In 2002 Rabbi Daniel Gordis published a book entitled, “If A Place Can Make You Cry,” a firsthand account of his family’s journey of making aliyah. When they landed in 1998 it was a time of euphoria in Israel, a booming economy and peace with her neighbors seemed within reach. The tides however, would turn with the outbreak of the second intifada and Israel found itself once again at war. The book is a collection of emails and letters that Daniel sent to his family and friends about their life in Israel with all its “beauty, madness, struggle, hope, violence, and history.” It’s a moving book. I’ve always been drawn to it – not just for the powerful writing – but the title truly captures my emotional and spiritual attachment to Israel.
Israel is a place that makes me cry. In fact, as I write this message, tears are welling up in my eyes. This Yom Ha’atzmaut we celebrate Israel’s 77th birthday as an independent Jewish State. My tears are ones of immense pride at all that our miraculous state has accomplished in a short amount of time against all odds. On this Yom Ha’atzmaut, my tears are also mixed with pain since we are still not whole as we pray for the return of 59 of our Israeli brothers and sisters who are still held in captivity. This Yom Ha’atzmaut the City of Gold is covered in soot from raging brush fires. We find ourselves still holding on to Yom HaZikaron, as we bear the fresh wounds of loss.
77 years ago on a Friday afternoon, David Ben Gurion set his pen down and declared, The State of Israel is born! In a handwritten diary entry that was just released this week, Ben Gurion writes, “we approved the text of the Declaration of Independence. Independence was declared at 4 p.m. Across the land, there is joy and profound happiness, and again, I mourn among the joyful.” With hope in his soul and anxiety in his heart he knew the road would be paved with uncertainty and immense challenge but the dream of a Jewish State in Eretz Yisrael was too powerful to let go of.
In a small room, on a warm Tel Aviv afternoon, with Shabbat on the horizon and an invading army at the ready, I imagine Ben Gurion standing there consumed with all the emotions but with a strong will to realize an ancient promise. My eyes fill with tears as I think about the risk, the sacrifice and the profound reward.
Another image comes to my mind as I reflect on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Every time I visit Israel I always make a stop at Mount. Hertzl, Israel’s military cemetery. The last time I was there I walked through the hall of memory. On the walls are the names of every soldier and police officer who’ve given their lives in service to the country. The names are organized by date of when they fell in battle. Every day soldiers from the IDF read the names of those whose yahrzeits are observed and families gather to recite kaddish. As the final Amen reverberated throughout the building, a little girl, about 4 years old, skipped past me in a pink tutu dress. She brushed her little hand along the wall, as little kiddos do. That sweet little hand caressed the names of the newly laid bricks of those who lost their lives defending our people and our land on October 7th. Even in the midst of darkness, there she was, the future of Israel. The people whose names rest on the walls gave their lives to defend the place she calls home to ensure she can grow up in a land of love, strength, peace and joy.
This moment captured everything I feel for this holy place. Israel holds both profound grief and remarkable hope in the same breath. It is a place that carries heartbreak and triumph. It is a place that celebrates and mourns. It is a place where antiquity and modernity live in unison. It is a place that makes you cry tears of immense pride and deep pain. It is a place that embodies the ideals, values, dreams and hopes we, as members of Am Yisrael, cling to.
In Hebrew, every letter of the alphabet has a numerical value. The Hebrew word “Oz” meaning “strength” carries the value of 77 – how fitting for this year. On Israel’s 77th birthday we celebrate the resilience and strength of our people. We celebrate the fortitude of those who defend our spiritual homeland. We honor the strength of the Israeli spirit. This year is no different. We remain steadfast in our love, our determination and our pride. We rejoice in Israel’s wonders and celebrate all those who contribute to her vibrancy and strength.
Adonai Oz l’Amo Yitein, Adonai Yivarech at Amo BaShalom,
May God grant strength to all God’s people; May God bless God’s people with peace.
May we continue to be sustained by hope and enriched by an eternal promise. Am Yisrael Chai, the Jewish people lives!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Laila Haas
