On the Eve of Israel’s 77th Independence Day

While at the moment we are in the midst of Memorial Day for the Fallen here in Israel, a solemn day of reflection on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our right to live here, in just a few hours we will morph into Israel’s 77^th Independence Day with gratitude for being able to live free in our land despite of the constant threats to our survival here.

For sure the celebrations will be dampened somewhat this year, as they were last year, given that we are now over 570 days into the longest war in Israel’s history.  Yet perhaps a longer perspective might be useful to lift our spirits in the context of our long journey to this point in time.

I grew up in New York City’s Bronx, and my zadie, my mother’s father, lived with us.   He came to America from the pale of settlement in western Russia, or was it the Ukraine, or Eastern Poland?  One never knew as the flags on any given day could very well be different than those of the day before.   He never learned to speak English, although he always seemed to know when we were speaking abut him.   His language was Yiddish and, as I grew older, it amazed me how comfortable I became in that language as well.

Sadly, he died in 1052 months before my bar mitzvah, but If I were able to speak with him today and ask for his counsel I think all of us would be surprised at his reaction.

For example, I could share with him the trials and tribulations that we are going through here today in Israel as we fight our existential battle for survival.   No doubt his reaction would be one of amazement.  He might say, “You mean to tell me that Israel is still around, 77 years later?  Why when I was alive most of us didn’t think the country had a chance to last 10 years, certainly not 77.”

I could also share the terrible loss of some of our best and brightest during the current war and the thousands who will carry battle scars with them for the rest of their lives.  No doubt his reaction would be one of awe.  He might ask, “Israel has an army that was able to hold Hamas in check, emasculate Hezbollah, eliminate Iran’s air defense systems and help bring down the Assad government in Syria as well?  Wow, we never thought of Jews as a fighting force.”  This, from someone who, when he was a young man in Russia, punctured an ear drum to stay out of the tzar’s army.

I might also share the problems we see today with the rise of antisemitism worldwide and the related unrest that makes it unsafe for Jews to be on many campuses such as Harvard, Columbia ad the like.   He might say, “They let Jews into Harvard and Columbia?  Wow….what progress.  In my day they had serious quotas against admitting Jews.”

So, as we approach the 77^th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Jewish commonwealth in the land of our forefathers, difficult as the challenges that we face may be, in the historical perspective it is truly a miracle that we are here, thriving and able to defend ourselves after having been a diaspora people for over 2,000  years.

My zadie would be rightfully amazed and incredibly proud if he could see what we have accomplished and what a wonderful society we have built.   Hopefully, we will be able to build further upon the unity that we feel in times of war to bring the country to new heights in peaceful times as well.  May it be so.  Happy 77^th birthday Israel.   Am Yisrael Chai…..The people of Israel live!!!!