Thursday, July 03, 2003
Sparks From Israel
The Land of Opportuinity
What a land, what a people, what a priveledge it is to be here. There is a gemora that says ‘Better to live in the Land of Israel in a town of idol worshippers than in a Frum community outside of Israel’. Now I understand what this gemora means. Who would think that the tattooed, black leather coated leader of a motor-cycle gang would smile and say ‘sure I’ll be the tenth’ for our minyan. Who would think that the beautiful young people who look like models, are also soldiers who guard their brothers each day around the country. Every store you enter, every bus you ride, every one you meet on the street are all Jews. What still amazes me each day is that this is a Jewish country. Our own country and practically everyone is Jewish. The bank tellers are Jewish, the men in line are discussing the Parsha are Jewish, even the Nanny from the Phillipines sitting in the Laundromat can help you with your Hebrew homework (even though she’s not Jewish). They all wish you well when you say that you are an Oleh Chadash and ask why did you come now? I can’t really explain why I came now, just like I can’t explain why millions are not coming. What do I see that others don’t? I see opportunities, growth, a young country, a safe place guarded by Jewish soldiers, where everyone is a soldier and a policeman/woman, where kids run wild and shoot people with water guns, and life is simple and normal and no one is lonely and just living a life in Israel is a fulfillment in itself. A place where every day has significance and art and literature and music and torah is everywhere. Strange how to some elements in the religious world this is not the ‘pure ideal’ of Israel and so they find excuses not to come, and to others they fear enemies that live much closer to them where there is no protection from Jewish soldiers nor from a G-d that neither slumber nor sleeps.
The Land of Opportuinity
What a land, what a people, what a priveledge it is to be here. There is a gemora that says ‘Better to live in the Land of Israel in a town of idol worshippers than in a Frum community outside of Israel’. Now I understand what this gemora means. Who would think that the tattooed, black leather coated leader of a motor-cycle gang would smile and say ‘sure I’ll be the tenth’ for our minyan. Who would think that the beautiful young people who look like models, are also soldiers who guard their brothers each day around the country. Every store you enter, every bus you ride, every one you meet on the street are all Jews. What still amazes me each day is that this is a Jewish country. Our own country and practically everyone is Jewish. The bank tellers are Jewish, the men in line are discussing the Parsha are Jewish, even the Nanny from the Phillipines sitting in the Laundromat can help you with your Hebrew homework (even though she’s not Jewish). They all wish you well when you say that you are an Oleh Chadash and ask why did you come now? I can’t really explain why I came now, just like I can’t explain why millions are not coming. What do I see that others don’t? I see opportunities, growth, a young country, a safe place guarded by Jewish soldiers, where everyone is a soldier and a policeman/woman, where kids run wild and shoot people with water guns, and life is simple and normal and no one is lonely and just living a life in Israel is a fulfillment in itself. A place where every day has significance and art and literature and music and torah is everywhere. Strange how to some elements in the religious world this is not the ‘pure ideal’ of Israel and so they find excuses not to come, and to others they fear enemies that live much closer to them where there is no protection from Jewish soldiers nor from a G-d that neither slumber nor sleeps.
