Jews Have a Right To Be Offended

A wise man once noted that before one is respected and treated with respect, he must learn to respect himself.

And that goes for an entire people, an entire nation, as well.

Watching the way some Jews carry themselves, we wonder if the Jewish Nation really respects itself.

We are specifically referring to responses by some Jews to trends of repeated efforts by gentiles to define us. Some non Jews, unfortunately, take it even further and usurp our most precious Jewish ONLY symbols and great concepts, those that have kept us through hard chapters in our history.

Moreover, the indifference to such practices and, in some cases, even the condonation, enablement and support of such efforts by many Jews, leave some of us utterly aghast and dismayed. We see Jews attending a “Christian Seder” which distorts what a Seder is about, and smile with acceptance along with a self-deprecating joke about not really liking matzo or gefilte fish. When that Seder is later followed by an article, written by a Jew, lauding the commemoration of such a  “Seder” by Christians for whom the event amounts to no more than the celebration of the last supper of Jesus, we are dumbfounded. 

We see Jews facilitating the arrival of Christian missionaries to the Jewish Homeland and give them land in Eretz Yisrael where they set up tent. We see missionaries in Yisrael describe their mission as “bring the Gospel to the farmers of” Judea and Samaria.  We hear them sing to us about “The New Jerusalem,” and we spot them teach the Gospel at the Knesset.

Observing some of our own bending backwards to appease and pander to those who clearly want to hurt them, demean them and destroy them as a religious community, culture, and people is disheartening, to say the least.  There is no self-respect when what others do to offend Jews gets a sick kind of smile, no objection and in some cases condonation and support of it

How far will they go before someone says, enough, we don’t have to sit and smile and be nice about the theft of our heritage and the demeaning of what is ours?

We are all for cultural exchanges. At the same time, we realize that we cannot stop cultural appropriation and usurpation. It is as old as humanity. All of us are enriched by learning from other cultures, by adopting what is best of them all.  We all like good pizza, Brahms’ music, the latest clothing from New York.

 However, when cultural appropriation becomes cultural hijacking and calling it authentic, when taking the customs of great significance of one people and reinterpreting them for another to completely change them for some conflicting purpose, we are verging on deliberate efforts to erase lines between cultures, efforts that should be eliminated. 

Furthermore, why do Jews allow and accept Christian or Muslim interpretations of Jewish texts? Why do Jews remain silent when such interpretations come with demands to agree with them? Why do Jews just smile to such efforts and fear offending those that make demands on them?

Again, it is nothing more than a demonstration of a lack of self-respect.

Yes, we know, a lot of this is the result of 2000 years of developing defenses to existential threats. The ghetto leader whose daughter was kidnapped by the Lord of the Manor, raped and beaten and then returned to the ghetto, who thanked the rapist with a smile on his face for returning his daughter alive and not dead, was protecting his life and that of his whole community because under the circumstances there were no choices. That bought a few months of peace, not respect, and when it becomes a habit, long after the cause for the behavior is gone, that is just sad and sick and a drain on our survival today.

So, we ask these questions.  Do Jews have the right to be offended?  Do Jews have the guts to object to being offended?

And while we are at it when missionaries approach Jews in a city like Jerusalem, offending Jews by handing out their literature, which on more than one occasion distorts sacred Jewish writings, ask them why they are not doing it in Muslim areas and in Muslim countries. Or are they worried about offending them?

Ben-Gurion spoke of a time when Jews would be a normal nation. Being normal also means the right to be offended, the right to demand respect. Time for Jews to be normal and practice these rights.

This article was written jointly by Roger Froikin and Bat-Zion Susskind

Pesach

As Jews around the world prepare for the Pesach Holy Day, perhaps it is time to rethink the message and lessons of this very significant and meaningful celebration in our history.

The Hebrew word Pesach means “Pass over.” It is derived from the Book of Shemot (Exodus), 12:7 where the Torah recounts the story of the ten plagues brought upon the Egyptians following Pharaoh’s refusal to “let my people go.”

When G-d was about to inflict the Egyptians with the tenth plague, smiting their first born sons, He told Moses to instruct the Congregation of Yisrael to mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood so that G-d could “pass over” their homes and spare them.

Subsequent to G-d’s wonderous work,  the Congregation of Yisrael was finally freed from slavery, at least the physical kind. Freedom and liberation, however,  as we all know, is not confined merely to unshackling the corporeal chains of bondage. It also involves ridding oneself of the obsequious and submissive mindset so emblematic to those who have been oppressed for a long period of time.

In order to better understand this point, allow me to go back to that verse in Shemot where Moses pleads with Pharaoh to “let my people go.”

That Hebrew verse, to be precise, does not use the term “let” or “free.” Rather, it says “send my people.” (Another unfortunate result of the disastrous mistranslation of our Tanach!) For me, the verb “send” implies a deliberate act with a specific destination, a much more powerful and calculated design by G-d. It was the first step towards becoming a free people, physically, spiritually, culturally and nationally. Not an easy mission for a nation that had been suppressed, abused, isolated and on the verge of eradication, considering Pharoah’s own version of a “final solution” to the Hebrews.

Any slave, be it an individual, a group or a People would have welcomed with open arms such a ploy, it would seem. For who enjoys the status of slavery?

I can almost feel the excitement of Benei Yisrael as they rush to bake their Matzah, pack their belongings, and prepare themselves for their destiny. I can see them gathering their flocks, children and preparing for the great occasion, their deliverance.

Unfortunately, the excitement seemed to have worn off rather fast. Once they realized the hardships ahead of them, they began to miss the slavery routine in Egypt.

Suddenly, the “house of Bondage” did not seem that bad. Moreover, it had swiftly turned into a house of luxury and plentiful, the idyllic place. “If only we had died by G-d’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and fish and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” (Shemot 16: 2-4)

The Yisraelites may have been freed from physical bondage. They were still, however, inflicted with an emotional and spiritual one, one that had been imposed upon them and their forefathers for a few hundred years.

G-d had, naturally, expected it. He knew that one cannot become free merely by removing physical shackles.  It is, therefore, I believe, that He instructed Moses to wander in the desert for forty years, when a brief overview of the map of the region shows that the route to the Promised Land could have been cut shorter.  Forty years is the approximate life span of a generation.

The slavery generation had to die off, it had to remain in the desert before Am Yisrael could live a free and fulfilling life in its ancestral Homeland. The younger generation had to be coached and prepared to run and oversee its own life without the daily pressure of persecutors.

Fast forward to our times. Has much changed?

It is only seventy years ago, with the establishment of the state of Yisrael, when the Jewish people were liberated from the House of Bondage called Galut (Diaspora). The Galut and its reality indoctrinated Jews to a submissive mentality, the kind that forced us to seek the approval and love of others. Jews were mental slaves.

Unfortunately, some of our people have not yet shed that mindset. They continue to seek endorsement of the nations. They are desperately needy of Love and acceptance and consider the support of strangers the “pots of meat and fish and ate all the food.” Have we forgotten the suffering we endured because of that very long chapter in our history?

My concerns and my questions are, if it took Moses forty years to rid the Yisraelites of a few hundred years old slavish Galut mentality, how long will it take the Jewish state and nation to rid some of its members of a two millennia old one?

How long will it take all of us to Pass Over the threshold from the slave disposition to that of a Free Nation, the kind G-d had intended us to be?

May we all have a meaningful Pesach, full of the celebration of Life and Freedom.

The Guardians of Shabbat

It is Shabbat morning here in Eretz Yisrael.

As I sit here, on this sunny and peaceful morning, sipping my morning coffee, I marvel at the wisdom of G-d, for dedicating one day a week to resting and turning the Shabbat into an Oneg , a pleasure.

Shabbat is the most important holiday in the Jewish/Hebrew calendar. It has got to be. Not only does it occur 52 times a year, it is first and foremost the sign of the Covenant between G-d and Am Yisrael, entered at Mount Sinai.

According to Shemot Rabba 25:12; Yerushalmi, Ta’anit 1:1 "the scion of David (Mashiach) will come if they [Am Yisrael] keep just one Shabbat, because the Shabbat is equivalent to all the mitzvot.”

Now, I am not an observant Jew in the traditional sense of the word. I do not have the self-discipline that is needed to be one. I do, however, respect this Mitzvah and remember it each Friday evening when I light Shabbat candles.

For me, Shabbat is a day of reckoning, a day or reflection and a day of expressing gratitude.

Shabbat, according to Ahad Ha'am, a Jewish writer and thinker, has also preserved and shielded Am Yisrael more than our people have kept it.

But is it not only remembering the Shabbat that we, Jews, are required. We are also commanded to observe it.

Let us be honest to ourselves, my fellow Jews. Have we ALL kept and observed this Mitzvah?

The answer, my friends, is known.

We, or at least most of us, do, however, remember Shabbat. In fact, here in Eretz Yisrael, it is impossible not to remember it. We feel it in the air each Friday. The stores are hustling and bustling with last minute shopping. Jews, observant, secular, atheists, as one, wish each other "Shabbat Shalom," as they rush home to prepare, each in their own way, for this very special day.

This few millennia old tradition has been passed on to us from generation to generation.

Time to pause and ask ourselves, who were the true guardians of Shabbat over the centuries?

The answer always leads me to one group, Hareidi and ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Probably not the answer that many would like to hear. In my view, though, it is that very group which many of us disagree with, oppose, mock, despise and resent, which has contributed much to preserving the Shabbat legacy. And yes, there are many aspects of that segment in our Jewish society that I will never approve of.

Nonetheless, let us face it. It is them and their practices that have brought us thus far. If not for their staunch adherence and dedication, often at a dear and high price for their safety and well-being, the Mitzvah and tradition of keeping Shabbat would have not been observed and preserved, at least not the way and manner that G-d has intended for us.

I believe it is them, the few who our great national poet, Bialik described in his immortal poem “ אם יש את נפשך לדעת “ (“If your soul wishes to know” which I highly recommend to any Hebrew literate person to read) as “a few ears of grain, a shadow of what has remained, sorrowful Jews, with dried faces, Jews of the Galut (Diaspora), the ones carrying its burden, those who drown their sorrow in a fading page of Gemara, trying to consign to oblivion their poverty through the ancient debate of the Midrash, trying to forget their worries by reciting Psalms.” A poor sight indeed, but one that has ensured our role in history and has helped us remain the People of Eternity. They are, according to Bialik, “the treasure of our soul,” the “guardians of our great Jewish Spirit.” They are but “a spark,” a sliver of Hope, "the remnant that was miraculously rescued from the great fire which our forefathers had kept burning on their altars, always.”

Hareidi Jews, whether we like to admit it or not, also, are the guardians of our people and our tradition. I will never forget that. I cannot forget that and forever will be grateful to them and all the other Guardians of the wonderful gift of Shabbat throughout our turmoiled and eventful Jewish history.

Shavua tov.             

The Missing Link

For a long time many of us, especially those who are involved in Jewish education in Yisrael and elsewhere, have been perplexed and frustrated as we try to understand where we went wrong in that realm, because we have. Many young Jews, nowadays, seem to have lost the compass and the road map which connects between our ancient inevitability and its path towards a fulfilling future. They feel lost. They are easily influenced by foreign creeds and quickly fall prey to manipulations and disinformation that are abundantly funneled by elements that wish to bring both a Spiritual and Physical destruction to our Jewish existence.

I recently read an article (in Hebrew) by Uri Heitner entitled “The dwindling of the Spirit in Yisrael.” In it, Heitner sheds light on some of the conditions and circumstances that might have speeded up and contributed to that process which has been going on for sometimes now.

Heitner claims, and justifiably so, that since the 70’s there has been a substantial devaluation of the Tanach in the Yisraeli culture. He continues to surmise that this sad reality stems from our desertion of the Oral Law and two thousand years of Jewish existence and cultural survival in the Diaspora.

As a teacher in Eretz Yisrael, I can attest to that. Secular Zionism (for Zionism, the several thousands of years old concept, has many facets), whose staunch supporter was David Ben-Gurion, claims that the return to Eretz Yisrael requires reconnecting only to our Tanach roots and disengaging from the Diaspora legacy and Post Tanach era. Ben Gurion suggested that in order to create a new modern Jewish identity, a leap in Jewish history and culture was vital, thus wiping out two millennia of a fruitful tradition that assisted and strengthened the spreading of Jewish roots in a fertile ground called Judaism.

That was a grave mistake.

It was a mistake since that essential link is what is missing from today’s Jewish education. It is the cause for ignorance about the concept of Zionism and other important concepts and land marks in our evolution as a nation, as a culture and as a civilization. Its absence has opened up the doors to wrong interpretations of our heritage, by foreigners who likewise, are, and not surprisingly so, uneducated about this great important link in our history as a Jewish nation.

 Judaism and its related concepts, like all cultures, are built on layers, each one supported by the layer underneath it. Trying to jump from “Tanach to Palmach”, as Heitner describes it, is like “trying to build a ceiling over a floor without having the support of pillars and columns between the two.” Disengaging from the wealth of the abundant and remarkable Jewish cultural layers that were conceived between the Tanach era and the current Yisraeli identity, was a great injustice. Any real effort to connect to the Tanach while ignoring the compelling culture and history that developed during the Diaspora era, in post Tanach times is doomed to failure. It has resulted in a culturally handicapped modern day Yisraeli and Jewish generations. Not only do they have difficulty understanding the Tanach, they face similar hurdles understand the poetry of National Poets like Bialik who was reared in that culture and whose poetry is saturated with that great heritage. Such a leap has culturally paralyzed our modern day Yisraeli culture to such an extent that Bialik needed to be translated into “Yisraeli Hebrew. “

By now many of you know my sentiments that any efforts to translate our Hebrew/Jewish culture into any language will result in a tragedy. In fact, it was Bialik himself who suggested that reading poetry in translation is akin to “kissing through a handkerchief.” He must be turning in his grave, as I am certain many of our great minds and cultural giants, such as Yehudah Halevi, Tschernichovsky and many others who kept our great Jewish Spirit going through all the years of separation from Eretz Yisrael, the Cradle of Our Civilization, must be.

They are probably mourning the loss of Jewish continuity, one of the pillars of our strength. They must be shedding their heavenly tears as they witness the misinterpretation, innocent or otherwise, of a few millennia old Jewish tenets such as Zionism, Halacha,  The Oral Law and other strongholds that have sheltered our people against the storms of history.

Recently, I read that Minister of Education, Bennett, boasted about the great changes he has made in our Yisraeli educational system. Not enough, I say. Bring back that badly needed missing link. Teach our young ones the meaning of Jewish pride and in the original language.

I have nothing against translation as a means of bridging between cultures and nations. I am all for it. However, by all means do not try to kiss the original through a “handkerchief.” That “handkerchief,” in many cases, is tainted and infested with germs of misunderstanding, disinformation and someone’s well planned and well-oiled agenda.

May we all have a Meaningful Shabbat and a Peaceful weekend.

Some of us are not only Jews, we are also Jewish

This article was written jointly by Roger Froikin and Bat-Zion Susskind-Sacks

As far as we are concerned, there is a difference between the two. They are not always one and the same.

A Jew, according to the Oxford definition is “A member of the people and cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham.”

We are not going to enter a debate here on who is a Jew. This definition merely addresses what a Jew is.

That same source defines Jewish as :” Of or relating to the Jews or their culture or religion.”

What begs to be concluded from these two definitions is that in order to be Jewish, one needs to be a Jew first. To be born a Jew or to become a Jew, one is automatically admitted into the Covenant that G-d entered with Avraham.

The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional Covenant. G-d made promises to Avraham in Bresheet (Genesis) 15:18-21. That Covenant which requires nothing of Avraham deals mainly with the dimension of the Land that G-d promised to him and his descendants. The rite itself as described in Bresheet 12:1-3 reinforces the notion that it is an unconditional one as it is G-d alone who passes between the pieces of animals after causing Avraham to fall into a deep sleep. The sign of this Covenant is the Brit Mila, the ceremony of circumcision (Bresheet 17:9-14). All males in the Avrahmic line were to be circumcised so that they bear a lifelong mark of it upon their flesh. Any descendant of Avraham who is denied or refuses circumcision was naturally declared and destined to be outside of G-d’s Covenant. Entering the Avrahamic Covenant is one of the conditions of being a Jew.

There is another Covenant that every Jew enters either upon birth or when becoming one. It is one that has shaped Am Yisrael and our Jewish people into who we are today. It is the Mosaic one, the one we entered with G-d at Mount Sinai. Unlike the Avrahamic Covenant, this one is a conditional one.

A Law school professor might call it a “contract of adhesion” in which the terms are presented as non-negotiable and to be accepted by the people. G-d presented His law to Am Yisrael at Mount Sinai as described in Shemot (Exodus) 19:5. Their response was acceptance, saying, “נעשה ונשמע " We shall do and we shall hear!” (Shemot 19:8).

The Mosaic Covenant sets Am Yisrael and the Jewish People apart from other nations. It is in understanding the responsibilities and values that are inherent to the Covenant at Mount Sinai, being motivated by them, identifying with them and acting consistent with them, that turns the Jew into Jewish. It is important to note here, that though some of the values such as social justice and moral code dictated to Am Yisrael, at Mount Sinai are universal, Judaism itself is not universal. It belongs to Jews and Am Yisrael only.

Now, we would bet people reading this so far expect the next paragraph to include an endorsement that Jews become more religious. No, that is not the intent of this essay. Nor is the intent to define who is a Jew or what Judaism is beyond the statements above.

Instead, the idea is to alert Jews to a problem. There are those Jews who have excluded themselves from the Jewish People representing themselves as Jews, when often they are not under normative and historical Jewish definitions. These Jews represent their motivations as Jewish when they are not. These Jews claim their values as Jewish when they are not.

This not a new phenomenon. Only the titles have changed. Throughout history, when Jews have been a minority or under foreign rule, there have been those Jews who saw it in their best interest to join with the powers that be and the group they ruled. They did it, and too often, to prove their allegiance (sometimes required, sometimes not) to their new “friends” by opposing the interests of the Jewish People, by actively negating – or reinterpreting – their connection to the Jewish people.

For instance, in Iberia, between 1200 and 1500, some Jews converted to Christianity so as not to be persecuted. When the Inquisition came in 1492 (1496 in Portugal), many of these converts became the most anti-Semitic people in Christian Spain. Torquemada, the first grand inquisitor, is one example.

In the late 19th Century and early 20th, many Jews in Europe, in an effort avoid being subject to exclusion and persecution, converted to Catholicism, seeking safety and security in a change of ideology, dumping their Judaism for what appeared to them to be “universalism.” Other Jews joined political movements, socialism, communism, trading Judaism for these universalist movements, as if to hide and seek safety in a universal ideology.

Today, we see some Jews acting similarly, but with a bit of a change. It is no longer necessary to hide that one is a Jew. Thus, instead of denying that they are Jews and in order to fit in, they reinterpret what Judaism is and turn it into universal secularism. This way, they create the fiction which allows them remain Jewish under the claim that the ethics of Judaism are indistinguishable from the latest liberal universal definition of secularism. In short, they leave Judaism and Jewish concerns and interests behind to become the Jew who is a believer in whatever the latest fashionable approach to secularism is. Liberalism and all its clichés of the day has become their religion, though they falsely label it Jewish.

So how is this modern manifestation different from the former Jews who were anti-Semites in post 1492 Spain, for example ? Not at all. So, for instance, when we see a “Jewish Voice for Peace” sidind with those who call for the destruction of Yisrael and the murder of Jews, we need to understand what they are. When we see an organization like B’Zelem in Medinat Yisrael (Israel) make an effort to damage Yisrael’s security and give aid and comfort to those that wish it destroyed, because they worry about what Europe thinks, we’ve seen it before.

We have all seen these online debates in which some far left wing Jew that claims to be pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist is called a Kapo by those who oppose him. Not only is that kind of characterization unfair and inaccurate, but it is perhaps not strong enough. “Kapos” became Kapos, because they were trying to survive often when the alternative was death. Those who claim the title “Jew” today, but who ally themselves with anti-Semites, who support murderers of Jews, did not take that position for their own safety or that of their families, but for other reasons that are not nearly as noble. We believe that they are worse than Kapos by any measure.

Frankly, the Jewish nation does not need people who choose to endanger the Jewish people in favor of some left-wing universalist clichés. The Jewish People does not need those who want to solve their psychological and sociological problems by damaging the future for the rest of us. The last thing the Jewish People needs is the kind of Jew who laughs at Jewish heritage and dismisses it in some misguided effort to be liked by gentiles.

In the Passover Hagaddah, there is the allegory of the 4 sons. One of them asks, “what does all this mean to you” as if excluding himself from Judaism, its Heritage, history and its ethical and moral standards. It is those misguided Jews, we believe, that the Hagaddah addresses.

So what should the Jewish people do about these “Jews in Name Only” ?

The first step is to understand what we started this essay with --- that a Jew can choose to be Jewish or not. We, Jews, first and foremost, need to understand that merely being a descendant of the Avrahamic Covenant does not automatically make one a party to the one made at Sinai. Wishing our Jewish brothers and sisters a happy and blessed Pesach.

A Conflict of Loyalty

Years ago, when I first became an American citizen, I had to take the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. I remember how disturbed I was then when the thought of “What if the U.S. and Yisrael ever enter a political conflict,” occurred to me. I decided to push that thought away as far as possible into the creases of my sub consciousness.

Fortunately, it laid dormant for a long time until several years ago.

Comically enough, though, it was not so much the actions of America or the U.S.  government and its policies vis-a-vis Israel, Medinat Yisrael that served as the catalyst or the wake-up element for its disturbing resurgence. Rather, it is the American Jewish community that has brought that troubling thought of conflict of loyalty back into life.

As many here know, I care about my fellow Jews, first and foremost, wherever they are but I can only speak about those who live in the US. I have been following the American Jewish community for many years, first as one of its members and later as an outsider who had strong connections to it through family and friends. I was unhappy with the way those ties unfolded themselves to me.

I initially saw some cracks in Jewish unity and loyalty to our Jewish culture and heritage when I worked as a Hebrew and Sunday School teacher at one of the northern California synagogues. As part of my duties, I instructed a course entitled “Jewish customs and traditions.”

One day, I decided to dedicate the lesson to “Jewish Contributions to World Civilization.” Listing all the achievements and major contributions of Jews to the world was a good way, I felt, to start as I was hoping to instill great pride in young American Jews. “So, you see,” I concluded, “Jews have given many gifts to the world.”

“And so have Catholics,” answered one very outspoken student.

I was taken back by that response. “That is true,” I did not hesitate to say. I chose my words very carefully as I was trying to decipher the reason behind this unexpected comeback. “Of course, Catholics have contributed much to world civilization,” I continued, “but this is a Jewish class in a synagogue. “ I could feel my blood temperature rising. “Let Catholics discuss and teach their contributions to the world in their churches, in their Sunday schools. Do you think they bother to discuss the gifts of the Jews in their Sunday schools?” I calmly said, still trying to control myself.

I was proud. I was even more proud when I walked uprightly into the Rabbi’s office to meet with some angry parents.  Though I knew I had a job to keep, I was ready to face them and defend my position.

“We teach our children to be universal,” the head of the PTA started.”

I did not linger with my response. “How can we and our children be supporting the contributions of others if we are ignorant of our own?” I challenged them. “Dear Rabbi,” I said as I turned to face him, “you lost your eye as you were walking alongside Dr. Martin Luther King in Montgomery Alabama when you joined their fight for civil rights. Where are you and your loyalty to our people when they need the support for their rights to educate their youth to be proud of their heritage? How can we support the good fight of others when ours is still raging?” He smiled and ,lowered his eyes.

That was forty years ago. Little seems to have changed.  Now, as then, some of our Jews feel the need to fight the battles of others while neglecting the future of their own. Moreover, that support, on more than one occasion, is done while sacrificing our own on the altars of justice and universality.  

Why are Jews so keen to be like everyone? When will our fellow Jews realize that their loyalty should be primarily to Jews and Judaism, our heritage and our essence? After all, are not these values the ones that have kept us going for over two millennia? So why are we struggling so hard to, seek approval and recognition? Should the world not love us and be grateful to us for some of our gifts, ones that we shared so readily with it?  Why are Jews so eagerly  willing to give slices of our own in return for that approval, for that love, for being accepted and supported? Why are some of us so ready to betray the memory of those who died while protecting those values? What will it take for our fellow Jews to understand that we are not like everyone else, that we cannot be like other nations?  

We cannot, not because we are better, not because we are worse but because we are different.

A free People is a People free of conflict. As long as the internal conflict of loyalty in Judaism continues, we will never be free. We may well have physically left the Diaspora but the Diaspora, as it seems, has not yet left our souls.

Shabbat Shalom.

On the Essence of Zionism by Michal Dar-El

"Zionism is the Return to Judaism even before the Return to the Land of the Jews," Theodore Herzl, Opening address to the First Zionist Congress 1897.



Dear friends,

The essay you are about to read was written by my dear friend Michal Dar-El. It is one of the most comprehensive ones on the subject of Zionism. This academic and well researched paper explains why Zionism is a Jewish concept only and why no one other than Jews can or should call themselves "Zionists." 

Hopefully, it will, once and for all, put the issue to rest and unite Jews behind the need to stop giving pieces of our heritage in return for love and support by those who have no right to claim as their own what only Jews have practiced for the last few millennia.

We take this opportunity to thank all Pro-Zionists for their love and support of Judaism and its inseparable essence of Zionism.

Without much further ado, let me introduce to you, my dear friend Michal Dar-El and her excellent article. Please share and educate the world.

ON THE ESSENCE OF ZIONISM – Michal Dar-El

The belief that “History is written by victors” is shared by many.

This paper would argue that Zionism also falls under this jurisdiction, as Zionism has thus far turned out the ultimate victor with the reunification of The People of Israel and The Land of Israel - by the reestablishment of Jewish Sovereignty over its Land. Therefore, it is essential for “Zionism”, the victor, which is still writing and creating its own history, to be correctly defined and conceptualized.

The narrow definition of Zionism only as a political movement, rather than an ETERNAL element and a pillar of Judaism, has become predominant in the last 120 years, as an outcome of the emergence of the modern “Zionist Movement” and as a consequence of its success in achieving its national goal. The movement emerged when most of The Nation of Israel reached a peak of being sick and tired of life in exile and was at a breaking point. Modern Zionism was established to solve the root and the cause of the problem – the exile of most of The Nation. In order to achieve its goal, The Zionist Movement had to renew the use of dormant and almost forgotten Jewish political tools and to adopt mid-19th century universally accepted political terminology. By doing so, the Zionist Movement mitigated the clear, historic and well defined origins of Zionism that had always existed within the realm of Judaism.

At the time, it was necessary for the promoters of the Zionist national movement to emphasize Zionism mainly as a tool for attaining Jewish national rights rather than a historical and inherent component of The Nation. Since then however, this narrow definition of Zionism, which overlooks the core Jewish roots of the term, has not only become a cause of ignorance – but has also led to some current absurdities that I will elaborate on below. I believe therefore, that a genuine debate about the core and the essence of Zionism needs to be conducted in and by Israel. We need to reach an inclusive and broad definition of the term based on its meaning and natural evolution from ancient times and until today.

This need is clear and evident today, more than ever, as this misunderstanding and ignorance has led to the absurd phenomena taking place nowadays, where some Jews are propagating the term of “post-Zionism” (and thus, in fact, are negating their very own existence) while others are trying to redefine Israel from being The Jewish State, as was determined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence – to being “a land of all its inhabitants”. The lack of knowledge of the roots of Zionism has also led some Gentiles to define themselves as “Zionists” (instead of “pro-Zionists”) or to some Jewish observant streams – who fail to connect between modern Political Zionism and its Tanakhic roots - to outright reject Zionism.

Before the trickle of absurdities becomes a flood, an educational effort and intellectual process needs to be conducted to define what Zionism truly is and means. This endeavor will necessarily expose the trends mentioned above for what they really are: an attempt to nullify the Jews as an inimitable Nation, and a willful campaign to narrowly define us as just another religion – with no specific and inherent connection to The Land.

As an attempt to contribute to the definition and understanding what Zionism truly is - this paper will, in a nutshell, provide the historic evidence and background that illustrates why Zionism is an inseparable part of Judaism and that it is one of its essential pillars.

INTRODUCTION TO ZIONISM

“Zionism” is a Tanakhic concept which expresses the bond between The Nation of Israel (aka Children of Israel / Hebrews / Israelite / Jews) and The Land of Israel.

Zionism is as old as the history of the Nation itself – starting 4000 years ago with God’s commandment to Abraham, and Zionism has never ceased to exist nor been diminished in importance since then and until present.

The word “Zion” is mentioned in The Tanakh as a synonym to Jerusalem and to The Land of Israel, as well as being a synonym for The Nation of Israel. The Tanakhic expression “B’ney Zion” [1] (Children of Zion) refers to The Nation of Israel, or “The Zionists”, in the same manner that the term “B’ney Israel” (Children of Israel) means “Israelite” and the term “Yehudi” (a member of the tribe of Yehudah/Judea living in The Kingdom of Judea) is translated as “Jew”. That, in spite of the fact that the common translated use of “Jew” refers to all the descendants of the tribes of Israel – and not just to the Judean ones. *

Zionism’s many expressions are revealed in The Torah, The Tanakh, The Rabbinic Literature (The Oral Torah, The Talmud, etc.), The Prayers, The Rabbinic Poetry (aka Piyyut), in Jewish fine literature, in Jewish philosophy, etc.

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* At this stage it is important to note that though the terms and the Tanakhic sources in this summary are in English, the ONLY accurate language for the discussed issue can be Hebrew – despite efforts to clarify mistranslations.

Therefore, for similar essential reasons, correct definitions and conceptualizations can only be discussed by those who have practical knowledge of all aspects of Tanakhic studies and its interpretations and exegesis throughout the generations, as well as the history of Jews and Judaism.

THE PROMISED NATION AND THE PROMISED LAND

The foundation, the basis and the essence of Zionism is the inseparable bond between The Eternal Promised Nation of Israel (the People through its forefathers) and The Eternal Promised Land of Israel that was established by God. It is a unique and unparalleled case in the history of all nations. No other nation has a written deed, nor a documented Godly promise, for its blessed and sacred ownership of its land. Other nations regard their lands as their historical earthly property - while The People of Israel has a 4000 years old deep spiritual connection to their Sacred Land, and a binding deed sanctified by God Himself.

“Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Go you from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing.” (Genesis 12, 1-2)

That’s how Zionism started: in a MOVE-ment established by God’s directive.

Later God makes a promise to Abraham:

“And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the terebinth of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said: 'Unto thy seed will I give this land'; and he builded there an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” (Genesis 12, 6-7)

The ultimate of God’s many promises to Abraham comes in The Covenant, which is since renewed by EACH individual of The Nation of Israel:

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.' And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying: 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.' And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'“ (Genesis 17, 1-14)

This Covenant is called in Hebrew “Brit Milah” – A Covenant by Word. This is contrary to the common mistranslation of “circumcision” - which only describes the physical procedure and fails to stress its sacred and its binding constitutional aspects.

It is easy to understand from The Covenant why the Brit Milah is crucial for Jewish Life throughout the generations, why it is valid only for The People of Israel who renew The Covenant properly, and also why The People of Israel can never be defined as an ethnic race.

God repeats His oath to Isaac, son of Abraham (but not to his brother Ishmael):

“Dwell in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and by thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves; because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'” (Genesis 26, 3-5)

Later God repeats his oath to Jacob (Israel), son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham (but not to his brother Esau):

“And God said unto him: 'Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name'; and He called his name Israel. And God said unto him: 'I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.'” (Genesis 35, 10-12)

THE SANCTITY OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL

Most of the Laws of The Torah are strictly connected to The Land of Israel. This fact created the inseparable triple pillar of Judaism: The Nation of Israel -The Land of Israel-The Torah of Israel.

None can exist without the other; one is dependent on the other.

The sanctity of The Land of Israel was determined by God even before The Nation of Israel returned to its Land [2]. During the Exodus from Egypt, The Nation of Israel was given The Torah and its Commandments – after the CONSTITUTIVE EVENT on Mount Sinai. It is where and when God renewed His Covenant with the ENTIRE Nation of Israel, for future generations too [3] and for ETERNITY [4], unconditionally [5].

The sanctity of The Land is also stressed for The Temple in Jerusalem, the holiest site for The Nation of Israel ever:

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25, 8)

“Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” (Chronicles A 21, 18)

“Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the LORD] appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” (Chronicles B 3, 1)

Other Laws of The Torah which are connected to The Land of Israel only, other than The Laws concerning The Temple, are: Laws concerning the crop of The Land (Sh’mita, e.g.), Laws concerning purity (quarantine of leprous, burial laws, e.g.), Laws concerning law and order (cities of refuge, e.g.), Laws concerning civil and military government, and many more.

THE YEARNING FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL WHILE IN EXILE

The sacred connection between The Nation of Israel and The Land of Israel and Jerusalem (both known as Zion) doesn’t cease when most the Nation is in exile, during which Laws of The Torah that apply only to The Land of Israel were observed – in order not to be forgotten. Furthermore, during the exile of most of The Nation from its Land, prayers, lamentations and poetry were composed as an expression for the burning desire to return to Zion. Indoors, walls facing in the direction of Jerusalem functioned as a figurative memory of that yearning.

Zion and Jerusalem are mentioned 120 times in routine prayers: “And You shall bring us to Zion with joy, and to Jerusalem, House of Your Temple – with eternal gladness” – is just one example of many. Many know the lamentation of The Exiles in Babylon:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps. For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.' How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land? If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.” (Psalm 137, 1-6)

Less known to non-Hebrew speakers is the poem of the 11th-12th century Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, who lived in Spain:

“My heart is in the East, and I am at the ends of the West;

How can I taste what I eat and how could it be pleasing to me?!

How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet

Zion lies beneath the fetter of Edom, and I am in the chains of Arabia?

It would be easy for me to leave all the goodness of Spain, as

It is precious for me to behold the dust of a desolated Holy of Holies.”

Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi left Spain for The Land of Israel when he was 75 years old.

Every Israeli child knows the Israeli anthem, “Hatikvah” (The Hope), by heart. “Hatikvah” was composed in exile by Naftali Herz Imber (1878), a non-observant Jew, who was inspired by the prophet Ezekiel’s “Vision of the Dry Bones”:

“Then He said unto me: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.” (Ezekiel 37, 11)

The Anthem still expresses the eternal yearning for a complete meaningful life of The Nation on its Land, Zion:

“As long as in the heart within – The Jewish Soul yearns

And toward the Eastern edges, onward, - An eye gazes toward Zion

Our Hope is not yet lost – The Hope that is two-thousands years old

To be a free Nation in our Land – The Land of Zion and Jerusalem”

Throughout the exile, when Jewish life in the Diaspora continued to develop, Jewish presence and life in The Land of Israel never ceased to exist. It continued persistently, and grew due to various waves of Jewish immigration. Throughout the centuries those immigrations were strictly an outcome of Jewish faith and devotion aimed at fulfilling the command [6] to dwell in The Land of Israel: Zionism in practice.

THE MODERN ZIONIST MOVEMENT: PROTO-ZIONISM

As described above, Zionism is inseparable from Judaism. Until the late 19th century the Jewish immigration to The Land of Israel by individuals and small groups took place for reasons of faith: small in quantity but meaningful in quality.

The 19th century was characterized in Europe by many socio-economic changes which led to political and nationalistic changes. Those events affected the Jewish communities with the rise of anti-Semitism on the one hand, and attempts of assimilation on the other. The events in Europe seeped to its colonies and spread worldwide.

It is possible that those changes also expedited a reexamination of the Jewish Philosophy concerning the concept of Redemption, and in particular redemption from exile.

Until then, the consensus – with few exceptions – was the idea that Redemption of the return of The People to its land would occur only by God via a messiah. That idea took on a new dimension when a few Rabbis suggested that The Nation of Israel must act in order to achieve Redemption by fulfilling the Torah’s commandment to inhabit The Land of Israel:

“And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.” (Numbers 33, 53)

Among those Rabbis we can count Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer and Rabbi Eliyahu Guttmacher, Rabbi Yehudah Alkalai and Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Bibas, Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever, and many others. They are all considered as the heralding founding fathers of Modern Zionism, which led to the establishment of organizations promoting the Return of The Nation to The Land of Israel (“Hovevei Zion” est. during the 1870’s, e.g.) and laid the ideological platform for the futuristic Modern Zionist Movement – led by Herzl. The list of proto-Zionists of modern times includes Moshe Hess too. In his book “Rome and Jerusalem” he approached the idea of Returning to Zion as a Jewish national aspect, and part of the general European “Spring of Nations” – a nationalistic awakening that expressed the desire for self-determination. Despite being highly influenced by Socialist ideas (and an outstanding leader of the revolutionary German Socialist Movement) – his vision of the futuristic Jewish State in The Land of Israel stressed the need for conducting the spiritual way of life in accordance with The Torah. Hess, too, insisted on the firm wholeness of The Nation of Israel-The Land of Israel-The Torah of Israel.

MODERN POLITICAL ZIONISM: THE REKINDLING OF TANAKHIC TOOLS

The modern proto-Zionists had an insufficient impact on the masses: the East-European Jewry was mostly an observant conservative society which struggled to accept the idea of Redemption without a clear sign from God (not by a messiah, i.e.), while the West-European Jewry had just started to enjoy its new emancipation, and many identified themselves more with the general formative changes which swept through Europe – rather than the continuous link to The Nation of Israel and its unique aspirations.

But that wasn’t the case in other Jewish communities worldwide, which continued to adhere to principles of Traditional Zionism. Middle Eastern communities sensed as well that the end of the exile was coming. During the 19th century entire villages in Morocco were emptied from their Jewish inhabitants who immigrated to The Land of Israel. Similar scenarios occurred among Yemenite Jewry.

Back in Europe, a few decades had passed until the geo-political conditions enabled the ascent of a movement which would eventually lead to the reestablishment of Jewish Sovereignty in The Land of Israel. It took also an extraordinary person like Herzl, who skillfully synthesized the various ideological trends into a solid movement aiming for the same goal: rebuilding the Jewish State in The Land of Israel.

Prior to establishing the modern Zionist Movement, Herzl, a jurist, journalist and writer by profession, spread his ideas through the press and through books and plays - in order to enforce the issue of the Jews on the public debate. There is no doubt that Herzl was exposed to the writings of the Rabbinical proto-Zionists and that he was greatly influenced by them. Rabbi Alkalai and Herzl’s father and grandfather were acquainted, e.g., and many of Alkalai’s book “Goral L’Adonai” (A Lot for The Lord) ideas - appeared later in Herzl’s book “The Jewish State” (“Der Judenstaat”, “L’État Juif”). Though Herzl’s vision was deeply interwoven in Judaism – it was his political path which contributed most to the success of the modern Zionism’s endeavor and to Herzl’s fame. His conviction in this path, together with Max Nordau, was just one of the many methods towards the goal - and is known as Political (national) Zionism. It stressed the need for political, diplomatic and legal activity and gaining the patronage of a European country which would advocate for a Charter for Jews’ resettlement in The Land of Israel.

By that, consciously or unconsciously, Herzl replicated the Tanakhic and the Jewish historical methods of redeeming The Nation from exile - by gaining the compatible super-powers’ approval. Out of the many examples, Moses’ appeal to Pharaoh - to release The Hebrews from bondage during the time of The Exodus from Egypt - is the most generally known.

In 1897 the “Zionist Movement” was established as the first Zionist Congress took place in Basel, Switzerland.

The other Zionist streams, which Herzl cleverly managed to unite under the common goal, were:

Practical Zionism (“Hovevey Zion” organization) – promoted immigration and re-settling prior to political activity.

Synthetic Zionism (Chaim Weitzman, Martin Buber) – united Political Zionism with Practical Zionism, to a simultaneous activity.

Religious Zionism (“Hamizrachi” movement) – had a vision of combining labor in The Land of Israel according to The Laws of The Torah; while The Torah is the core and the national aspect serves as a mantle.

Spiritual Zionism (Achad HaAm) – stressed the need for cultivation of Jewish Culture and National values prior to immigration.

Socialist Zionism (Nachman Syrkin, Dov Borochov) – desired to establish an agriculturist society based on moral equality.

Revisionist Zionism (Ze’ev Jabotinsky) – demanded a revision of the Zionist Movement activities. It emphasized the historic national heritage of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel as the constituent basis for the Zionist national idea and the reestablishment of the Jewish State. It supported Liberalism (including Economic Liberalism).

Surprisingly, all those conflicting approaches succeeded to reach their prime goal while continuing to express the unique attribute of Jewish life - in the Jewish State - based on the common denominator:

“The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people.

Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped.

Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books”

(The Declaration of The Establishment of The State of Israel, May 14 1948)

INSIGHT AND CONCLUSIONS:

For 4,000 years, Zionism has been and still is, an integral aspect and a main pillar of Judaism.

The term “Zion” culminates within it both The Land of Israel and The Nation of Israel.

The unbreakable sacred bond between The People of Israel and The Land of Israel by God’s eternal Covenant, IS the true core, the nucleus, of Zionism. Every member of The Nation of Israel is personally committed to The Covenant when renewing it by the Brit Milah.

Moreover, this unique bond was also recognized by the rest of the world throughout the ages. For example, in the “Letter to the Jewish Nation” from 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte proclaims the Israelite “The rightful heirs of Palestine!” – based on this bond. [8]

For eighteen centuries most of The Nation of Israel was in exile. It was during that period when new expressions of prayers, poems, rituals and customs were created, in an attempt to fill with meaningful content the unnatural void created by living away from Zion.

Because of the inseparable sacred connection between The People of Israel and The Land of Israel, a miracle occurred during the 1,800 years of separation and exile – the Jewish People never ceased to exist as a Nation and never stopped yearning for the redemption by the return to Zion.

It is clear that the exile had to come to its end! As the Jewish way of life in the Diaspora was exempt from dealing with mundane tasks of national existence and sovereignty, the national-political aspects of Judaism had become dormant. On the other hand, the evolving traditions of Jewish methodical learning flourished during this period – but couldn’t advance The Nation towards national independence. Therefore, an alternative and fresh approach was needed to temporarily concentrate on other paths and venues in order to reach its goal. Only after reaching its goal, The Nation could reconnect to the historical essence of Zionism, in practice, through the restoration of its sovereignty over The Land of Israel. That temporary Jewish path, which arose in Europe, has become known as the political “Zionist Movement”.

The modern “Zionist Movement” is a sequel in The Nation of Israel’s History, drawing its raison d’être from Judaism’s essential building blocks – starting from when God established the MOVE-ment by ordering Abraham “Go you from thy land… unto the land that I will show thee”.

Defining Herzl as “The Visionary of The Jewish State”, though true, is unjust - for it lessens his more significant role: being The Redeemer of The Nation of Israel from exile. Herzl recognized and restored the National definition of the Children of Israel. He diagnosed the illness of a nation without its territory and determined it as terminal – unless cured. By that Herzl redeemed The Nation from the distorted definition of being a “religion” – a definition which was imposed on The Children of Israel by the Gentiles, either deliberately or out of ignorance (God’s Covenant with Abraham – a valid constitutional document - was to make out of him a great nation – not a great religion). Lacking a better definition – as a nation without its land is an oxymoron from Jewish perspective – the false definition was, tragically, absorbed into The Nation’s general consciousness.**

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** For this reason and others, the modern “Zionist Movement” was full of contradictions. It reflected an outcome of eighteen centuries when most The Nation, along with its main spiritual centers, was uprooted from its source of Purity and Holiness, and thus enabled infiltration of foreign influences as collateral damage.

Without dismissing the enormous and important role of the modern “Zionist Movement” in paving the way towards national independence in Zion – we, The Nation of Israel, still face the challenge of restoring by refinement the fundamental definition and concept of Zionism, in order to achieve our unique self-determination in The Land of Israel, and in order to fulfill our prophetic universal role as “A Light unto The Nations” [7].

It is clear now that Political Zionism, which was used and defined by the Zionist Movement, is just one aspect of Zionism. Though this aspect naturally evolved as we regained our national sovereignty, Zionism cannot continue to be narrowly defined in our joint consciousness. The term “Political Zionism” is indicative of the fact that Zionism is much broader than that, that there is more to it, another facet of it, than just “politics”. By leaving out and forgetting the essential aspects and the roots of Zionism - we, in fact, agree to degrade a pillar of our existence to no more than a Narrative. Moreover, by this, we endanger both our identity and our universal role.

Reestablishing and restoring a complete and true definition of Zionism to national consciousness requires great endeavor - however, it is an imperative! This is especially clear nowadays in the light of the attempt of some of our Nation to propagate into national consciousness terms such as “post-Zionism”, or to redefine Israel from being The Jewish State – to a land of all its inhabitants. It becomes crucial as the study of Judaism in secular schools nowadays has been reduced to “Biblical Criticism”, while in the past, until few decades ago, The Tanakh, The Oral Torah and The Talmud were compulsory and part of the curriculum of all Israeli-Jewish schools.

Furthermore, in Israeli schools and text books, the study of Zionism is taught as only starting from Herzl and the 19th century, and in a manner that is totally detached from its rich past which is not even mentioned within the context of the concept. As a consequence, this is also the knowledge of Zionism that is predominant today within the general national consciousness.

The few references and historic details which are included in this paper are just a mere drop in an ocean of the wisdom and knowledge which has been passed down to us through 4,000 years of Jewish existence. This history and tradition has to be kept alive, taught and protected from ignorance. Our heritage needs to be incorporated within our national consciousness and to be returned to the definition of Zionism.

It is the moral imperative of each Jew to learn, earn and to safeguard our Nation’s heritage and treasures and to meaningfully celebrate the reunification of The Land of Israel with The Nation of Israel.

This can be achieved by reuniting The Nation with the appreciation and the understanding of what Zionism truly means.

References:

[1] “Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.” (Psalms 149, 2)

[2] “And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.'” (Numbers 36, 9-10, 34)

[3] “Ye are standing this day all of you before the LORD your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in the midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water; that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the LORD thy God--and into His oath--which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day; that He may establish thee this day unto Himself for a nation, and that He may be unto thee a God, as He spoke unto thee, and as He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day.” (Deuteronomy 29, 9-14)

[4] “Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;” (Numbers 15, 23)

[5] “For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall My covenant of peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath compassion on thee.” (Isaiah 54, 10)

[6] “And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.” (Numbers 33, 53)

[7] “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and have taken hold of thy hand, and kept thee, and set thee for a covenant of the people, for a light unto the nations.” (Isaiah 42, 6)

[8] Letter to the Jewish Nation from the French Commander-in-Chief Buonaparte (translated from the Original, 1799)

General Headquarters, Jerusalem 1st Floreal, April 20th, 1799, in the year of 7 of the French Republic

BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IN AFRICA AND ASIA, TO THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS OF PALESTINE.

Israelites, unique nation, whom, in thousands of years, lust of conquest and tyranny have been able to be deprived of their ancestral lands, but not of name and national existence!

Attentive and impartial observers of the destinies of nations, even though not endowed with the gifts of seers like Isaiah and Joel, have long since also felt what these, with beautiful and uplifting faith, have foretold when they saw the approaching destruction of their kingdom and fatherland: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35, 10)

Arise then, with gladness, ye exiled! A war unexampled In the annals of history, waged in self-defense by a nation whose hereditary lands were regarded by its enemies as plunder to be divided, arbitrarily and at their convenience, by a stroke of the pen of Cabinets, avenges its own shame and the shame of the remotest nations, long forgotten under the yoke of slavery, and also, the almost two-thousand-year-old ignominy put upon you; and, while time and circumstances would seem to be least favourable to a restatement of your claims or even to their expression, and indeed to be compelling their complete abandonment, it offers to you at this very time, and contrary to all expectations, Israel’s patrimony!

The young army with which Providence has sent me hither, let by justice and accompanied by victory, has made Jerusalem my headquarters and will, within a few days, transfer them to Damascus, a proximity which is no longer terrifying to David's city.

Rightful heirs of Palestine!

The great nation which does not trade in men and countries as did those which sold your ancestors unto all people (Joel 4, 6) herewith calls on you not indeed to conquer your patrimony; nay, only to take over that which has been conquered and, with that nation¹s warranty and support, to remain master of it to maintain it against all comers.

Arise! Show that the former overwhelming might of your oppressors has but repressed the courage of the descendants of those heroes who alliance of brothers would have done honour even to Sparta and Rome (Maccabees 12, 15) but that the two thousand years of treatment as slaves have not succeeded in stifling it.

Hasten! Now is the moment, which may not return for thousands of years, to claim the restoration of civic rights among the population of the universe which had been shamefully withheld from you for thousands of years, your political existence as a nation among the nations, and the unlimited natural right to worship Jehovah in accordance with your faith, publicly and most probably forever (Joel 4, 20).

Source: “The journal of the International Napoleonic Society” Volume 1 # 2