Other Views

Finding A Path That Connects

I

n deciding what to do after high
school, I decided to make it on
my own by spending a year in

Israel.
Many parents want their children to
follow a traditional path: high school,
college, graduate school, job. Many are
afraid that a year in Israel will be a
waste.
For me, it was a different story. My
parents brought the idea of a year in
Israel to me. I kept it an option all
through the college application
process, a bit timid to stray off the old
beaten path. But in the end, I decided
that a year in Israel would be the best
thing for me. I had so much to learn
about myself before I could sit down a
study at any college.

Dana Feldman is the daughter of
Rhonda and Dr. Robb Feldman and sis-
ter °Pere), and Ari; all live in
Highland Park, Ill. Her grandparents are
Ann and Leonard Baruch of Southfield.
This is abridgedfrom a sermon she gave
this summer at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek in Southfield.

I decided to go to Israel on a pro-
gram called Nativ. The observant
Conservative Jewish community pro-
vided time to study at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem and an oppor-
tunity to hike the land and contained
a plethora of volunteer opportunities.
During five months at Hebrew
University on Mt. Scopus, I took five
classes, two of which were Hebrew
language classes. I also took this time
in Jerusalem to volunteer at the Alyn
children's hospital.
For the last four months, I chose to
live in Beersheva. This was the most
rewarding part of the year for me —
doing community service. I had an
opportunity to give back to the country,
live among the people and have an expe-
rience that most of my peers never have.
After a week of training and testing,
five other Nativ-ers and I became the
first responders on the ambulances of
Magen David Adorn, the Israeli Red
Cross. Slowly but surely, people
learned our names, became more
patient with our broken Hebrew and
even started giving us seniority over

Road To Peace, Ethnic Cleansing?

T

he unilateral withdrawal of
Israel from the Gaza Strip —
controlled by Egypt prior to
the Six-Day War of 1967 and which
will be handed over to the Palestinians
— is heralded by many as the first
step toward a lasting peace between
Arabs and Jews. But is this really so?
A closer look at the current disengage-
ment should raise more questions about
the process of disengagement, peace in
the Middle East and about the morality
of the forced expulsion of civilian popu-
lations in the name of peace.
Jews and Arabs have been fighting
over the land of Israel for over a century.
After World War I, the British
Empire gained control of lands that
include today's Israel, Jordan and the
occupied territories." Following the
war, the British rewarded the
Hashemite king who supported them
with the land that today constitutes the
Kingdom of Jordan. The land that
remained was called British Mandatory
Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations
declared that the British Mandate
should end, and that two states should
be created in that land — one for Jews

"

Amir H Wolfe, MD., is a Southfield
resident.

and one for Arabs.
The Arab world did not accept the
plan, and declared war against the
infant State of Israel. Israel persevered,
but its territory did not include Judea,
Samaria and Gaza — the "occupied
territories." Rather, the Gaza Strip was
part of Egypt and the West Bank of
the Jordan River was part of the
Kingdom of Jordan. Only in 1967 did
Israel conquer the "occupied territo-
ries" from Egypt and Jordan.
Following the Yom Kippur War in
1973, Egypt realized it was not able to
conquer Israel through war. The Camp
David peace talks ensued and led to
the relinquishing of the Sinai desert in
exchange for a peace agreement, which
is tenuous but still in force.
But there remains the territory of the
Gaza Strip that Egypt did not take
back. This area is now home for more
than 1 million Arabs who never had a
country but who believe they are part
of a greater Palestinian nation. In this
territory, Israel is evicting more than
8,000 Jews from their homes. The
mantra heard in many corners of the
world is that if only these Jews were
evicted, there will be peace. But, if the
only acceptable requisite for peace
between Palestinians and Jews is that
those areas where Palestinians live are

of Israel. It has become the
the high schoolers.
norm for the young men and
We were able to help people
women of the Orthodox
in all walks of life, and because
movement to spend a year or
of our unique location in
two in a yeshivah or seminary.
Israel, we were able to help the
Bedouins in the surrounding
Now, non-Orthodox youth
organizations such as Young
villages as well as new immi-
Judaea, United Synagogue
grants from all over the world.
D ANA
I will carry with me not only
Youth, North American
FELD MAN Federation of Temple Youth
the skills I learned, but also the
lessons, memories and connec-
and Habonim Dror are build-
Com munity
tions I made with the people
ing their own year programs
Vi ew
in Israel, and every year the
of Beersheva through my work
with Magen David Adorn.
numbers of applicants are growing at
Now that I have completed my year
amazing rates.
What is important is not that every
on the Nativ program, I have decided
high school graduate goes on Nativ,
to continue making my own path by
although I loved it and would recom-
making aliyah to Israel. This decision
did not come easily. However, I have
mend it. And not every high school
graduate makes aliyah to Israel. What
fallen in love with the Jewish state;
is important is that we all look at
with the values, the society and the
way of life. I have grown to love every- long-term Israel programs as a serious
thing the State of Israel stands for and
option after high school. A new Israeli
government initiative called Massa
I feel an obligation to go, serve in the
(journey) is encouraging American
army, study and live my life there. For
youth to come to Israel for a year.
all the good and all the problems and
all the controversy, it is still home.
It is no longer about going to study
More and more young Jewish people in a yeshivah; it is about being there,
of all affiliations are starting to con-
helping people, seeing the land, find-
nect more and more with their Jewish
ing a connection to Judaism and mak-
identity by spending time in the State
ing a path for yourself.

❑

state, then perhaps this is not
Jew-free, then how is this prin-
a principle that should be
ciple to be applied to other
accepted. Perhaps the political-
areas of the land of Israel?
ly correct ethnic cleansing of
Herein lies the crux of the
Jews from certain areas of the
matter — Jews living in the
land of Israel is not an event
Gaza Strip and in cities such as
that should be desired or
Hebron, where the vast majori-
acceptable after all.
ty of the population is Arab
Herein lies another dilem-
and Muslim, are a microcosm
AMIR H.
ma
for those who believe that
of the Jewish State of Israel as it
WOLFE
Jews
should be evicted from
exists in a Middle East that is
Community
Judea,
Samaria and Gaza.
predominantly Arab and
View
What if Israel decided to evict
Muslim. If the solution for
peace in the Gaza Strip or in Hebron is
Arab Israelis, who are full citizens in
the state, out of the Galilee or other
that Jews must leave, then the solution
parts of Israel in the name of peace?
for peace in the Middle East must be
that Jews must leave; that is, there is no Would the world sit and nod approv-
ingly, or would the world scream that
reason for the State of Israel in its pres-
such ethnic cleansing is illegal? The
ent form and location to exist at all.
world must decide whether the forced
While this argument may seem far-
fetched, it is not. This paradigm contin- transfer of populations in the name of
peace is an acceptable means to an
ues to serve as a foundation for all
end. And if it is, does the world have
negotiations that Arabs and Muslims
partake in when discussing the future of the right to dictate who should be
the land of Israel and the State of Israel.
transferred and where?
Unfortunately, the disengagement is
Anyone who believes that a State of
not part of a compromise on the road
Israel, in the land of Israel, is an
to peace, but rather a one-sided capitu-
important political reality that must
lation to terrorism and a gesture of
be preserved for its sake and for the
appeasement. And just as prior to
sake of Jews worldwide, must wonder
World War II, British Prime Minister
whether the right message is being
Neville Chamberlain did not achieve
sent by accepting the paradigm of
"peace in our time" by appeasing Hitler
land for peace.
and getting out of Austria, so Israel will
If this paradigm were to be carried to
not achieve peace by appeasing terror
its natural conclusion with the elimina-
elements in the Arab world.
tion of the State of Israel as a Jewish

❑

9/1

2005

71