| Shabbat Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech
September 3, 2010
Why Send Your Kid to Israel? By Jonathan Delikat
It's far away, it's supposedly dangerous, and it's surrounded by a (large) group of countries that aren't all that fond of Americans. Why on earth send your son or daughter to Israel right now? One powerful answer came to me this summer in an unlikely place: Turkey. I was at Nev Shalom Synagogue, a beautiful temple in Istanbul's Galata district, just a few minutes walk from the Bosphorus. The temple, whose name translates to "Oasis of Peace", was struck by deadly terrorist bombings in 1986 and again in 2003, claiming the lives of some 50 people. After making the necessary appointment, entering the synagogue through an unmarked door on a side street, and undergoing a thorough security screening, my friend Seth and I were introduced to our tour guide, a short Turkish Jew named Avram. We asked Avram as many questions as we could, trying to gain a sense of what it's like being Jewish in a seemingly hostile environment. He assured us that Turkish Jews do not face anti-Semitism in their daily lives. But the more Avram spoke, the more I got the feeling that he, a dual Turkish-Israeli citizen (though he hasn't yet been to Israel) doesn't quite feel comfortable in Turkey. At the end of our tour, Avram mentioned that he hopes to someday move to Israel for good with his family. "It's possible to live a good Jewish life in Turkey, he said, "but I'd still prefer to be able to let my tzitzit show rather than tucking them in." The subconscious self-consciousness of being Jewish...this idea stuck with me. There are laws in Turkey that prohibit acts of anti-Semitism - but that doesn't mean that Jews feel at home there. That's reality for Avram and for many Jews just like him all around the world. In the United States, we are fortunate to live in a place where we can practice our religion freely and openly without fear of repercussions. In most senses, this is a blessing. But it also has the potential to allow us to take our Judaism for granted. Think about it. If a stranger were to walk up to you on the street and ask: "Who are you?" - what would be your response? "I am a student." "I am a doctor." "I am a Democrat." "I am an American." Yes, perhaps you are all of these things. But what would you say about your Judaism? Would you declare it proudly? How would your children respond to the same question? Living as comfortably as we do here in America, sometimes we need a reminder. We are many things; we have many titles and we play many roles. But first and foremost: we are Jewish. That's why going to Israel is so important. Spending 10 days there this summer on Taglit-Birthright's "Israel Outdoors" program, and afterward, another 10 days on my own with Israeli family and friends, completely renewed my sense of Jewish pride. I have been fortunate in my life to have had the opportunity to travel to five continents and experience life in a host of different countries and cultures - but nowhere have I felt as connected to a place, to the people, and to my own roots as I did when I was in Israel. And this reawakening has come at a time in my life when I find myself at a religious crossroads. Having just graduated from college, I am about to become truly independent. With that independence comes an important choice: whether or not to take my Judaism with me and make it a part of my childrens' lives the way my parents did for me. Every young Jew must make this choice at some point. But no one is truly equipped to do so until he or she has been to Israel and experienced what it's like to be a Jew in a Jewish homeland. It takes being in a place where Judaism is the most important part of life to realize the part it should play in your own. So my point is this: you need to encourage your children to get to Israel before they graduate from college - while they still have the time, and while their minds are still open. And they need to go with other young Jewish people like themselves. Fortunately, there are plenty of programs that offer this opportunity, and the application processes take just minutes. If your kids can't get a spot on the Birthright trip (which provides groups of young Americans up to age 26 with an all-expenses paid guided trip to the Promised Land) then help them find another way. Try university Hillel organizations, which sometimes lead trips of their own. Or better yet, give generously to the Birthright Israel Foundation, which has suffered diminished funding in recent years, so they can continue to make this experience available to every young Jew who wants to join a trip. Not everyone will take the same thing away from a trip to Israel. But speaking for myself, and the 39 others on my Taglit trip, I can say with certainty that your child will come home from Israel changed and with a renewed sense of what it means to be a Jew. ~~~ Jonathan is a 2010-2011 Princeton-in-Asia Fellow, and currently lives in Hangzhou, China, where he teaches English at the Zhejiang University of Science and Technology. You can follow his travels at www.jdinchina.blogspot.com
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