A Message from the
Rabbi
A few years ago I attended my
friend’s son’s high school graduation in Tel Aviv. Graduations in Israel aren’t
quite as fancy as ours; the “caps and gowns” were made out of colored paper.
There were no proms with formals for the girls, tuxedoes for the boys and
limousines for all. But the kids were joyful without the fancy accoutrements.
They had the same kind of ceremony we have in this country. The boring speeches
by the principal and local politicians, the awarding of diplomas and awards for
excellence; the video showing the graduates as children and as the fine young
adults they had become. Then I started to cry. I cried because I was suddenly
struck by the difference between our kids’ graduations and theirs.
For most of us here in America, graduation
means the college application process and, when we see our friends’ children, we
ask them about where they’ve applied for college or where they are going. In
Israel, high school graduation means the application process for Israel Army
units (yes, you actually apply for your unit in Israel) and the typical question
one asks of both boys and girls is to which military unit they have been
accepted. Within a very few months they will all – boys and girls – be serving
in the IDF and, in many cases, risking their lives to defend the Jewish People.
For most Israeli kids, this means their future is essentially put on hold for a
few years. And, just like so many of our American members of the military who
come home from Iraq wounded either physically or emotionally or both, so do
many of the kids in Israel who serve in the West Bank. This is why I feel so
strongly about our obligation to support our troops not only in America but in
Israel, irrespective of whether we agree with a particular governmental
decision.
But Israel’s army is unique. Being a Jewish army means having Jewish values.
Being a Jewish army means that instead of the soldiers going on “R & R” (rest
and recreation) they go on “R & E” (rest and education.) So they reserve part
of their time off to study Judaism and Jewish texts and struggling with the
question of how to apply this to what they do as soldiers. The material we use
in our adult education program and that is e-mailed to you before most holidays
is the same material that they study. Many of our members may remember our
guest speaker, Prof. Benjamin Ish-Shalom, who spoke to us about the dilemma of
being an occupying power in the Palestinian areas but trying to preserve Jewish
values. He is the Rector of Beit Morasha, the institute that designed and
administers this program for the IDF.
Others remember our guest speaker Capt. “Eytan”
from the Duvdevan Battalion. This is a special unit of the IDF that is
responsible for arresting terrorists in the West Bank. They risk their lives to make these arrests, sometimes even
disguising themselves to blend in with the local population. On more than one
occasion, members of the unit have died because the Jewish values that they
studied caused them to sacrifice their lives rather than risk the lives of
civilians. When I visited them a while ago, I asked their commander what we
American Jews could do to help them. He explained to me that, being an elite
unit, they get all the equipment and supplies they need. But the one thing they
would like more of is the opportunity for more of their soldiers to attend the
Beit Morasha R&E program and to do so more often.
I know these are tough times for all of us in many different ways. But on behalf of these young people who sacrifice so much (you can’t even get into the Duvdevan unless you commit to six years active duty) I would really appreciate any financial help you can give. I have arranged with Beit Morasha for a special segregated fund to be set up in our name devoted to providing additional programming for the Duvdevan. Please send whatever you can by means of a check made payable to “American Friends of Beit Morasha.” If you would send it to me, I can make sure that it gets applied to the proper account. Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Fred