Transcript Slide 1

PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership
Yom Ha’atzmaut: Exploring and Engaging Israel
Reconstructing Zionism
http://jrf.org/israel/statement-and-resources
Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Adina Newberg
May 10, 2011-12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century
101 Greenwood Avenue
Beit Devora, Suite 430
Jenkintown, PA 19046
215.885.5601 / fax: 215.885.5603
www.jrf.org
Spiritual Zionism
“According to Kaplan, Zionism is a way to
reconstitute the Jewish people. It is not merely
an ideology of refuge, but a long-range
process of a people to rededicate itself.”
Rabbi Richard Hirsh, lecture to the JRF Israel Task Force, “Kaplan and
Zionism,” June 9, 2003, Wyncote, PA.
Equality and mutual connectedness of the
Diaspora and Israeli communities.
Zion as Spiritual Center
Exploring Judaism, p. 66
Spiritual Zionists, whose foremost speaker was Ahad Ha’am, was
one of Kaplan’s most significant teachers. He emphasized a need
to a return to the Land so that Jewish culture could flourish in a
Jewish environment, and so that the values of our tradition could
develop in a healthy, modern setting. Deeply influenced by the
vision of Ahad Ha’am Kaplan was outspoken in his support
for the Jewish building of Palestine. His support of Hebrew
University helped it become a center for the study of Judaica.
Kaplan differed in believing that Jewish centers around the world
should have influence and be influenced by a modern Israel.
Zion as Spiritual Center
Exploring Judaism, p. 68-69
Reconstructionists, for all our devotion to Israel,
stand adamantly opposed to fundamentalism and
pseduo-messianic revival, or the idea that Israel
resulted from supernatural intervention in history,
but rather from the tireless efforts of Zionist
pioneers. We remain committed to a vision of Israeli
society that, applying ancient Jewish values to new
circumstances, treats all of its citizens justly and
seeks peace with its neighbors wherever possible.
Psalm 122 – Interpretation
Copyright Rabbi Shawn Zevit, 1998, www.cdbaby.com/zevit1
I rejoiced in my heart when they said to me
Let us go to the House of God
And now my feet are standing
Inside your gates, oh, Yerushalayim
L'man achai v'reyai adabrah nah shalom bach
L'man beit YHVH Eloheynu, avaksha tov lach
Pray for the Peace that holiness brings
May those who love you prosper
Pray for the freedom beyond all walls
And the hope security offers
L'man achai v'reya adabrah nah shalom bach
L'man beit YHVH Eloheynu, avaksha tov lach
For the sake of my brothers, my sisters and friends
I call out “peace be with you”
For the sake of the name of the One our God
I wish the best for you
L'man achai v'reyai adabrah nah shalom bach
L'man beit YHVH Eloheynu, avaksha tov lach
Yehuda Halevi, 11-12th century
The Taste of Your Soil
www.elul.org.il/Data/UploadedFiles/SitePages_Files/420-sFile.pdf
‫י ְפֵ ה נֹוף מְ ׂשֹוׂש תֵ בֵל קִ ְרי ָה לְמֶ לְֶך ָרב‬
‫לְָך נִכְסְ פָ ה נַפְ שִ י מִ פַ אֲ תֵ י מַ עְ ָרב‬
‫הֲ מֹון ַרחֲ מַ י נִכְמָ ר כִי אֶ זְכ ְָרה קֶ דֶ ם‬
‫כְבֹודֵ ְך אֲ שֶ ר ָגלָה וְנָו ְֵך אֲ שֶ ר חָ ָרב‬
‫ עַ ד‬,‫ּומִ י י ִתְ נֵנִי עַ ל ַכנְפֵי נְשָ ִרים‬
‫אֲ ַרּוֶה בְדִ מְ עָ תִ י עֲ פָ ֵרך וְי ִתְ עָ ָרב‬
‫ ו ְאִ ם מַ ְלכְֵך אֵ ין בְָך ו ְאִ ם בִמְ קֹום‬, ‫דְ ַרשְ תִ יְך‬
‫ נָחָ ש ׂשָ ָרף וְגַם עַ קְ ָרב‬- ‫צ ְִרי ִגלְעֲ דֵ ך‬
‫הֲ ֹלא אֶ ת אֲ ָבנַי ְִך אֲ חֹונֵן ו ְאֶ שָ קֵ ם‬
‫ו ְטַ עַ ם ְר ָג ַב י ְִך לְפִי מִ דְ בַש י ֶעְ ָרב‬
Beautiful heights, joy of the world, city of the Mighty King,
I long for you with all my soul from distant Western lands!
I overflow with grief when I remember ancient days:
Your glory sent into exile, and your temple left in ruins!
Let me fly on wings of eagles till I come to you and water
Your dry dust, and mix it with my tears!
How I yearned for you! Even though you have no king,
And scorpions and vipers instead of balm of Gilead,
I will stroke your stones and kiss them, and your soil
Will be sweeter than the taste of honey in my mouth!
David Avidan (1934-1995)
Last Country
www.elul.org.il/Data/UploadedFiles/SitePages_Files/420-sFile.pdf
Traveling the world, returning,
Traveling again and coming back once more
To the first and last country
Waiting for you by the sea
You remember that special sun
That shines nowhere else
In other places you blossom
But there you wither in desperate expectation
This poem is embarrassing because it contradicts
Everything that I said in the past
About globalization, movement,
stepping off the Earth
But it's where I am right now
The contradictions also go and return again
But it's where I am right now
And right now is where it's at right now
From Songs of Zion the Beautiful,
by Alex Lazarus-Klein Oh Jerusalem
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=260
A great love,
I feel for you, Oh Jerusalem.
Your stones fill my pours, and over your many hills glides my soul
But, still, I hate you
You pull me from myself
Making me weak with arguments I can't answer
You are everything I want, but nothing I can have
Yet, without you, my reflection is of a different person
Cold and withdrawn
It is only on your raised streets
That I can dance like King David
Before the Temple was even built
And the center of the world was reserved for the letters of your name Seeds of Peace
In a bunker we discuss peace
At the edge of the green line, we stress cooperation
At this time of war, seeds of peace lie hidden
Everyone longing for them, but clasping the two fingers of the peace sign into a fist,
We try to pound them into submission
In the tiny community of Hahat Al-Salam, just south of Jerusalem, two people argue over
independence
Nabka and Yom Ha'atzmaut
Occupation and Security
Peace and War
New Prayers
Lyrics and Music
‫מילים ולחן – חוה אלברשטיין ע"פ הבעש"ט‬
Chava Alberstein
‫חושך ביער אין איש מלבדו‬
It’s dark in the woods. There is no one but him
A frightened man who’s lost his way
‫איש מבוהל שאיבד את דרכו‬
It is dark in the woods. Shabbat Eve
‫חושך ביער ערב שבת‬
Here by himself tonight he’ll stay
‫וכאן יעשה את הלילה לבדו‬
A prayer would be of use to him now
‫עכשיולה לו מועי תפילה הייתה‬
But he doesn’t have a prayer book
‫אך ספר תפילות לא נמצא בידיו‬
And he doesn’t remember, not even a phrase
‫שפט לא זוכר אפילו מ הואו‬
It is dark in the woods, Shabbat eve
‫ושך ביער ערב שבת‬
So much sadness and woe
‫כמה עצב וצע‬
So dark are the woods
‫ביערכמה חושך‬
It’s dark in the woods and it is dark in the heart
‫חושך ביער וחושך בלב‬
So he shuts his eyes and calls put loud
‫אז הוא עוצם את עיניו וקורא בקול‬
You, you, you, creator of all
‫ בורא את הכל‬,‫ אתה‬,‫ אתה‬,‫אתה‬
You who created every ant and grain
‫אתה שיצרת גרגיר ונמלה‬
You who understand every chirp and howl
‫שמבין כל ציוץ ויללה‬
Surely you know every word of the prayer
‫מכיר בודאי כל מילה בתפילה‬
Here they are before you, here are all the letters
‫הנה הן לפניך – הנה כל האותיות‬
One by one from Aleph to Tav
‫ מאלף עד תו‬,‫ אחת‬,‫אחת‬
Take them in your hands and make prayers out of them
‫קח אותן בידיך ועשה מהן תפילות‬
New prayers here and now
‫תפילות חדשות כאן ועכשיו‬
Aleph, bet, gimel dalet, vav zayin and Tet
‫אלף בית גימל דלת הא וו זין חית טית‬
Alone in the woods he stands and cries
‫לבדו ביער עומד וצועק‬
‫יוד כף למד מם נון סמך עין פה צדיק קוף ריש שין ותו‬
Yod, kaf, lamed, nun, samech, ayn, pey, tzadik, kuf, reysh shin and tav
‫זה כל מה שיש‬
That is all there is
Tourists by Yehuda Amichai
Translated by Karen Alkalay-Gut
Visits of condolence is all we get from them.
They squat at the Holocaust Memorial,
They put on grave faces at the Wailing Wall
And they laugh behind heavy curtains
In their hotels.
They have their pictures taken
Together with our famous dead
At Rachel's Tomb and Herzl's Tomb
And on Ammunition Hill.
They weep over our sweet boys
And lust after our tough girls
And hang up their underwear
To dry quickly
In cool, blue bathrooms.
Once I sat on the steps by agate at David's Tower,
I placed my two heavy baskets at my side. A group of tourists
was standing around their guide and I became their target marker. "You see
that man with the baskets? Just right of his head there's an arch
from the Roman period. Just right of his head." "But he's moving, he's moving!"
I said to myself: redemption will come only if their guide tells them,
"You see that arch from the Roman period? It's not important: but next to it,
left and down a bit, there sits a man who's bought fruit and vegetables for his family."
An Arab Shepherd Is Searching For His Goat On Mount Zion
by Yehuda Amichai
An Arab shepherd is searching for his goat on Mount Zion
And on the opposite hill I am searching for my little boy.
An Arab shepherd and a Jewish father
Both in their temporary failure.
Our two voices met above
The Sultan's Pool in the valley between us.
Neither of us wants the boy or the goat
To get caught in the wheels
Of the "Had Gadya" machine.
Afterward we found them among the bushes,
And our voices came back inside us
Laughing and crying.
Searching for a goat or for a child has always been
The beginning of a new religion in these mountains
Excerpts from the Israel Declaration of Independence
Eve of Sabbath, the 6th Iyar, 5708 (15th May, 1948)
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THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering
of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its
inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the
prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to
all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of
religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy
Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the
United Nations.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of
peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of
cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own
land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the
advancement of the entire Middle East.
WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews
of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in
the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream - the redemption of
Israel.
PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE "ROCK OF ISRAEL", WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO
THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE,
ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE,
THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY,1948).
Israel: The Cradle of Jewish Civilization in Partnership with the Diaspora
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=140
Reconstructionists recognize Judaism as the civilization of the Jewish people. Reconstructionists affirm the
attachment of our people to the Land of Israel - the site of our origins and the focus of our hope through
the millennia. From its inception, Reconstructionism has been a Zionist movement. We are firmly
committed to the building of the State of Israel and the establishment of a just and humane Jewish society
there. We consider the Jewish national rebirth centered in Israel to be the greater accomplishment of the
Jewish people in our century and encourage all Jews to develop their ties with the State of Israel. We
emphasize the importance of visiting Israel, and we commend those Jews who commit their lives, through
aliyah, to the rebuilding of our people's homeland.
While our support for Israel is unconditional, a variety of opinion exists within the Reconstructionist
movement with regard to specific policies of the Israeli government. We are united in supporting efforts
by the World Union for Progressive Judaism (with which we are affiliated) and others who work to
strengthen religious freedom in Israel and to make Israel a religious home for all Jews.
At the same time, we believe that Diaspora communities, particularly those as strong as the ones in North
America, are important centers of Jewish learning and cultural growth. Israel along serves as a laboratory
for the creation of a fully Jewish society. But where Jews thrive as citizens in multi-ethnic societies, Jewish
ideals can be integrated with the highest values of contemporary civilization in unique and important
ways. We look forward, as Israel matures as a society and achieves peace and stability, to a more properly
balanced relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. We believe that through mutual respect and
cultural exchange, these two forms of Jewish living can enrich one another.
We picture an Israel at peace and a Jewish people, in both Israel and the Diaspora, that will have the
dedication, knowledge, and prosperity to develop an ever richer tradition to hand down to future
generations.
A New Zionism affirms:
http://jrf.org/resources/files/Zionism%20and%20Communal%20Covenant.pdf
1. The unity of the Jewish people around the world, who consider Israel the birthplace of their heritage
and the state of Israel the national home of the Jewish People.
2. The right to a sovereign state in the land of Israel that serves not only as a refuge for Jews facing
oppression and persecution but also as a place where any Jew can create a national life more in harmony
with Jewish history, culture and religion than any other place in the world.
3. A state of Israel that is founded on and governed by the prophetic ideals of equality, justice and peace.
4. A commitment to strengthen mutual ties and support between Jewish communities around the world
and to preserve and enrich Jewish civilization through the fostering of lifelong Jewish and Hebrew
education and of Jewish spiritual and cultural values.
5. A state of Israel that represents the Biblical promise of redemption and liberation to a Jewish people
that has suffered historic persecution and is, as such, viewed by Jews, as a national homeland with sacred
spiritual and religious significance.
6. The right of all Jews to live in accordance with their own beliefs and religious and cultural observances
and obligations.
7. That, as important as is the creation of a Jewish homeland and society which utilizes all of the symbols,
language and culture of the Jewish tradition, the state of Israel must also be committed to uphold equal
rights and opportunities for all of its citizens, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender and sexual
orientation.
8. That Zionism represents a consciousness that can be actualized outside, as well as inside, the land of
Israel and that aliyah is encouraged because only in the State of Israel are Jews fully autonomous and
responsible for the physical and moral fate of the Jewish People.
Pluralistic Judaism in Israel
http://jrf.org/conv06-pluralism
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At JRF's 41st Convention held in Philadelphia Novmember 9-12, 2006, four
prominent Israelis who work to promote Jewish identity and Jewish study in Israel
(Roni Yavin from Elul, Ruth Calderon from Alma, Meir Yoffe from Panim and Rani
Jaeger Beit Tefilla) joined Adina Newberg on the emerging pluralism in Israel.
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Adina Newberg introduced the session, telling about the response of a student at
Elul to the experience of hevruta study: To study in hevruta, said this student, you
have to really look the other person in the eye. This teaches you how to look
people in the eye, and you realize that you can and must do it with everyone:
settler, Palestinian, haredi, everyone!
The gulf of animosity between the worlds of the religious and the secular in Israel,
the absolute ownership of the idea of Jewishness by the orthodox, the all-ornothing alternatives for Jewish identity, these things weigh heavily on the hearts of
many North American Jews. The possibility of a Jewish renaissance in Israel revives
our hopes that out of Israel where Jews can look at the big world through Hebrew
eyes will come a new energy that we need to guide our way to a robust and
satisfying Jewish life.
2000 JRF Statement on Israel
JEWISH RECONSTRUCTIONIST FEDERATION
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=781
As Reconstructionist Jews, we mourn the violence and tragic loss of life on both
sides of this conflict. We firmly stand by Israel, its leaders and its people in this
time of crisis. We join as well with the increasing number of firm supporters of
Israel who recognize that Israel needs to come to a reasonable and just
accommodation with its Arab neighbors in order to achieve peace.
At this time, we reaffirm the JRF Resolution on Israel, which states, in part:
"We call for a just and lasting peace that will protect Israel's right to a secure
existence and that will also fulfill the legitimate national aspirations of the
Palestinian people. Such a peace will require Palestinian leaders and heads of Arab
governments at long last to acknowledge Israel as a permanent state in the region
and to renounce all violence directed against the Jewish homeland."
We therefore urge the Palestinian leadership to halt the violence and return to the
negotiating table. We also urge Israel to address the legitimate social and
economic grievances of its Arab citizens, as well as to pursue negotiations and an
end to the cycle of violence with the Palestinian people.
We urge all parties involved to follow the commandment: "Seek peace and pursue
it."
Exploring and Engaging with Israel In Your Community
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=27
For many reasons, discussions within the American Jewish community about the state of
Israel - and more specifically, about issues relating to the Israeli - Palestinian conflict - tend to
be contentious and heated. For this reason, it has become a topic that is often either avoided
entirely or treated in simplistic ways. This is true both of the larger Jewish community and
within individual congregations. Israel brings up many emotions for American Jews, and
connects to deep issues including the experience of anti-Semitism, ambivalence around Jews
and power, and conflicting feelings about Jews as victims and Jews as victimizers.
As the only place in the world where Jews exercise power as Jews, and where Jews are visible
in such a distinct way, it is not surprising that Israel and its policies become repositories for
much of the Jewish "baggage" that we all carry, from the legacy of the Holocaust to
ambivalence around Jewish identity. At the same time, Israel symbolizes much of what makes
us proud as Jews, and has the potential to connect us profoundly to our history and our
historic potential.
Because of the emotional complexity of dealing with Israel, opportunities for real dialogue
and discussion of the critical issues facing the Jewish homeland have suffered. With the goal
of having open and honest discussion within our communities, such discussion is worthwhile
in and of itself, we can also overcome the disconnect that many of our members feel from
Israel. Such discussion will also, we hope, help promote our movement's active support of a
Jewish state that is secure and living at peace with its neighbors, a place where democracy
and pluralism can flourish. This goal comes directly out of our movement's support and love
of Israel, as well as out of our commitment to Jewish values of peace and justice.
See also the Jewish Dialogue Groups excellent resource http://jewishdialogue.org/resources/guidebook
Israel from a Reconstructionist Perspective?
Responses from our FAQ section for prospective Affiliates
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=487
• Mordecai Kaplan believed that nowhere else could Jews live so
completely a Jewish life as in Israel. However, because not all Jews
intend or even desire to emigrate to Israel - nor did Kaplan believe
that there is an imperative to do so - he envisioned that Jewish
communities around the world ought to be interdependent. Such a
relationship to Israel and to Jewish communities around the world,
maintains Israel as central to our historical self definition and
affirms our identity as a nation within the global family.
• One of the core principles as a Reconstructionist community is the
support of Israel's right to exist as an independent nation, which
includes both advocating on behalf of policies and needs in Israel,
as well as challenging policies if they contradict other sacred values.
• Over the past several years there has been an overall movement
among Israelis for a more progressive approach towards Judaism
which has led to a grass roots interest in articulating a nonorthodox paradigm of Jewish practice and ritual.
“What is the Reconstructionist attitude towards Israel?”
Responses For educators and their students
By Rabbi Shai Gluskin, Rabbi Moti Rieber, Rabbi Jeffrey Schein
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=28
The founder of Reconstructionism, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, was very supportive of Zionist settlement in Israel. He
felt that nowhere else could Jews live so completely a Jewish life as they could there. And that is still the case
today: Jews in Israel speak a Jewish language (Hebrew), their calendar is a Jewish calendar, their holidays are
Jewish holidays, etc. There is even a well-developed Israeli culture that is a Jewish culture, but not necessarily a
religious one, which embodies the idea that Judaism is a “peoplehood”, not simply a religion.
Some early Zionists felt that nowhere else in the world but Israel could people truly live as Jews, that Jewish life in
the Diaspora would disappear and that there would be no place except Israel to make a Jewish life.
Reconstructionists have never felt this way, and feel even less this way today. Despite the advantages of living in
Israel, there are some real advantages to living outside of Israel as well. For example, there is much more room for
religious experimentation in America than there is in Israel. Liberal forms of Judaism have a hard time in Israel
because “church” and state are not separated there like they are in America, and the Orthodox rabbinate mainly
controls life-cycle events like weddings and divorces. Woman rabbis are still fairly rare in Israel.
Despite all this, Reconstructionist Jews are supportive of Israel. They mostly support liberal positions in Israel -- on
the peace process, on religious pluralism, on civil rights, on the environment and on many other matters besides.
And although Reconstructionism still has a small presence in Israel, it’s getting bigger all the time.
The situation of Jews vs. Arabs in Israel has been going on for 100 years, and both sides have done terrible things
to each other. Reconstructionists have been supportive of efforts at coexistence and reconciliation between the
two sides, including supporting the peace process developed at Oslo. It is our hope that by supporting these
peacemaking efforts, we can help Israel become the kind of country that we would all like it to be, a place that
first of all is at peace with its neighbors.
But just like we keep loving America when it does things that we don’t like, and just as we continue to love
members of our families when they do things that we don’t like, so it is important that we keep in mind the love
that we have for Israel, even when it does things that we don’t like. It is only our supportive love and efforts for
change that will help make the situation there better. [Note: This type of response could also apply to issues of
religious pluralism or other areas where we are disappointed with what happens in Israel.]
May 2011 Shma issue on Israel
Roundtable discussion (featuring Rabbi Jarah Greenfield, RRA member):
http://www.shmadigital.com/shma/201105?folio=14#pg14
Observing Yom Ha'atzmaut provides the same opportunities. Our Roundtable—which includes a
rabbi, an editor and publisher, a professor, and a communal activist—offers a glimpse into how
each personally observes the day and how we might re-envision the holiday for contemporary
times. Yisrael Medad and Dan Heller each write about the founding myths of the Herut movement
and its role in expelling the British from Mandate Palestine. Through an exchange of letters,
Gregory Khalil & Paul Scham explore the "Nakba" or "Catastrophe"—how Palestinians refer to the
historical events surrounding Israel's independence. Leonard Fein reflects on his own personal
history with Israel; Dov Waxman explores the formative decisions at Israel's birth; Ilan Troen writes
about teaching Israel's history; Lucy Chester draws similarities between the British partition of India
and Pakistan, and the role Britain played in Israel/Palestine; Gideon Remez reviews the lead up to
the 1967 War; Sam Brody recounts Martin Buber's notion of Bi-Nationalism; Sivan Zakai writes
about a dual-narrative Israel/Palestine history book and what it teaches students about
understanding the construction of history. And, Deena Aranoff, Marc Margolius and Michael L.
Miller reflect on historian Yosef Yerushalmi's book, Zakhor, arguably among the most influential
recent books on the intersection between history and memory, the often uneasy relationship
between what happened in the past and what is recalled. Jeff Goldman contributes to our ongoing
conversation about the ethics of immigration.
TEFILAH LIMDINAT YISRA'EL / PRAYER FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL
From Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim, the Shabbat and Festival siddur of
the Reconstructionist Movement
Rock and champion of Israel, please bless the state of Israel, first fruit of the
flourishing of the fruit of our redemption. Guard it in the abundance of your love.
Spread over it the shelter of your peace. Send forth your light and truth to those
who lead and judge it, and to those who hold elective office. Establish in them,
through your presence, wise counsel, that they might walk in the way of justice,
freedom and integrity. Strengthen the hands of those who guard our holy land.
Let them inherit salvation and life. And give peace to the land, and perpetual joy to
its inhabitants. Appoint for a blessing all our kindred of the house of Israel in all
the lands of their dispersion. Plant in their hearts a love of Zion. And for all our
people everywhere, may God be with them, and may they have the opportunity to
go up to the land. Cause your spirit's influence to emanate upon all dwellers of our
holy land. Remove from their midst hatred and enmity, jealousy and wickedness.
Plant in their hearts love and kinship, peace and friendship. And soon fulfill the
vision of your prophet Nathan: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Let
them no longer learn ways of war."
And let us say: Amen.
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Jewish Reconstructionist Movement Statements and
Resources page for events in the Middle East.
Israel Resources from the JRF Resources Library / www.jrf.org/israel-resources - This broad
collection of articles, bibliographies, lesson plans, activities, divrei Torah, and frequently
asked questions is a rich resource for congregations in approaching the topic of Israel.
A Guide to Talking about Israel in Your Congregation – Rabbi Toba Spitzer, rabbi at
Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in West Newton, MA, created this discussion guide with the
goal of having open and honest discussion within our JRF communities.
Keeping Informed about Israel - A fairly comprehensive list of media, government and nonprofit sources of information about Israel on the internet.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) / www.jewishpublicaffairs.org - JRF is a national
member of the JCPA, whose mission is to serve as the representative voice of the organized
American Jewish community in addressing the principal mandate of the Jewish community
relations field, expressed in three interrelated goals: To safeguard the rights of Jews in the
U.S. and around the world; to dedicate itself to the safety and security of the state of Israel;
to protect, preserve and promote a just American society, one that is democratic and
pluralistic, one that furthers harmonious interreligious, interethnic interracial and other
intergroup relations. The JCPA statement on the Gaza crisis and multiple resources are
available on its website.
United Jewish Communities (UJC) – UJC represents and serves 157 Jewish federations and
400 independent Jewish communities across North America. It reflects the values of social
justice and human rights that define the Jewish people. Here the UJC/Federation system
responds to the Gaza situation.
http://jrf.org/Women-of-the-Wall
Israel at 60: http://jrf.org/node/1511; http://jrf.org/node/2755
Further Resources
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Keeping Informed about Israel – From the JRF website, this is a fairly comprehensive list of media,
government and non-profit sources of information about Israel on the internet.
Prayer for the State of Israel – Read the Reconstructionist Tefilah Limdinat Yisra’el / Prayer for the
State of Israel from Kol Haneshamah: Shabbat Vehagim Sabbath and Festival Prayerbook (pp.
420-421) in both English and Hebrew.
Sampling of JRF Statements on Israel – Read a sampling of statements from The Reconstructionist
in 1948, the Federation of Reconstructionists Congregations and Havurot (FRCH) in 1988, and by
JRF in 2000.
MAKOM Interactive Israel Website - Ha’aretz and the Jewish Agency for Israel have teamed up to
build an interactive website for all ages through a new program called MAKOM: It includes
message boards, surveys, articles, videos, and more. Statement on Pluralism and Conversion Bill
in Israel.
http://jrf.org/resources/files/Zionism%20and%20Communal%20Covenant.pdf A New Zionism
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=260 Poems for Israel
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=148 Yom Ha’atzmaut Ceremony
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=99 Guidelines for Successful Israel education
http://jrf.org/joint-statement-on-conversion-bill and http://jrf.org/node/2583
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=150 Tikkun Olam Resources in Israel
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=32 Israel and Zionism: Bibliography:
Further Resources
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKnXRAqzrs0&feature=player_embedded
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videos of the whole event http://www.btfila.org/page.asp?page_parent=197&site_lan=
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdB8mIS-nFI&feature=player_embedded
Rani Jaeger – Havdalah between Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7qIvc8xrQg&feature=player_embedded beit tfila by the sea
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9q7NACSLls&feature=related kabbalat Shabbat by the sea
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http://www.hartman.org.il/Opinion_C_View_Eng.asp?Article_Id=118
Rachel Shabbat Beit Halachmi - megilat haatzmaut
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http://www.hartman.org.il/Opinion_C_View_Eng.asp?Article_Id=113 Donniel Hartman - the hh
of Israel
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http://zionism-israel.com/hdoc/Silver_Platter.htm Silver platter in English and Hebrew
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http://www.btfila.org/gallery.asp?site_lan=&Gallery_parent=100 kabbalat Shabbat
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http://www.btfila.org/page.asp?page_parent=189&site_lan= Fred Johnson Kabbalat Shabbat
Further Resources
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For an excellent review of the Zionist idea since the establishment of the State of Israel and
collection of essays by contemporary Zionist thinkers across the spectrum, see Zionism: The Sequel
For more extensive treatment of the Reconstructionist understanding of Zionism see “Chapter 6:
Zion as a Spiritual Center” in Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach, ibid, note 1 and
Richard Hirsh, ed.
Israel at 50, The Reconstructionist, 62/2, Spring 1998. For Kaplan on Zionism see The Future of the
American Jew, chs. 7 and 17 (New York: MacMillan Co., 1948);
http://www.therra.org/Reconstructionist/Spring1998.pdf
The Religion of Ethical Nationhood, ch. 6 (New York: MacMillan Co., 1970); A New Zionism, (New
York: Theodor Herzl Foundation, 1955)
Jack J. Cohen, “Reflections on Kaplan’s Zionism,” The American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan, ed.
by Emanuel S. Goldsmith, Mel Scult, Robert Seltzer (New York: New York University Press, 1990).
Israel Advocacy Initiative (IAI) - The Israel Advocacy Initiative (IAI) is a joint project of the UJC and
JCPA created to work with communities to build grassroots support for Israel. The IAI assists
communities in outreach to key non-Jewish leaders, meeting challenges on campus, and effectively
communicating messages through the media. Resources include an Internet rumors and hoaxes
archive, Middle East media watch, and weekly Middle East briefing.
AI Crisis in Gaza statements - As part of its Israel Advocacy Initiative, the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs, of which JRF is a member, and the UJC offer a broad listing of statements from elected
officials and organizations in response to the crisis.
www.elul.org.il Elul- progressive learning institution in Jerusalem.
http://jewishdialogue.org/ - The Jewish Dialogue Group: a grassroots organization that works to
foster constructive dialogue within Jewish communities across the world about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and other challenging issues.