An elaboration on why I love Israel

I wanted to further extend my blog entry on the issue of Israel... I stated how much I love the country, but I didnt really explain why. Here it goes. I think it is incredible how after the Holocaust, so many Jews made Israel their home because they virtually had no where else to go. Although many people were sent back to Europe by the British under the British Mandate, there were those who made it to the land. After MUCH debating, in May of 1948, Israel became an independent state and was recognized as the homeland for the Jewish people. Israel was attacked by its Arab neighbors shortly after its establishment, and prevailed. This is the first reason I love Israel. A brand new country with the only intentions of celebration, goes under attack yet manages to over come the Arab armies and win the War of Independence. Without the IDF, where would Israel be today? The Israeli army's slogan is "tzvah haganah leh yisrael" which means Israeli Defense Force. I think the name is so important because it shows that Israel's goal is self protection and to defend the people of the country. There is no other army in the world that has defense force in their name and I think it shows that Israel's army is not one to be thought of as starting wars, rather as peaceful. Unfourtunatly, many people think differently. I sometimes wonder if there would even be a state of Israel without the IDF, and the thought of it not existing terrifies me.

ISRAEL!!

I LOVE ISRAEL! That is a very broad statement, therefore I will elaborate. I view Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, a place where any Jew from around the world will automatically be accepted, a place where our ancestors were destined to be, and a land that was given to us by G-d.

After studying abroad at Tel Aviv University in the spring of 2007, my outlook on life has changed, mainly because of my experience living in Israel. I view the culture as SO much more laid back then America (pre 1990's), and feel that the Israeli mentality is one that many people have forgot ever existed. The interest of Israel is protecting itself and its citizens, from those who want it destroyed (which is every surrounding Arab counrty). The fact that Israel (and by Israel I mean the soldiers, government, and all other aspects that make up a country), fights everyday to keep its existence alive and strong, shows how important the small country is. Israel has tried to negotiate time and time again with Arab nations, but they think the only solution to peace is the destruction of Israel which will never happen. Israel is a homeland of the Jewish people and needs to remain that way forever. Millions of people from around the world have traveled to Israel in order to experience the amazingness and incredible feelings the country often gives. I know I am just stating facts and this probably isint making much sense but I know that Israel needs to exist for so many reasons and I'll probably write another blog soon about why

Forming One's Jewish Identity Today

Many of the beliefs and traditions we hold come from our parents or grandparents, and are based on their experiences with a religion. Many of us grow up attending the services our parents choose to attend, and most of the time begin to associate ourselves with that sect. Even though this is my case, I have explored many areas of Judaism and feel that it is important for everyone to develop their own sense of belonging within the Jewish community. There are so many people who say they are not religious and are basically not Jewish, but still call themselves Jews in order to belong to a specific religion. It is sad that there are so many non practicing Jews in the world, but maybe the reason is that they are not given/seek out an oppurtunity to take what the religion has to offer and try to create a connection with it. Many universities offer Jewish studies courses, which is a great way to start learning about Judaism. Sometimes I feel that people are too lazy or just dont care enough to take the initiative and register for an introduction to Judaism class. This is the time when one really shapes and defines their identity, and I know that Judaism is a large part of mine. I know there are so many, but I wish more college aged students would identify more with Judaism rather than identifying themselves as amost being not Jewish.