society. A young country and nation like Israel cannot afford
strife, splits, and an individual, non-communal life. Moreover,
these individuals hate each other, fueled by the media and
political figures, each one closes himself in his house and
watches the other through a 54-inch plasma screen, instead of
engaging in meaningful dialogue.
Jewish history teaches us that the individuals that came out of
Egypt always traveled according to their Tribes, counted
according to their families, and camped according to their
father’s name. Even once they dwelled in Israel, they at first
lived as tribes before forming a nation.
In modern day Israel, we formed a nation too quickly. This
tapestry was quickly pieced together and we expected the fabric
made out of patches to stay joined, while using a few status quo
stitches. We should have let individuals create communities,
naturally, to deal with the arising issues of religion, economy
and culture. Tradition should not be a law enforced upon the
individuals living in the country, nor should it be ignored and
forgotten. Rather it is a highly personal experience to be
shared within the community, in a manner of tolerance and
understanding.
So where do we start?
Today statistics show that the biggest rift between Israelis is
the religious and secular divide. Many attempts have been made
to bridge the gap between these two cultures. The one solution
that hasn’t been tried is to bring back the concept of the
community to the existing state structure. There is still a
chance for Israeli society today, if we look at the small
picture: that of the individual community.
The community structure, which creates better understandings
between human beings, also cultivates a greater sense of
responsibility in the individual. The center of a Jewish
community is usually a synagogue. The leader? A rabbi. When an
individual is called upon by his own community to participate in
activities, to take care of the needy, to visit the sick, to
volunteer for a committee, it instills in him a sense of
importance and belonging that in a later stage translates into
responsibility and motivation to act in the best interests of
the entire nation. While many rabbis make Aliyah to Israel every
year, they often leave their leadership positions in the
communities they left behind, and come to Israel to teach or go
into business. After all, if the communities are not here, than
there is no job for a community leader. Therefore, there is a
lot of untapped leadership all over Israel; if only we would
create the opportunity for these great leaders to give us their
true worth.
Adds Rabbi Einhorn, “An American Jew who sits in America and
asks himself, ‘What can I do to make a difference?’, doesn’t
have to ask anymore. Most Jews in America are affiliated with
some kind of a community. They understand the model, and value
it. It’s now time for action: use the knowledge that you have
and help Israel build its communities. By supporting communities
in Israel and teaching Israelis how to do it, you are helping to
build a stronger, more united Israel. An Israel where gaps are
bridged, people are interconnected, and a strong connection to
the land and values of Zionism are reignited.”
It took us 58 years to build the modern State of Israel. In 2007
let us begin working towards building a better nation of Israel
– to reinvent the experience of true Zionism. Be a part of it.
Copyright © 2006 Laura Ben-David
_____________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Ori Einhorn founded the non-profit, Kehilot, an
organization dedicated to the revival of the community in the
State of Israel. Find out more about Kehilot at
www.kehilot.org
Laura Ben-David is the author of the new book, MOVING UP: An
Aliyah Journal
www.aliyahbook.com published by Mazo Publishers.
Moving Up is a humorous account of her aliyah; the most
emotional, frustrating, moving and hilarious experience of her
life. Experience it for yourself!
Laura can be reached at
bendavid.laura@gmail.com
.