Beyond Coming to Vote

Within two days of October 27 being announced as Election Day, I purchased tickets to come and vote. I have no illusion that our votes will single-handedly tip the balance for or against this government, but I felt strongly that we needed to be there.

Cynics might argue that, because we do not pay taxes in Israel, we should not have the same right to vote as those who not only carry that burden but also endure the many hardships and responsibilities that life in Israel imposes on its residents. My response goes beyond legal rights or technical eligibility.

Today, more than ever—especially after October 7—I believe that every Jew, wherever they live and whatever their beliefs may be, has a moral obligation to do whatever they can to contribute to tikkun olam—at the very least, to the well-being and flourishing of the Jewish world. For me, participating in Israel’s democratic process is one way of fulfilling that responsibility.

Another way is by bearing witness and sharing the experiences that shaped our lives. That conviction led me to write a memoir, Beyond Diaspora: One Couple’s Journey through Architecture, Jewish Identity, and a Changing World. The book—still unpublished—is not simply a record of personal events; it is an attempt to reflect on the ideas, places, and people that influenced our understanding of the world and our place within it.

As architects, Ruth and I were privileged from our student years onward to encounter remarkable buildings throughout Europe and the Americas, learn from great teachers, and meet unique individuals. These experiences helped us develop a vision of architecture not merely as the design of buildings, but as a way of imagining and helping to create a better future. Over the years, I have explored some of these ideas in these columns; in the memoir, I place them within the broader context of a rapidly changing world and project them toward the remainder of this century.

The question of Jewish identity, reflected in the book’s title, is equally central. It encompasses growing up in Argentina—and, in Ruth’s case, Romania—becoming Israelis, living in the American Diaspora, and remaining secular members of the Jewish nationhood.

These experiences have reinforced my belief that Israel must remain a democratic state and the national home of the Jewish people. They have also led me to conclude that Aliyah should once again become a top priority, with the ambitious goal of encouraging at least half of Diaspora Jewry to make Israel their home by 2048.

The “changing world” of the subtitle is no less significant. When I was eleven years old, my family acquired its first television set. Since then, we have witnessed the arrival of computers, the internet, mobile phones, and now artificial intelligence—not to mention the profound political, social, and cultural transformations that have reshaped nations, communities, and individual lives.

Looking back, I am struck by how closely personal journeys intertwine with historical events. The decision to vote in Israel despite living abroad, the search for Jewish identity across continents, the practice of architecture in different cultures, and the experience of living through decades of unprecedented change are all chapters of the same story. They are reminders that ordinary people do not merely observe history; they participate in it.

That realization is ultimately what Beyond Diaspora seeks to explore—a journey across countries, professions, ideas, and generations that may offer readers a deeper understanding not only of our lives but also of the times through which we have all lived, trying to formulate a set of goals for the future.