When I was sixteen, I shot a gun.
It happened during my junior year of high school while studying at NFTY-EIE High School in Israel, a program through the Union for Reform Judaism where American students learn about Israeli life and culture by spending a semester in Israel. As part of the curriculum, we spent a week in Gadna, the Youth Battalion division of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Gadna, originally established by the Haganah in the early 1940s, was designed to provide preliminary military training and education about the State of Israel to young Israelis preparing to join the IDF.
Today, Gadna is a week-long program that offers Israeli teens and some international participants a glimpse into military life and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) values. When I was a participant, we spent time in uniform learning about the IDF’s role in Israeli society, emphasizing Israel’s history, security challenges, and values. For many high school students, the highlight of the week was learning all about an M-16 rifle and finally shooting a round of bullets at the gun range.
I remember being terrified when I felt the weight of the gun on my shoulder. I knew at that moment that I would not join the IDF because I never wanted to shoot a gun again. However, the week I spent on base was still incredibly successful in Gadna’s goal of helping me foster a deep connection to the State of Israel. This was when I promised myself that I would do everything I could to be a strong supporter of the land, state, and people of Israel from the United States.
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach, Jacob famously wrestles all night long and then is blessed with his name changing to Yisrael – One who wrestles with God. But after Jacob wrestled, he woke up and continued his journey with a renewed relationship with The Holy One. We are not known as the Children of Jacob or the People of Jacob. We are Bnai Yisrael – Descendents of Israel, or Am Yisrael – The People of Israel.
Yes, we are encouraged to wrestle—to question, challenge, and grapple with the complexities of our identity and relationships. Our namesake, Yisrael, reminds us that struggle is central to who we are, but it is not the whole story. We are also a people of multifaceted relationships—with God, one another, and the land of Israel—rooted in support, resilience, and the strength to continue moving forward together.
On this Shabbat, as we honor the wrestling and embrace the continuity it ensures, I invite you to join me in two ways of deepening and strengthening our relationship with Israel, balancing the tension of our struggles with our continued support and commitment that will sustain us as a people.
- The World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the World Zionist Congress (WZC) are central institutions in Israel, often called “The Parliament of the Jewish People.” The congress reflects the global diversity of visions for continued Israeli society. These institutions were founded by Theodor Herzl at the first World Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897—long before the establishment of the State of Israel. Yet, the founders of Israel understood that the success of the Jewish State would require the involvement of the entire global Jewish people. That’s why they ensured that the WZO and WZC would be integrated into Israel’s democratic process, giving Diaspora Jews a voice in the critical issues facing our people and our homeland.
Today, the World Zionist Congress controls an annual budget of over $1 billion and meets every five years to:
- Shape policies that impact the status of Reform Jews in Israel and millions of Israelis.
- Decide how hundreds of millions of dollars are spent.
- Influence key decisions about settlement expansion or the pursuit of peace while also ensuring investment in rebuilding communities destroyed in the attacks of October 7.[1]
This is an election year for the World Zionist Congress. I am on the slate for ARZA, the party representing the Reform Movement in America. The voting window opens on March 10th. Keep an eye out for how to vote. It will only take five minutes and five dollars for your voice to make a difference.
2. This morning, our preschool students had a unique opportunity to explore an ambulance that will soon travel to Israel, where it will join the fleet of life-saving vehicles operated by Magen David Adom. This Shabbat, as we walk into services, the ambulance will be outside our synagogue, a visible reminder of our connection to Israel and our critical role in supporting the State of Israel. We will then hear from Dr. Larry Weiss, an emergency medicine doctor from the United States, who will share part of his powerful story of volunteering with Magen David Adom in the aftermath of October 7.
On this Shabbat, let’s honor our namesake by not just wrestling but by taking meaningful action—supporting, sustaining, and strengthening our relationships with Israel and one another. Whether it’s ensuring life-saving support through Magen David Adom or making our voices heard in the WZC elections, we each have the power to shape the future of the Jewish People and the Jewish State. Together, we can continue our journey towards the Promised Land with a renewed sense of resilience, purpose, and hope.
[1] https://arza.org/wzc/#whatis
Shabbat Shalom,
