Newspaper Page Text
Friday, Fab. 21, 1969
Israel
Pag* hw
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
On Being Jewish - In
By Jack Geldbart
Last of Three-Part Report by one of the Atlantana
who traveled to Israel on a fact-finding mission.
*•••••
Being Jewish is an art requiring pride, tenacity, and
humility—a precarious balance perfected by Jews only
after centuries of tribulation. But now there is evidence
that a new, more militant version has evolved as a result
of the Six Day War: we call it “being-proud-I’m-Jewish-
because -they-can-really-fight-in-Israel.” Publically de
claring one’s pride in being Jewish is certainly no fault,
but the motivation for this latest variation seems some
how strained—particularly in contrast with the comfor
table casualness of the Israeli Jew.
Most of the Jews in Israel are confused by the Amer
ican Jew’s insistence on continuing to play at this “being
Jewish,” a role which they, feel demands adherence to
the repugnant “gentleman’s agreement” code set up in
ghetto day6. The Israeli is impatient with any Jew who
compromises his Jewishness, and they feel that most
American Jews are not really “at home” in their own
country. They know that we take great pride in their
accomplishments during the Six Day War, /but they also
feel that perhaps we are mostly proud because we could
impress our non-Jewish neighbors with Jewish bravery. )
• • • *
I spoke to one Israel offloer about this very point.
Our UJA mission was traveling to the Suez Canal and
he was part of our military escort. We had stopped
to eat a cold box-lunch, sitting cross-legged in the Sinai,
and I spoke of how the whole world was impressed by
the performance of the Israeli army, and that Israel’s
stunning victory particularly electrified the Jews in
America.
“V "TTio Israeli soldier fights well,” he said matter of
factly, “that is true, of course; but what could one ac
tually expect? Our soldiers will always fight well because
they really have no choice. We know what the Arab
Intends for us should they conquer Israel. It is not hard
for us to fight well under such circumstances.” His face
hardened, and his eyes flashed darkly as he spoke. “This
Is our country. We will never give it up.”
He paused for a moment, gaining control over his
anger. “I don’t deny that our soldiers are proud to be
Jews,” he continued, “and I don’t mean to deprive the
Americans of their pride in our country. We need that.
But being Jewish for you and being Jewish for an Israeli
are entirely different matters. Being Jewish in Israel
means being a majority for a change. We will do any
thing—I mean anything—to preserve that feeling. You
are a minority as a Jew in America. You have no op
portunity to be Jewish comfortably.”
We were interrupted at this point by a whistle which
signaled that we must move on. We rose, brushing the
sand from our clothes. “One cannot know the total pride
of being a Jew unless one is a Jew in Israel,” he said,
“and I’m not saying that one is not a Jew unless he lives
in Israel. We are all Jews, wherever we are. But there
are degrees of being a Jew—not in the religious sense,
but in the Jewish sense—the sense of knowing vrhat you
are.”
He climbed into his Jeep and we were off in a cloud
of sand to the Suez Canal. As we bumped over the
narrow road I thought again of what he had said: "An
opportunity to be Jewish comfortably.” I had never
thought of being Jewish in quite those terms.
• • * *
I heard the civilian version of this same subject later
in the week when we visited a kibbutz in the Bet Shean
valley. For many years the farm settlements in this valley
had lived in relative calm and peace, even at times
trading with friendly Jordanian farmers. Since the
Six Day War, however, there has been constant harass
ment from the terrorist Fatah, and sporadic shelling by
the Jordanians. Because these attacks take place at
dusk, every child under fourteen goes to an underground
shelter for the night. Some of the smaller Children have
never slept above ground.
Our visit took place during the daylight hours, and
except for occasional bomb-craters along paths' winding
through the fields, there was no visible evidenoe of the
violence which stalks the settlement. Alongside one of
these paths was a rusted sheet of steel placed on its edge
so that it towered over us. There were jagged holes in
the metal and what appeared to be a grotesquely bent
axle. We learned that this was a homemade memorial
for four members of the kibbutz (including a non-Jewish
youth visiting from Holland) who had recently died in a
tractor blown up by a Fatah mine.
As we walked through the school area of the settle
ment, there seemed to be children everywhere: all ages,
all sizes—laughing and running before us. One little boy
yelled out exhuberantly, “Shalom, Yehuda.” I returned
his greeting, thinking that this must surely be the only
place in the world where one could be greeted with
“Hello, Jew,” and not be offended.
There was a white picket fence around the nursery
area and the smaller children peered out at us through
calcimined posts. Their teacher had declared an informal
holiday for our arrival, and she sat casually on the edge
of a sandbox. She was a robust, red-cheeked young girl
in her twenties, an air of vigor and good health about
her that seems to characterize every memb^ of a kib
butz. “Shalom,” I said, not sure that she would under
stand much else. “Shalom,” she said, and then asked:
“Your group is from America, isn t it? Her accent was
unmistakenly Midwest American, and I showed my sur
prise. "I’m from Chicago,” she said smiling, “but I’ve
been here for three years, so I guess you could call me
an Israeli.” As she spoke she reached over and picked
up one little girl who had fallen face first into the
sand-box. I was curious, and wondered aloud how she
had made the decision to become an Israeli.
“Why?” she asked. “Well, I must admit that I never
really thought about it as a move to Israel at first. I
visited here and liked it. I liked the idea of seeing a
train go by, knowing that the engineer was Jewish.
It made me feel good when I saw a telephone repair
man climb a pole and knew that he was Jewish too.
I liked the feeling that a Jew could do more than be a
merchant, doctor, or stockbroker.” She grabbed up a
little girl who tugged impatiently at her skirt. “This
one is mine,” she said. “My husband was attending
Hebrew University when we rtiet. His parents lived in
this kibbutz, so when he graduated we came back hern
The kibbutz had paid for his education, so we felt that
this would be the place where we could make our con
tribution to Israel. Do I miss home? I guess I do at
times, but I think it’s my parents I miss, not the place
itself. Here I’m part of the country. I’m a Jew in a
land of Jews.”
• • • *
Several days later on the El A1 jet headed home
I pieced it all together in my mind. It occurred to me
that what passes for the widely heralded Israeli “spirit”
is actually a lack of self-consciousness about being Jew
ish. Everyone I met—including the army officer, the girl
from Chicago, and even the child who greeted me with
‘Shalom, Yehuda”—were all saying essentially the same
thing: in Israel one is a Jew among Jews, and the
motivations which go with that status can be taken for
granted, whether it be courage in war or devotion to
one’s duty. Israel itself is young, and the importance
of this naturalness is especially meaningful because the
young seem to feel it strongest.
Perhaps the girl at the kibbutz expressed this most
simply and powerfully when I asked her why they keep
the children in the underground shelters instead of
placing them temporarily in a safer place. She looked at
me oddly and hesitated a moment before speaking, as
though unsure that I could understand her answer.
“Leave? How could the children leave? Where would
they go? This is their home.”
How right she was. How else can children ever know
what “home” means? Perhaps there is really no other
way to be Jewish.
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 390 Court
kind St., N. E„ Atlanta, Georgia JOXOJ. TB 6-8249, TR. 6-8240. Sec
ond class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Yearly subscription 87.50
The Southern Israelite invites literary contributions and correspond
ence but Ls not to be considered as sharing the views expressed by
writers DEADLINE is 5 P.M. FRIDAY, but material received earlier
will have a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
"^Kathleen Nease, Vida Goldgar, Edward M. Kahn
Kathy Wood, Paul Warwick, Harry Rose
Betty Meyer, Gertrude Burnham
MEMBER
, GEORGIA PRESS ASSN.
MATIPH^I NIWITAMti 7 ARTS FEATURES
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC
AGENCY
WORLD UNION PRESS
CONCEPT OF
BROTHERHOOD
Everybody subscribes to the concept of brotherhood. Every
body believes in the brotherhood of man. But too many add the
words “of our kind”.
Somehow there is a gap between our profession of faith and the
reality of what we practice in our daily lives. We can only be tested
by the application of our beliefs to specific situations. Most often a
certain fear results in our reluctance to get involved in the lives of
others.
And so in characteristic American fashion we proclaim observ
ance of “Brotherhood Week" during the week of Washington’s birth
day. We honor selected “good neighbors”. The N.C.C.J. has been
observing this event ever since it was organized in 1934.
When the observance is over we go back to “business as usual”.
This year the theme is most appropriate for all as — “BROTHER
HOOD BEGINS WITH YOU”. Unless each of us realizes that we
must practice, daily, throughout the year, a concern for the well
being of all our neighbors, regardless of race, creed or ethnic origin,
the observance of “BROTHERHOOD WEEK” is devoid of any real
meaning. It assumes the character of advertising It as a commodity.
Let us, therefore, recognize that “you” refers to each of us. Let
us resolve that from now on, we shall practice as well as be guided
by the noble goals of our faith — “to do justice to love mercy and
to walk humbly with God”.
Jewish
•FAST OF ESTHER
March 3, Monday
•PURIM
March 4, Tuesday
•PASSOVER
April 3, Thursday
(First Day)
April 10, Thursday
(Eighth Day)
•LAG HOMER
May 6, Tuesday
•Holiday Begins
Calendar
•SHAVUOT
May 23, Friday
•TISHA B’AV
July 24, Thursday
•ROSH HASHANA
Sept. 13-14
Saturday-Sunday
•YOM KIPPUR
Sept. 22, Monday
undown Previous Day
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