Posting on behalf of Sheldon: Past 50 or in my lifetime?
I was born in 1935 so without doubt the founding of Israel would be on my list. I agree with the expansion of Jewish learning, and the 1967 and 1973 wars. I would add the development of Israel as a tech center. Unsure of number five.
You asked for suggestions of the 5 most important events of our people’s history over the past 50 years. Firstly, I will tell you that since I was born in 1942, I was around and an adult during the 50 year reference period. I was raised Reform, and am not very observant, but I am very strongly identified with Jewish peoplehood and Israel, and I care greatly what happens to Israel and our people.
Secondly, I agree with you about your 1st 4 historical events/trends of importance. For #5, I’d suggest either:
a) The development of an increasing schism between American and Israeli Jews, particularly because more and more U.S. Democrats see Israel as at fault for “the occupation,” and they are very wrongly labeling Israel an apartheid state, having bought the hugely publicized big lie of the ultra-liberal left in this country as well as in Europe.
b) The immense impact that U.S. Jews’ acceptance as marriage partners by non-Jews has engendered, such that 72% of non-Orthodox Jews are now marrying out, with the result that 90% of the children of such couples do not identify as Jewish. Those percentages may even be higher by now. To me, this is a catastrophe.
Posting this for reader Susan B: The rise of Israel as Start Up Nation and it’s seemingly infinite capacity in the technology and medical world. If you read sites like Calcalist it is absolutely mind blowing.
The economic miracle that transformed Israel from a developing nation to one with a first-world standard of living. Perhaps related to this is the way Israel solved its water problem with desalination and conservation technologies, as well as the discovery and development of its natural gas resources.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad things, like the decline of the Zionist Left and its replacement by the anti-Israel, even antisemitic crowd represented by IfNotNow, Peter Beinart, etc.
#5 As Jews, we live in an unprecedented privileged time in terms of Jewish SECURITY. Jews can and do hold government offices and are actively involved in national and international politics. We attend advanced institutions in law, medicine, finance in huge numbers. At no point in history has there ever been a time that we can, in any country, openly practice our religion. Jews living in Iran( home of Purim's Haman) find it easier to practice their religion today than they did before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Is antisemitism pervasive and abhorrent, and must we be constant and vigilant fighting against it? Absolutely. Gunmen are shooting up synagogues, and swastikas are being drawn in the snow on college campuses. But in terms of the international security of the Jewish people, we are in the best most privileged position not just since the establishment of the state of Israel but since the establishment of the Jewish Peoplehood ( Yisiyat Mitzrayim)
Fifth most important development would be the rise in popularity of Israeli cinema through which non-Israelis can learn a get a lot about Israel. For instance, the popular TV show Shtisel, which beautifully presented the daily struggle of a Haredi family living in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood.
The obvious missing fifth important event is the decline of the American Jewish community from being the world's largest and most important community to its rapid demographic and spiritual decline. In 2021, how many American Jews are actually Jewish in any non-trivial way? Two million? One million? A generation (optimistically, maybe two generations) from now, the American Jewish community will be only a vestigial rump, the Diaspora will be history, and the vast majority of the world's Jews will live in Israel. A stunning development.
I know that this makes six, but the development of Israel from a decrepit backwater to an economic and technological powerhouse is at least as important as any of the four developments that you list.
I would add the opening of the Soviet Union to allow the emigration of Jews from Russia, 1 million of whom migrated to Israel. (a specific case, in addition to your point about immigration to Israel).
Consider adding the rise of antisemitism among the political left, worldwide.
Consider adding the rise in political influence of anti-Israel Muslims world-wide.
Consider adding the turning of many leftist Jews against the state of Israel.
My suggestion for the fifth most important thing which has happened to the Jews is the blatant outpouring of anti-Semitism around the world in the past two decades. As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I grew up in an era when the Holocaust was still fresh in the minds of people (both Jews and non-Jews) and it was counter culture for people to openly express their anti-Semitism. With the passage of time since the Holocaust and people being less aware of it, it has become more acceptable for anti-Semitic views to be openly expressed in society. This hits home to me where at the University of North Carolina, the university has hired a graduate student to teach a course on the Arab-Israeli conflict. That teacher has publicly proclaimed that Israel should not exist and has openly expressed her hatred toward Jews. Yet complaints to that university have fallen upon deaf ears. This open expression of anti-Semitism would not have been tolerated 25 years ago, yet now no one in a position of authority is willing to exercise that authority to stop it in the university classroom.
This increase in open anti-Semitism is not limited to words but also extends to an increase in anti-Semitic violence. While we first started to see it in Europe, it has spread to the U.S. One of the rabbis who thankfully survived the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh bar mitzvah’d both of our children when he previously lived in Raleigh. And we increasingly see unprovoked violent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions here in the U.S. One of the major investments every synagogue and Jewish school in the U.S. has had to make in the recent past is in beefing up security measures to respond to this threat of violence.
While this increasingly hostile environment for Jews in the Diaspora is a very negative development, the one silver lining from it is that it may be increasing the number of Diaspora Jews who make Aliyah as you did.
Mark Werner
Raleigh, North Carolina
Author - A Passion for Israel: Adventures of a Sar-el Volunteer (Gefen House Publishing, 2020)
I was born in 80, so bear with me since this "in your lifetime:"
1) Donald Trump getting elected: first peace agreements since Jordan 1994, recognizing Golan as Israeli, moving the embassy (it's symbolic) to Jerusalem
2) Israel leaves Lebanon
3) Distance grows between American & Israeli jews including growth of anti-israel woke-progressives & BDS
I agree with M.S.'s point (b): assimilation. However, I would point to the weakening of Jewish education, both in Israel and in the world at large as the cause and instead the wholesale adoption of liberal Western values in place of Torah as a credo. It is a National catastrophe for Israel and a disaster in America made manifest in Assimilation and our own participating at the head of many BDS movements. We must re-strengthen Jewish the study of Torah, Nach and Chasidus (ala Carlebach's love of all Jews). Recently a friend's daughter refused to swear on a Tanach at her induction into the Israeli army. This epitomizes how far we have fallen for me.
Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt'l and the re-birth of Jewish music. The 7th Lubavitch Rebbe zya and the worldwide Chabad movement, Rav Aharon Kotler and Lakewood, Ner Israel's Rav Ruderman zya and Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg ztl perhaps deserve mention as well as other important Rabbinic personalities as the Chazon Ish zya, his protege Rav Sarya Diblitsky zya, Baba Sali zya, Rav Kaduri zya: National Treasures who impacted all of Jewry directly and indirectly. I know I'm leaving many out. We need to develop similar leaders and educators.
Although there is some overlap with your 4th point, for the fifth I would suggest the “rebirth” of Jews in the former Soviet Union. The struggle for Soviet Jewry in the 1970s united much of Diaspora Jewry behind a common goal, incomprehensible to outsiders. Just a few snippets from my own personal experiences:
Early 1970s: the drama of the “hijacking”, masterminded by Hillel Butman, brings the plight of Soviet Jewry to the notice of the Jewish world
Demonstrations outside the Soviet Embassy in London
1974: I taught children in Netivot as part of a Bnei Akiva group from the UK, and to my amazement some were blond-haired immigrants from Russia
1976: visit to refuseniks, undoubtedly one of my formative experiences as a Zionist. Outside the Archipova Synagogue I recognize Anatoly Sharansky and greet him.
1980s: at work, one of the cleaning ladies is reading a book on the stairwell. She tells me, in passable but Russian-accented Hebrew, that it is an engineering textbook, and that she is retraining and hoping to work in her profession.
Feb 1986 – emotional reception for Natan Sharansky at the Kotel
Yom Kippur 1986 – the Sharanskys come to our synagogue, and I ask him to open the Ark for Kol Nidre. He is very diffident, and only agrees when I tell him that all the worshippers get a chance to open the Ark during the day’s prayers.
1990: quite by accident, in my neighbourhood I bump into one of the refuseniks I met in Leningrad in 1976. His wife becomes my son’s piano teacher.
About 2000: Doing my civil guard patrol, I discover that my fellow-patroller is none other than Hillel Butman
About 2005: our community hosts a group of “Nativ” soldiers, and I ask Hillel to come and tell them his story. (He passed away in 2019)
2000 or so until the present: the talented immigrants, or 2nd generation, have made an outstanding contribution to the actuarial profession (insurance mathematics), and also to my “second profession”, the musical world.
Posting on behalf of Sheldon: Past 50 or in my lifetime?
I was born in 1935 so without doubt the founding of Israel would be on my list. I agree with the expansion of Jewish learning, and the 1967 and 1973 wars. I would add the development of Israel as a tech center. Unsure of number five.
Posting on behalf of Calvin:
The recent increase in antisemitic acts in many parts of the world is disquieting. This is a significant negative development
On the positive side, Israel has developed diplomatic relations with many Arab Sunni countries and other countries in Africa.
Posting for reader M.S.:
You asked for suggestions of the 5 most important events of our people’s history over the past 50 years. Firstly, I will tell you that since I was born in 1942, I was around and an adult during the 50 year reference period. I was raised Reform, and am not very observant, but I am very strongly identified with Jewish peoplehood and Israel, and I care greatly what happens to Israel and our people.
Secondly, I agree with you about your 1st 4 historical events/trends of importance. For #5, I’d suggest either:
a) The development of an increasing schism between American and Israeli Jews, particularly because more and more U.S. Democrats see Israel as at fault for “the occupation,” and they are very wrongly labeling Israel an apartheid state, having bought the hugely publicized big lie of the ultra-liberal left in this country as well as in Europe.
b) The immense impact that U.S. Jews’ acceptance as marriage partners by non-Jews has engendered, such that 72% of non-Orthodox Jews are now marrying out, with the result that 90% of the children of such couples do not identify as Jewish. Those percentages may even be higher by now. To me, this is a catastrophe.
Posting this for reader Susan B: The rise of Israel as Start Up Nation and it’s seemingly infinite capacity in the technology and medical world. If you read sites like Calcalist it is absolutely mind blowing.
Taking out Osirak and the Syrian nuclear reactor.
The economic miracle that transformed Israel from a developing nation to one with a first-world standard of living. Perhaps related to this is the way Israel solved its water problem with desalination and conservation technologies, as well as the discovery and development of its natural gas resources.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad things, like the decline of the Zionist Left and its replacement by the anti-Israel, even antisemitic crowd represented by IfNotNow, Peter Beinart, etc.
It remains to be seen how far this goes, but b'nei anusim are returning to Judaism. They number 50 million in the world.
#5 As Jews, we live in an unprecedented privileged time in terms of Jewish SECURITY. Jews can and do hold government offices and are actively involved in national and international politics. We attend advanced institutions in law, medicine, finance in huge numbers. At no point in history has there ever been a time that we can, in any country, openly practice our religion. Jews living in Iran( home of Purim's Haman) find it easier to practice their religion today than they did before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Is antisemitism pervasive and abhorrent, and must we be constant and vigilant fighting against it? Absolutely. Gunmen are shooting up synagogues, and swastikas are being drawn in the snow on college campuses. But in terms of the international security of the Jewish people, we are in the best most privileged position not just since the establishment of the state of Israel but since the establishment of the Jewish Peoplehood ( Yisiyat Mitzrayim)
Fifth most important development would be the rise in popularity of Israeli cinema through which non-Israelis can learn a get a lot about Israel. For instance, the popular TV show Shtisel, which beautifully presented the daily struggle of a Haredi family living in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood.
The obvious missing fifth important event is the decline of the American Jewish community from being the world's largest and most important community to its rapid demographic and spiritual decline. In 2021, how many American Jews are actually Jewish in any non-trivial way? Two million? One million? A generation (optimistically, maybe two generations) from now, the American Jewish community will be only a vestigial rump, the Diaspora will be history, and the vast majority of the world's Jews will live in Israel. A stunning development.
I know that this makes six, but the development of Israel from a decrepit backwater to an economic and technological powerhouse is at least as important as any of the four developments that you list.
It's a good list....
I would add the opening of the Soviet Union to allow the emigration of Jews from Russia, 1 million of whom migrated to Israel. (a specific case, in addition to your point about immigration to Israel).
Consider adding the rise of antisemitism among the political left, worldwide.
Consider adding the rise in political influence of anti-Israel Muslims world-wide.
Consider adding the turning of many leftist Jews against the state of Israel.
My suggestion for the fifth most important thing which has happened to the Jews is the blatant outpouring of anti-Semitism around the world in the past two decades. As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I grew up in an era when the Holocaust was still fresh in the minds of people (both Jews and non-Jews) and it was counter culture for people to openly express their anti-Semitism. With the passage of time since the Holocaust and people being less aware of it, it has become more acceptable for anti-Semitic views to be openly expressed in society. This hits home to me where at the University of North Carolina, the university has hired a graduate student to teach a course on the Arab-Israeli conflict. That teacher has publicly proclaimed that Israel should not exist and has openly expressed her hatred toward Jews. Yet complaints to that university have fallen upon deaf ears. This open expression of anti-Semitism would not have been tolerated 25 years ago, yet now no one in a position of authority is willing to exercise that authority to stop it in the university classroom.
This increase in open anti-Semitism is not limited to words but also extends to an increase in anti-Semitic violence. While we first started to see it in Europe, it has spread to the U.S. One of the rabbis who thankfully survived the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh bar mitzvah’d both of our children when he previously lived in Raleigh. And we increasingly see unprovoked violent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions here in the U.S. One of the major investments every synagogue and Jewish school in the U.S. has had to make in the recent past is in beefing up security measures to respond to this threat of violence.
While this increasingly hostile environment for Jews in the Diaspora is a very negative development, the one silver lining from it is that it may be increasing the number of Diaspora Jews who make Aliyah as you did.
Mark Werner
Raleigh, North Carolina
Author - A Passion for Israel: Adventures of a Sar-el Volunteer (Gefen House Publishing, 2020)
I was born in 80, so bear with me since this "in your lifetime:"
1) Donald Trump getting elected: first peace agreements since Jordan 1994, recognizing Golan as Israeli, moving the embassy (it's symbolic) to Jerusalem
2) Israel leaves Lebanon
3) Distance grows between American & Israeli jews including growth of anti-israel woke-progressives & BDS
4) Rabin's assasination
5) Deposing Bibi
I would include the improvement in the lifestyle of most of the Israelis which led to the increase in tourism and especially Aliyah.
Restaurants like the on you had lunch at dis not exist 40 or 50 years ago
martin Kofman
I agree with M.S.'s point (b): assimilation. However, I would point to the weakening of Jewish education, both in Israel and in the world at large as the cause and instead the wholesale adoption of liberal Western values in place of Torah as a credo. It is a National catastrophe for Israel and a disaster in America made manifest in Assimilation and our own participating at the head of many BDS movements. We must re-strengthen Jewish the study of Torah, Nach and Chasidus (ala Carlebach's love of all Jews). Recently a friend's daughter refused to swear on a Tanach at her induction into the Israeli army. This epitomizes how far we have fallen for me.
Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt'l and the re-birth of Jewish music. The 7th Lubavitch Rebbe zya and the worldwide Chabad movement, Rav Aharon Kotler and Lakewood, Ner Israel's Rav Ruderman zya and Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg ztl perhaps deserve mention as well as other important Rabbinic personalities as the Chazon Ish zya, his protege Rav Sarya Diblitsky zya, Baba Sali zya, Rav Kaduri zya: National Treasures who impacted all of Jewry directly and indirectly. I know I'm leaving many out. We need to develop similar leaders and educators.
Birthright.
Although there is some overlap with your 4th point, for the fifth I would suggest the “rebirth” of Jews in the former Soviet Union. The struggle for Soviet Jewry in the 1970s united much of Diaspora Jewry behind a common goal, incomprehensible to outsiders. Just a few snippets from my own personal experiences:
Early 1970s: the drama of the “hijacking”, masterminded by Hillel Butman, brings the plight of Soviet Jewry to the notice of the Jewish world
Demonstrations outside the Soviet Embassy in London
1974: I taught children in Netivot as part of a Bnei Akiva group from the UK, and to my amazement some were blond-haired immigrants from Russia
1976: visit to refuseniks, undoubtedly one of my formative experiences as a Zionist. Outside the Archipova Synagogue I recognize Anatoly Sharansky and greet him.
1980s: at work, one of the cleaning ladies is reading a book on the stairwell. She tells me, in passable but Russian-accented Hebrew, that it is an engineering textbook, and that she is retraining and hoping to work in her profession.
Feb 1986 – emotional reception for Natan Sharansky at the Kotel
Yom Kippur 1986 – the Sharanskys come to our synagogue, and I ask him to open the Ark for Kol Nidre. He is very diffident, and only agrees when I tell him that all the worshippers get a chance to open the Ark during the day’s prayers.
1990: quite by accident, in my neighbourhood I bump into one of the refuseniks I met in Leningrad in 1976. His wife becomes my son’s piano teacher.
About 2000: Doing my civil guard patrol, I discover that my fellow-patroller is none other than Hillel Butman
About 2005: our community hosts a group of “Nativ” soldiers, and I ask Hillel to come and tell them his story. (He passed away in 2019)
2000 or so until the present: the talented immigrants, or 2nd generation, have made an outstanding contribution to the actuarial profession (insurance mathematics), and also to my “second profession”, the musical world.