America and Israel: Going through a rough patch? Hopefully it's only temporary...

In any country, the government and politics are hard topics. In Israel, forget about it. With the coalition system and the dozens of parties, everything is confusing. There are the big-idea things, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Hamas, Iran, and to me, all that is somewhat easier to understand. One of the most important (and complicated) parts of Israeli politics is Israel's relationship with America and Barack Obama. In Aaron Klein's article, "Senate targets Obama meddling in Israel election," Klein analyzes the (probably false) report that Obama potentially bribed some parties or organizations in Israel to ensure that Netanyahu was not reelected. Pretty ridiculous.

First of all, it was Fox News that reported the situation. Secondly, Bibi won, and Obama strongly denied it immediately. So the details of the investigation and the article aren't all that important. What's important, is the message we can take away from this whole thing: Israel and America's relationship is not doing so well. And it's not good. Since before Israel's foundation, America has been absolutely crucial for Israel's success and survival, and I believe it will continue to be necessary for the two countries to have a good relationship going forward. This is not to say that Israel is helpless or can't survive on its own, but I think anyone would agree that it would be much safer and better for Israel to maintain the U.S. as its top ally. And with silly stuff like this in the media, and everyone talking about how Bibi and Obama hate each other, it seems like that relationship is deteriorating. And that's not good for either side. 

Being a Book-Smart Jew (Literally)

I've always liked to think that I have grown up as a fairly well-educated Jew. I attend Hebrew School to this day, I became a Bar Mitzvah, went to Jewish summer camp forever, and grew up in a very Jewish home with a Rabbi as a father. Despite all my knowledge and experience, one thing I've found is that there is actually a lot I didn't know, and I'm glad I have now have a better understanding of certain things. For example, the several different Jewish texts always confused me (they still do, but a little less). We have the Tanakh, Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, Gemara, Pirke Avot, and the list goes on. Fortunately, I feel like I have a clearer understanding of the different books and texts, what they are, who wrote them, where/when they come from, and why they're important. Learning about the texts has been very interesting and fun, and I feel like a more educated and informed Jew. This is by far not the only thing I've learned about in Jewish History that I enjoyed learning or that I felt was important for me to know, but it was one topic that I particularly wanted to learn more about. I know I still don't really understand it all, and I probably never will. But I now know enough to feel intelligent and have a basic understanding of the laws of my religion. That's a pretty cool feeling.

What We Can Learn From Saul's Big Mistake

In the story of Samuel, Saul, and the Amalekite King that Saul didn't kill, we learn a very important lesson about Judaism. In Atar Hadari's article, "What to do When the Lord Orders Vengeance," Hadari talks about the story of King Saul being ordered by God to kill Amalek, why Saul disobeyed God, and what we can take away from it. Essentially, Saul was a bad king who cared too much about his people, and that got in the way of his obedience to God. But more importantly, we learn something about Judaism and our duty as Jews from this story. In the article (and the Tanakh, obviously), it says:

"But Samuel said, Does the Lord want offerings and sacrifices
as much as obedience to the Lord?
Look, obedience is as superior to sacrifice
as obedience is to the fat of rams."

This excerpt is crucial. What we are being told here, is that obedience and respect are more important than physical discipline. It's more important to listen to God than it is to sacrifice. Saul did not understand that, and he lost God's respect because of it. Even today, when we no longer sacrifice, this is still a valuable lesson. Everybody observes Judaism differently. Whether it be keeping Kosher, praying three times every day, wrapping T'fillin, or any combination of the countless traditions out there, these are all just reminders. They're reminders of our obedience to God. And none of them are actually as important as obeying God. Now, I'm not saying that all of those traditions and observances are pointless. But it's important to remember that through the way we live and act, not just our physical habits, we must keep our covenant with God and be righteous people. All the traditions are just add-ons to being good people. I think God would prefer a righteous person who eats bacon over a jerk who keeps kosher. 

Our Christian World

As upsetting as it is, many aspects of our culture and society today are based on Christianity. Whether it be using "Before Christ" as a time period, basing school vacation around Christian holidays, or the influence of Christianity on how we speak (saying "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation for example), it's everywhere. While learning about Jesus and Christianity in class the past few days, I came to a striking realization: as an American, I know more about Christianity than about Judaism. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot about my own religion. But comparatively, I knew more of the things we learned about Christianity than I do about all the things we've learned about Judaism. I know it's not exactly a fair comparison (over a month compared to three days), but it's still pretty telling. As an American, I know a lot about Christianity. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Let's face it, Christianity is a much, much bigger religion than Judaism in terms of population, especially in America.

What bothers me, is that because I'm American, I'm supposed to know everything about Christianity. Sure, I know the basics. But when my friends at home are talking about a holiday or tradition I'm not familiar with, they're surprised that I don't know it. But how many times have I had to explain kashrut? I don't expect anyone to know every detail about Judaism, even my Jewish friends. But it's a double standard. If I don't know what Good Friday is, that's crazy. But if a Christian doesn't know what a Bar Mitzvah is, that's okay. And I know this won't change. There are so many more Christians than Jews, and Christianity is so deeply routed in American culture, that there won't be some big dramatic change. And that's okay. But as an educated Jew, and more specifically a Jew who knows a lot about Christianity, it seems wrong to me that such a double standard exists.

The Flexible Jewish Community: Bend, But Don't Break

In Ben Greenberg's article, "Will There Be One Jewish People?", Greenberg discusses the difficult issue of the international Jewish community and its potentially shaky future. Greenberg splits Jews into two basic groups: the minimalists, who want a narrower definition of "Jewish," and maximalists, who want to expand the community and create open communication between all Jews. I found this distinction, and what Greenberg believes will happen because of it, to be very interesting. Even on a much smaller scale, these groups are evident. There are active Jews, those who go to Temple, keep kosher, and/or participate in some sort of Jewish community, whether it be camp, NFTY, Hillel, whatever. Obviously not all those characteristics are necessary, but they're common. Then there are the less-active Jews, those who maybe only go to Temple for the High Holidays, consider themselves "Secular Jews," and/or  live relatively religion-free lives. Again, this isn't a strict list, but those are just some examples of characteristics of "minimalists." And none of this is bad. There's no right or wrong way to be Jewish (assuming, of course, that the basic laws are kept intact).

So who cares about this split? Well, as Greenberg said, it's crucial that we do not let those differences completely separate us. Different languages, traditions, levels of observance, all that's fine. As long as we all keep some connection to Judaism and our community, then all will be well. But if the bonds we share continue to weaken, then we might have an issue. Growing up in America and going to Jewish summer camp and NFTY, this issue isn't something I've experienced. And I feel blessed for that. Community is very important to me, and I've been very lucky with the communities I've been able to be part of. Unfortunately, it's not that easy in most places in the world, including Israel. That's why I think it's vital for Jews worldwide to do anything and everything to keep even the smallest connection. You don't have to keep kosher or move to Israel, but doing nothing cannot be an option. The Jewish people will never be a completely united people all living in one place. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to keep our community strong. To be corny and quote a Jewish text, in Pirke Avot, it says, "You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it (2:21)." That's pretty relevant here. We may never be the same community we were, but that doesn't mean we can give up. We've been a resilient people for thousands of years, and I see no reason to stop now.

Connecting to Eretz Yisrael

Throughout our first month here in Israel, we have had countless experiences that have connected us to the land, culture, and history of Israel and her people. We've hiked, swam, crawled, and seen some beautiful sights, all of which have been meaningful and enjoyable experiences. One thing I've noticed, however, is that certain things we've done have struck deeper than others. Whether it be waking up at the crack of dawn to climb Masada, our week in Gadna, or swimming in the Dead Sea, our more physical adventures have been in some ways more significant and rewarding. While learning about Israel through our Tiyulim and with the Tanakh are fantastic, physically experiencing different aspects of Israeli history and culture are truly special. Struggling through a week in the IDF, facing a challenge such as climbing Masada, and floating in the Dead Sea are the experiences that have truly made me feel connected to Eretz Yisrael. I mean, what better way to have an authentic Israeli journey than riding camels in the desert?