One Very Large Family

One of the things that made last night's Memorial Day Ceremony in Shiloh so intense and draining for me is the fact that as part of the community for thirty years I wasn't sitting with strangers. There are so many levels to people's identity, and the longer you know them, the more intimate everything is.

The beautiful young woman who hugged the bereaved teen is herself a miracle of faith over science. And the two neighbors who "by chance" ended up sitting side by side have both "rescued" are both in need of prayers, as is the man who because of G-d's mercy sat not far away. Every time my eyes strayed over the crowd, I saw other bits of "history."

I don't want to write more on this vein, because it shouldn't become a "guessing game" which would make it halachikly (according to Jewish Law) problematic.

No doubt every Jewish community here in Israel can be described in a similar way, but there's a special intensity in a place like Shiloh. Appease aka Peace sic Now and its "fellow travelers" all over the world try to make us out as invaders, easy to demolish (G-d forbid) temporary and disconnected to the Land we cherish. But the Jewish People of today wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Land of Israel which holds us together. It's to the Land of Israel, the Land G-d ordered us to enter, promised would be ours that has been the focus the target of Jewish existence for thousands of years of exile.

It's here in the Land of Israel that Jews from all over the world have melted are melting/uniting into one Israel. It's an ongoing process, and we are far from finished, and we are far from completing the process.

In Judaism faith isn't enough. Our religion demands actions, active mitzvot. I thank G-d for having me born in this time in history to be part of it.

Chag Atzma'ut Sameach
May We Be Joyous in Our Independence