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commentary
Israel Engagement:
On the Way to Life and Peace
L
onging for Israel
permeated the
Jewish world for
two millennia — longing
for sovereignty, to walk
in the spiritual footsteps
of ancestors, to fulfill
Dr. Stephen
the unique religious
Hazan Arnoff
commandments of the
Contributing Writer
Eretz Yisrael or simply
to call the Promised Land home. With
the miraculous emergence of a powerful,
independent, Jewish and democratic
Israel in our lifetime, new longings have
emerged. From synagogues to social
media to the political stage, it’s now
common to hear pointed, uncomfortable
questions about whether Israel is fulfill-
ing its promises in the Promised Land.
Particularly for those under the age
of 35, accepting and supporting Israel’s
purpose and realities is no longer a given
in the Jewish community. Indeed, in
some quarters of the Jewish world, there
emerge strong sentiments against Israel.
These are painful and frightening trends
that need to be addressed.
At USCJ’s Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center
(FJC) — home of the Conservative
Yeshiva, Nativ, Moreshet Yisrael and so
much more — our programs of educa-
tional and Israel experience do not focus
directly on politics, Israel advocacy or
anti-BDS activism. We appreciate and
support the work that others are doing
on these issues.
And while many of our students
come to FJC deeply immersed in love of
Israel, even if it is tempered by critique
of Israeli realities on the local and global
stage, there are also many students from
across the spectrum of background
and practice who, for whatever reason,
are unsure about how to understand
Israel’s purpose. Even as they seek
opportunities to study in Israel, they are
ambivalent and even opposed to Israeli
policies regarding the state’s treatment of
non-Orthodox Jews, the place of Arabs
in Israeli society or the ongoing conflict
with the Palestinians.
Our job is to encourage these indi-
viduals to deepen their long-term con-
nection with Israel through a generative,
informed, inspiring conversation that
will continue with their peers and com-
munities back home.
As described in a lovely collection
titled Yearning for the Holy Land:
Hasidic Tales of Israel by Yoel Rappel,
Rabbi Aryeh Leib Segal, a student of
the Maggid of Mezritch, is said always
to have longed to move to Eretz Israel.
In fact, when he set out on any journey
from his hometown in Eastern Europe,
he used to say that regardless of where he
was going, the trip was meant to bring
him closer to Eretz Israel. It was also said
that every letter that he sent included the
phrase “on my way to the Holy Land, to
life and peace.”
Something about Reb Aryeh’s longing
resonates with the question of Israel
engagement today, and how, at FJC, we
approach the challenge. For one, seeking
Israel is a constantly evolving process.
Reb Aryeh knew he was always moving
closer to Israel, but he didn’t know how
and he didn’t know when. It was a path
that opened before him with each and
every step he took.
This approach — that the path of
Israel engagement is surprising, indi-
vidualistic and rarely a straight line — is
echoed not just in FJC’s educational
approach, but in how USCJ approach-
es Judaism: an authentic and dynamic
Judaism that changes and evolves in vital
kehillot and fully engaged individuals.
Many times, young adults who are
deeply unsure about Israel’s place in their
lives, the life of their communities or on
the world stage have not had the oppor-
tunity to try new ways of talking about
Israel, seeing it differently, even stum-
bling on the path to places of discomfort
or hard questions within a respectful
space of proud, active, vibrant Zionism
like FJC that wants to hear them. We
embrace open conversation and myriad
paths to Israel and Jewish engagement
because we hold that, ultimately, there
are countless ways to enter the Promised
Land.
Whether through our Torah of
Human Rights track, a weekly Israel
Experience program our team is launch-
ing this year, or partnering for experi-
ences and perspective with blue chip
organizations from the left and the right
and everywhere in between, we encour-
age students to bring their excitement,
their doubts and their pre-conceived
notions to their learning, knowing that
in an authentic and dynamic engage-
ment of Israel, everyone has their own
path — like Reb Aryeh — to the Holy
Land, to life and peace.
Eventually, Reb Aryeh found his way
to Israel, settling there to study and teach
continued on page 10
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