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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DIRECTOR Rabbi Eric Goldberg email 215 968 3254
A few years ago, friends asked my wife Geri and I if we wanted to travel to Italy. On the one hand, it made a lot sense. Italy sounded like a fantastic place to visit— plenty of history, beautiful architecture and delicious food. There were also several Jewish communities in Italy, and it would have been interesting to meet Jewish people whose culture must mirror ours in so many ways, and yet, be so vastly different.
On the other hand, Italy made no sense at all. Not because I don’t love being on an airplane for eight or nine hours, nor was anything going on in Italy that would lead me to believe that as a Jew I should not be visiting, spending money, etc. No, the issue with Italy had nothing to do with Italy at all. The problem with going to Italy is that if you stay on a plane for an hour and half longer you are in Israel. For Geri and I, it just did not feel right to be so close and not be able to set foot on Israeli soil.
For those of us who have been to, or lived, in Israel, there is no way to put into words what the experience is like. All I know is that I have been to Israel twice, once for six weeks and once for nearly a year, and my life and Jewish identity have been in many ways shaped by that time.
This month the Jews worldwide are celebrating Israel’s 60th birthday. It is amazing to think about that some of us have never known a world without Israel and others of us saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears the building of a Jewish state and the declaration in 1948 that Israel had become an independent country. Israel is young--there is no question about that. But when you think what Israel has done over the last sixty years-- the advances it has made in medicine, science, robotics, architecture and agriculture; the way in which it has provided a home for Jews around the world regardless of whether those Jews define themselves as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.; the contributions that have been made by Israeli authors, poets and artists—you cannot help but be proud to have a connection to Israel and, I would argue, you cannot help but want to deepen
On Sunday May 18th, from 9:45-2pm, we will be marking Israel’s 60th Birthday with a day of special events and activities at Shir Ami. I want to invite you and your loved ones to join us for what is sure to be a day of fun and excitement, including a parade from Shir Ami into downtown Newtown, an opportunity to take a 3-D tour of Israel, a chance to sing and dance to music that reflects our support and love for Israel, and much, much more.
I look forward to seeing you on May 18th and to celebrating Israel’s 60th Birthday with you and your family.
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