One of the most powerful aspects of being part of the Jewish people is the connection we have to others across time and space. It gives me chills when I recognize that a particular ritual we are performing is described in the Hebrew Bible. For example, if our ancient Jewish ancestors were to see our celebration of Purim, they may not know what to make of our costumes and carnivals, but they would hear the megillah and know that we were still following the instructions in the Hebrew Bible “to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking” (Esther 9:22). Similarly, they would most certainly be confused by Passover toys depicting the 10 plagues, but then they would hear the line that “in every generation we are obligated to see ourselves as though we personally came out of Egypt,” and would know that we have kept the Torah’s instructions.
But what would they think of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)? How would they process the singing, dancing, and waving of flags on a holiday they have never heard of? While Israel is only celebrating 75 years of independence, I believe that our ancient ancestors would recognize the love and attachment for the Land of Israel that Yom Ha’atzmaut expresses. Generation after generation, beginning with our patriarchs and matriarchs, the Jewish people have expressed a desire to make a home in Israel. We can trace our longing for Israel through countless exiles and an expanding diaspora. We can hear it in songs and read it in lines of poetry.
Today, it is often difficult to talk about Israel without sparking intense political conversations. While many of these conversations do express the depth of our feelings around Israel and involve crucial issues which Israel needs to address, they often prevent us from celebrating Israel. This milestone Yom Ha’atzmaut, I hope that we can come together as a community to lift up all that Israel has become and recognize its potential.
At Temple Beth El, we will begin our celebration with our 2nd Annual Israel Scholar-in-Residence Weekend, April 21-23, 2023, made possible through our Ahavat Medinat Yisrael (Love for the State of Israel) Endowment. We are excited to announce that this year’s scholar is Dr. Jeffrey Sosland of American University. Dr. Sosland is a renowned expert on Israel’s water policies, environmental diplomacy, and peacemaking efforts. He has spent years researching and exploring the role of water in Israel’s society, culture, and politics, and how this has impacted the wider world. His work has been instrumental in helping people understand the complexities and importance of water management, conservation, and access to this precious resource.
We will have the opportunity to learn with Dr. Sosland four times over the course of the weekend. He will begin by speaking during Shabbat Evening Service on Friday (7:30pm) exploring the history of water politics in Israel’s first 75 years. On Saturday morning, our Torah Study (9:00am) will explore the value of water in Jewish text and tradition. Saturday night (7:00pm), following dessert and Havdalah, will feature an interactive presentation focused on Israel’s current water technologies and where they will lead us in the next 75 years. Dr. Sosland will conclude on Sunday morning (9:00am) helping us think about how we can apply Israel’s successes, failures, and challenges in our local community. This presentation will be co-hosted with Shalom Green.
We are looking forward to starting off a week of Yom Ha’atzmaut programming with Dr. Sosland’s unique lens of examining Israel through its relationship with water. The week will continue with our community-wide celebration on Wednesday featuring live music, activities, and delicious Israeli food. We will then conclude the week, thanks to the generosity of the Charlotte Jewish Federation, with the opportunity to learn from renowned Israeli artist, Hanoch Piven, at Shabbat Evening Service on April 28 and Torah Study on April 29. We hope that the entire Charlotte Jewish Community will come together to celebrate Israel. From one Shabbat to the next we will lift up Israel’s contributions in the areas of the environment, technology, music, and art.
