An Advocacy: the Rise from Aliyah to Activism

April 11, 2008 · Filed Under Jewish Student Activism, Life in Israel ·

Written by: Aliza

Making aliyah, it seems, is not the fruition of that idealized dream. And by “it seems,” I mean I once thought it was. I came here to live because I can and We can and We should and from there everything would work itself out. Somehow.

Yet that Somehow still hasn’t shown up. Or rather, that Somehow has transformed into a Someone: a Me.

Israel is a complex country: a country that professes the ideals of democracy yet attempts to retain loyalties to a historical and religion responsibility. Israel is a country that needs my help along with your help.

Living here, I have come to realize, is not about finding the most comfortable place to live, that town that reminds me most of back home or the location that will best suit my needs. Living here is about us—about the community of Am Yisrael—and what we can do to ensure that such an entity exists and continues to exist, even beyond the borders of Israel.

This past summer I met a group of solid people. They were all young and intellectual and motivated and strived to affect change. They were part of the PresenTense Institute, a Creative Zionism summer program. Their website tells it best: they enable “socially-minded entrepreneurs from the fields of hi-tech, business, social action, education and the arts to turn their envisioned projects into reality.” Basically, they are a bunch of young minds who care and do something about it. It’s pretty impressive.

Become part of this active reality at http://www.creativezionism.com.

Read what they have to say. Think about what they have to say. What do you have to say?

We are living in precarious times. The meaning of Zionism is up for debate. It is a term we afford great prominence; it is the subject of much debate and discussion and yet in some sectors it is slowly being replaced with alternate values and morals.

What is Zionism? What do we want out of this place, anyway? How are we going to actualize such goals in an age of post-modernism and equality for all and pluralism and individualism and social concern?

The folks at Creative Zionism know. Do you?

You liked this post? Here is a list of related posts:

- Uplift (v): to improve socially, culturally, morally, or the like: to uplift the spirits of those downtrodden. by admin
- Zemer’s Aliyah Files: #1 by Zemer
- Their Home and Our Homeland: Can We Reconcile Our Differences? by Aliza
- Just some news on Tzipiyah.com by Dan Illouz
- What Isreal’s Greatest Accomplishments Mean for You by Aliza
- Winter blues by Gemma
- Question of the Week - Parashat Korach by Dan Illouz

Zemer Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Sounds awesome. Well written article!
I think you’re right about the difference between ideal and practice. And idealistic aliyah today is very different to 100, 60, or 20 years ago.

We do have new challenges, and, as you say, the very definition of Zionism, and, I believe of being a Jew or an Israeli, are being tested and challenged.

Firstly, can you please share some of your experiences at Creative Zionism? That sounds really interesting. And secondly, what is your take on the issues you’ve mentioned? What, would you say, is Zionism, and how should we treat and translate it today?

aliza Says:
April 15th, 2008 at 7:47 am

The main motive for writing this post was really to open discussion of these issues specifically becasue it is something with which I am presently struggling.

Words in general are mere clothing for meaning and I think that “Zionism”–although once it was attributed great meaning–is now merely employed as a word with such debatable meaning.

I view zionism as the aspiration for a national homeland for the Jews and that which provides this great opurtunity for Jews, of all types, to live in such close proximity and as a real nation; to deal with issues collectively; and to experience collectively.

Recently though, I have been wondering what is the goal of this Jewish homeland. Seeing the state of Israel now i dont know if i want to say that all Jews MUST be living here. Religiously, I wonder whether that physical presence of Jews is that which will bring the geulah?

It seems that there are two clashing motives working here: on one hand we want to be a part of a democratic and progressive demographic and on the other hand we see this state as a means of attainment of a greater goal of geulah–a tool to connect to the future–and thus must retain the character of Jewish ideals.

Truthfully, this is all a muddle of ideas and I would love to hear what you think. I’m trying as much as a can to read; speak to people; hear new ideas and discover novel perspectives.

Zemer Says:
April 15th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
This seems to be one of the defining struggles of the essence of Israeli society and life.

Is it a Jewish state, or is it a state for the Jews?

If we look at the Torah, there is no such word as ‘Zionism’. Our aspiration to live in Israel is part of the Jewish way of life; part of the Torah. The great work and immense efforts that the pioneers of the secular Zionist movement achieved have been crucial to the development of Israel — and their mistakes, and those of their actions and ethos that strayed from the way of the Torah, have also had deep-running effects.

We could discuss how the Torah-observant community mostly missed the crucial opportunity to step in and build a Torah state. But what’s past is past. What do we have today?

As you mention, we have the phenomenal reality of millions of Jews living together in one country, a country that, by and large, offers ample room for Torah observance, in many cases to the point that would be unbelievable to our long-suffering Torah-observant ancestors in their hostile posts along the Galut path. This is truly something to be grateful for, and something to be maximised, as much as possible.

However, we understand, of course, that, especially in view of its mostly secular origins and social and cultural influences, the state, or at least many of its members, is still trying to do what Herzl wanted it to do: to be a ‘normal’ country among all the others. Many Israelis don’t want to be forced to live a life based on Torah. They love their country, and perhaps even feel spiritual connection to it, or to some aspects of the Torah that they have been exposed to, but on the whole they just aren’t in the whole religious lifestlye.
Many of them want to live, and want the state to function, on a level of ‘globally accepted morality’, ie. democracy, no racism, equality, and all the other holy-held values of today’s Western society. These values, in their pure form, are wonderful, and, though many may not realize it, are rooted in the spirit of the Torah. The world has truly come very far in these instances, in steps towards love for each other, and moral, ethical living. But, of course, taken as ‘extreme ideals’, or ideals without a guiding light of Divine morality, a Divine message, these wonderful values can become the most destructive forces in the world, as we have seen over and over again. Or at least, they can severely limit a person’s, or a state’s, aspirations to live according to a supreme Right and Wrong, where there is a point where tolerance is cast aside, and where democracy for its own sake is no longer worshipped.

So, it’s the Chametz on Pesach debate, the Business on Shabbat debate. Is it a Jewish state, or is it a state for the Jews?

I know that you know all of this, but I’m just fleshing it out here, and thinking aloud. I think that we need to understand that in the short-term, we need to focus on the good that we can do to foster unity among Jews, especially in Israel. Because with understanding, unity, and togetherness, these ‘issues’ become far less severe. True, they won’t just go away. But we will have much more of a handle on them. We need to keep asking, as Rav Shlomo Carlebach says, “What does G-d want me to do at this moment?” If we direct our energies towards positive, carefully aimed constructive causes, and if we are led by pure, holy ideals, then this is all that can really be expected of us. It’s all that is expected of us! And, one step at a time, this is how we will change the world (and Israel).

In the long-term, who knows how things will turn out? We need to keep reminding ourselves Who is really running this whole show, and to understand that as we try, as we make our efforts, He is directing the whole production. He guides our efforts, especially when they are of pure and good intent.

These are (still!) miraculous times we are living in. We may not always see it, but things are actually getting better, and I really do believe that the world, and Israel, is moving towards tikkun, improvement, and the ultimate playing out of its role in history.

aliza Says:
April 21st, 2008 at 9:04 pm

There was a lot of good stuff there and it was nice to have all those thoughts organized before me.

At the end of the day, though, although we may declare our concern to be that of simple unity between us Jews–ultimately much of the discord amongst us results from differences in the professed goals of each sector (regarding the State as well as the state of the people). We can foster forums of dialogue but the question remains: what will we discuss? And on one hand, you’re right: perhaps there is value in the an effort at dialogue– independent of its results–but on the other hand there must be a basic level of common understanding to facilitate advancement and affect change. And I think at times we are even missing this.

For now, I guess, I take comfort and satisfaction knowing that at least we have a state. The ultimate responsibility I feel is to take steps to influence reform and improve those facets and elements of the state which I can control. It’s a matter, though, of deciding what that may be.

Ideas?

Zemer Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 am

Aliza, I think you’re right.
Sometimes it does seem that we are missing even the most basic commonality, and mutual striving for betterment and positive change.

I also think that most of Israeli society (and many others) is held captive by a small minority, whose interests are their selfish own, and who are shown, more and more, to be representing less and less of the heart and mind of the people they profess to lead. The revolution is happening; people are opening up to each other; things are being set in motion… but for something that good, there has to be a lot of negative force to balance it out, I suppose.

But then again, 6 million Jews (bli ayin hara) is (at least) 6 million Jews. Perhaps that’s why we say ‘chacham harazim — He who is wise in secrets’ when seeing 600000+ Jews together… because only G-d really knows how we all work, together, or individually… It’s difficult to predict or pinpoint trends within the Jewish nation… things can so easily take a turn for the good, or for the worse. Look at the story of the Megilla.

I still think that it boils down to doing what you have to do, what you see as your holy role in this world, and for your People. If we understand that there is a Master directing the whole show, then what more can we do than our personal jobs that need to be done?

All this, and the yom ha’atzma’ut project, are quite significant in my mind, too, because I will PG be making aliyah in the next few months. And my commitment to Israel, and my passion for Israel, and my decision to up and leave pretty much everything I have here behind, and to start a brand new chapter in my life, in a very different place, with all its character, quirks, and quirky characters, are things whose core motivations I am coming to examine through these discussions and thoughts.

But all this is very broad and vague. Do you have any specific points that are bothering you, or that you’re thinking about in particular? I’d be happy to hear and to share some thoughts.