Remembering, Celebrating, Uniting - Column 3
Written by Lana Melman for the SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH JOURNAL / SUN SENTINEL. Originally published on May 08, 2023.
Israel is many things, different things, and important things to Jews everywhere.
For some, Israel is the land God promised to the Jewish people. Part of the covenant made with Abraham, the final stop after wandering 40 years in the desert. It is a deep spiritual bond with those who came before us and with those who will come after us.
For others, Israel is the people who live there. Friends, family, the 9 million souls that make the land a country. Pioneers of yesterday and today who come from the far corners of the world, some with coal black skin, others with flaming red hair. People who turned a desert into an oasis. People who, despite war, terrorism, and relentless and disproportionate criticism, have made Israel one of the most productive and generous countries in the world.
Today, Israel is under attack and in turmoil.
Just this past April, rockets rained down from Lebanon and Syria in the north. Missiles launched from Hamas in Gaza menaced Israeli communities in the south. Terrorists stuck down the lives of innocent civilians. The worldwide Jewish community mourned the loss and feared who would be next.
All the while, the Jewish homeland was struggling with an issue at the foundation of the country – the role of the judiciary in its democracy. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets for days in peaceful protests and counterprotests. Jews all over the world weighed in on the issue. Emotions raged, and many feared, and continue to fear, that the country is being torn apart by political unrest.
Yet, also in April, Jews around the world celebrated life and commemorated our shared history.
It began with Passover (starting April 5th), when family and friends gathered around the dinner table to observe their traditions. This year, like every year, we remember our lives as slaves in Egypt and celebrate freedom. As Jews, we promise to tell the Passover story to each generation, and, remarkably, we have kept that promise for over 3000 years.
Then on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day (the 18th), we put our political differences aside to mourn the six million lost in the Holocaust and honor its survivors. Throughout the Diaspora (outside of Israel), Jews attended services and held ceremonies.
In Israel, at 10:00 am, a nationwide siren wailed through cities and villages. TV and radio stations fell silent. Cars stopped in the middle of the road, and drivers and passengers stood beside their vehicles. Small pieces of paper rolled like tumbleweeds down motionless streets as the entire country came to a standstill for two minutes of solemn reflection.
On Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day (the 25th), Jews everywhere paid tribute to the nation’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, but it is the Israelis who have suffered the loss. In a tiny country of just 9 million, almost everyone has lost a loved one or friend. They are all equally vulnerable. They are all equally strong. They are the bulwark who created a haven for us all making the pledge, “Never Again,” a reality.
On Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, (25th/26th) Jews everywhere united once again in joy, celebrating 75 years since David Ben-Gurion read aloud the Scroll of Independence on May 14, 1948.
At the military ceremony on Mount Herzl, soldiers representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force were on parade while the Israeli flag rose from half-staff to the top of the pole. 12 torches were lit representing the 12 tribes of Israel. Everywhere there was music, dancing, and parades.
It is this remembering, celebrating, and ultimately uniting that has and will continue to save us. Even in the worst periods of dissent, like we are experiencing now, in Israel both sides on the political issue wrap themselves in the same blue and white flag.
For all Jews everywhere, Israel is a homeland. A place of refuge today just as it was in the days of Pharaoh. We are a diverse tribe but united in our fate. One God, one people. And as long as Israel exists, all Jews will have a place on this planet in which to grow up and grow old.
Lana Melman is a contributing columnist for the South Florida Jewish Journal.