Shalom Acshav! (Peace Now!)

Yesterday I attended a lecture at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem; the talk was given by Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, president of HUC and father of my best friend from Wellesley! What follows is a collection of thoughts and points, some made by Rabbi Ellenson during the lecture and, of course, some musings of my own : ). Over the last month, I've realized just how 'alive' history is to the people of this land - and how events from hundreds of years ago still can and do influence everything from policy making to nationally held prejudices.

ZIONISM
It is fair, and I believe very accurate, to say that Zionism is absolutely central to the spirituality of Jews all over the world. This is not news to most of us, though the evolution of the idea in modernity is often, and unfortunately, overlooked. Without such historical perspective, the creation of a legitimate solution to the problem of peace in the land of Israel is virtually impossible.

Zionism can be best described as an old/new movement. 'Zion' has always been central to Jewish religiosity; there has been a yearning for a return to Zion since the moment of the first exile. The idea of a punishing God who banished the Jews to the galut (diaspora) was reinforced by the belief that only God himself could be the agent of return. This political quiescence was, in many ways, a messianic vision that characterized Jewish Zionist thinking before the 19th Century.

Fast forward to the French Revolution and we will arrive at what can be considered the true beginning of modern Zionism. The French Revolution, with its promises of liberty, equality and fraternity, meant that Jews could, by definition, live as individuals in emancipated states. It is from this time period that we see the emergence of modern Judaism, i.e. living an authentically Jewish life in the larger non-Jewish world.

Enlightened reason eventually gave way to passionate Romanticism in Europe, which influenced Jewish thinking in two significant ways. From the Romantic movement came the growth of nationalism. Jewish figures were positively shaped by this idea and began to think seriously in terms of Jewish nationhood, even though they lacked, as a people, the two most necessary components of statehood - a land and a language. With Romantic nationalism also came a renewed emphasis on the importance of blood lines and thus, the possibility of real inclusion for Jews in the non-Jewish world went out the window. It was in Paris, the birthplace of the Enlightenment only 100 years before, that Theodor Herzl, with shouts of "Death to the Jews" in the background, came to the realization that European/Christian antisemitism made Jews inherently unable to assimilate and that lives of safety would only be possible with a land of their own.

The Zionist Idea and Morality
Living in the Holy Land during the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah War, I've seen and heard the 'use of force' debated passionately and repeatedly by Israelis and Palestinians alike. In fact, that's really the only way in which I've felt the war here in Jerusalem; there is a dialectic between differing versions of morality that is unlike anything I've experienced in the United States.

Judah Magnes, in his work entitled "Like All the Nations?", says that if Jews are guaranteed three things: immigration, settlement on the land, and Hebrew life and culture, they will gladly yield the majority to Palestine. But the question quickly becomes, how are these three things possible without a majority? And so, again, the nature of the discussion changes; this time to the morality of power. Magnes says: "...it is not only the end which for Israel must be desirable, but what is of equal importance, the means must be conceived and brought forth in cleanliness."

The question plaguing Israelis now is how to engage in power in a moral way; how to have a State that is concerned with virtue and simultaneously, one that understands to be powerless is also immoral. So, is the use of force and the possession of power inherently moral or immoral? After being a part of so many circular discussions about that very question, I have not gained answers, but instead a new-found appreciation for the incredible responsibility placed upon those making the decisions.

So What Else is New?
Walking in downtown Jerusalem yesterday afternoon, we came across a hotel that had the British flag raised alongside the Israeli one. "Oh. Tony Blair's here!" my friend joked. Well, we laughed until we saw a huge motorcade with flashing sirens pulling up in front of the hotel! It turns out that Tony had come to Jerusalem (after his recent trip to Lebanon) to help the Fatah/Hamas coalition deal that is said to be finalized in the coming days; a deal that Blair has strongly supported over the last months. Because I have settled down in Jerusalem and because it's beginning to feel more like home and less like an extended vacation, it was a true kick in the pants to see Prime Minister Blair and realize that I am no longer just reading about the news in papers and books - now, I am living it.

For next week, I promise pictures and some details about the sites I've been visiting : )

B'Shalom,
Meagan