Entebbe and Shalom-in-Bayit – A Legacy To Preserve

Fifty years ago, the world and especially the Jewish people watched with amazement and pride as our own IDF soldiers flew across continents to rescue over a hundred hostages from Entebbe. We witnessed the courage and bravery and were astonished at the precision and cooperation required on so many levels including governmental approvals for the miraculous success of the mission. But perhaps our greatest triumph took place after the landing of the planes – with the return of the hostages and being reunited with their families and most of all crossing the thresholds of their own HOMES.

The Rescue at Entebbe – a metaphor for Shalom Bayit (marital harmony)

The image of the hostages returning to their homes reminds us of one of the most important tenants of our Judaism—shalom bayit, the creation and nurturing of homes filled with peace, love, and mutual respect. The term is a contextualization of Shalom Bayit. One definition that is simple but elegant was cited in an article entitled Shalom Bayit: Marital Harmony and reads as follows: Shalom means “peace” and a Bayit is a “home.” Maintaining peace in one’s home, shalom Bayit, is an important ideal in Judaism, which views marriage between man and wife as a manifestation of G‑d’s connection with His creations.

Shalom Bayit can also be personified by such synonyms as “love” and “harmony” and “support and encouragement” and even “helping to actualize the potential in a spouse”. And just as  the first stop after the rescue was “HOME”, we also could honor the legacy and concentrate  our own national focus and objective – on making our homes the most central place for expressing our commitment to SHALOM.

We know that an emphasis on the Home and Strong Marriages leads to Strong families to Strong communities and ultimately to Jewish continuity.

What Lessons Can We Learn – Making the HOME FRONT A PRIORITY

Every generation has its own Entebbe – when there are moments that call for mobilization. In 1976, the heroism required ingenuity and extraordinary courage on the part of the government and armed forces of Israel.

I am concentrating in the blog on a different kind of heroism – and that is on the HOME FRONT. As I have written over the past almost fifteen years of blogs, my passion is strengthening marriages and in particular via the vehicle of marriage education and enrichment – which means providing precise tools and skills for couples for creating and maintaining healthy and happy marriages and families in their homes. I believe that marriage education and enrichment reflects the same commitment to preserving what we cherish most – our homes and families.

Adequately preparing our own couples for marriage, supporting couples in various stages and during times of peace and conflict and helping couples to build homes filled with love and harmony and respect and most of all SHALOM are indeed acts of heroism. However, such preparation requires a VILLAGE of combined committed players engaged at any level in the sphere of marriage and family life.

FROM APATHY TO ACTION

We all have a responsibility to convert apathy to Action. The courage displayed at Entebbe shows us that we understand the responsibility we have for saving the lives of our people. Today more than ever that resolve is tested due to  the wars and separations caused by mobilizations. We have a challenge to strengthen and immunize our marriages and families that are vital for our Jewish communal lives. We can all be the newest generation of leaders in the area of strengthening and ensuring that our homes are secure and focused on SHALOM .

MY VISION – A NATIONAL IMPERATIVE 

My vision is that of a Jewish world where every engaged couple prepares for marriage equipped with  tools for building a proper foundation; that parents and grandparents view relationship preparation as a cherished gift for their children getting married; that synagogues considers marriage enrichment educational programs similar to the concept of ministries in other faiths and demonstrating communal care and sacred obligations; that educators and therapists and other mental health professionals work in combination to strengthen Jewish homes; that philanthropists invest in prevention and solidifying marriages at the foundational and maturing phases of marriages rather than only in times of crisis; and communities assume responsibility for becoming confidants for creating avenues for marriage to be seen as the bedrock institution for affirming our values and survival as a people.

Entebbe proved that with planning and leadership and extraordinary cooperation we can witness miraculous achievements. Fifty years later we can exhibit our own  national resolve by working in concert to help every Jewish home become a place of lasting  SHALOM -IN-BAYIT. By working to strengthen our homes as a national imperative we will honor the legacy of Entebbe.

For more information and to indicate your interest write me at marriageconf@gmail.com