Dear Friends,
My son is spending a semester in Israel as part of his high school experience. While we’ve visited many times and even lived there when he was little, this is the first time he is truly living there: going to school, building friendships, and discovering the country in a deeper, more personal way.
Israel is not an easy place these days. He has experienced war and sirens. He hears the ongoing, often difficult conversations we have about the country and its government. He sees the complexity up close: an uncle who has served more than 600 days in the reserves, a relative advocating for civil rights, another serving as a police officer, and friends each living their own version of this reality.
So what is the message I want to give him about Israel today?
Stand up for what’s right. Go back and read the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Many people focus on its opening words about our ancient connection to the land, but its core commitments matter just as much: a society built on liberty, justice, and peace, and one that upholds full equality and freedom for all its citizens.
Walk the land. The deepest connection to Israel is not abstract, it is lived. Walk its streets, sit in its cafés, and listen to its people. As Amos Oz said, “To understand a place, you must learn its stories.” Israel holds many stories, ancient and modern, joyful and painful, and real understanding begins by engaging with that complexity.
Do something good. Israel is shaped not only by its leaders, but by the everyday actions of its people. As Hillel teaches, we are responsible not only for ourselves, but for one another. Doing good does not have to be grand. It can be showing up, helping someone in need, or listening with empathy.
Think both local and global. Your experience in Israel is personal, but it is also part of a much larger story, one that connects you to a global Jewish community.
Here at the JCC, we try to live these values every day, imperfectly but with intention, through programs like Diller, ShinShinim, and Maccabi.
On this Yom Ha’atzmaut, my hope is not only for celebration, but for reflection, responsibility, and a continued commitment to the kind of society envisioned at Israel’s founding. And one of the most meaningful ways we can do that is by coming together as a community.
Join us this Sunday, April 26 from 1 to 4:30 PM at the Kaiserman JCC as we celebrate Israel’s 78th Independence Day with an afternoon of music, food, culture, and connection. Enjoy a kosher Israeli BBQ, high-energy Israeli dancing, and activities for all ages including kids’ programming, teen and adult soccer games, tug of war, and more. The celebration will feature a live performance by the TLV Band, blending beloved traditional songs with contemporary Israeli hits to bring Israel’s story, past, present, and future, to life.
We hope you’ll join us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Moriah SimonHazani
Recent Comments