Following Memorial Day in Israel the following article by Elliot Antman on the WUJS Intern-Tel-Aviv program was published on Haaretz.com at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1081765.html
Being in Israel as it commemorates Memorial Day is something I would recommend for any one of my fellow Diaspora Jews.
One needs no more than to walk down the streets of Tel Aviv or pick up the local newspaper to understand the somber feeling that fills this tiny country on the Mediterranean.
There is no loud music to be heard, no picnics at the beach, and no Memorial Day sales at the mall. In talking with Israelis, there is a profound sense of introspection and hopefulness for what the future will bring.
It is difficult to find anyone in Israel who has not been affected by the death of a loved one or friend in the years-old Arab-Israeli conflict. This contributes to the disconnect between Diaspora Jews and those living in Israel. As an American Jew, I am grateful to experience this holiday from the Israeli perspective.
A Jew living in Israel has a much different concept of sacrifice than a Jew living in the United States.
For the last two generations, Americans have not fought a war in which the threat of losing their country was imminent.
Since my parents' generation faced war, the sacrifice of American soldiers has been shrouded in controversy over whether or not soldiers died while truly defending our freedoms.
From Korea in the 1950's to the current war in Iraq, nation-wide support of the mission has been hard to come by.
This frame of reference is entirely alien to Israel.
Had Israel truly lost any war since 1948, there would be no Israel to speak of right now. The responsive nature of most of its military campaigns leads to broad support by the Israeli populace. Contributing to this support is the threat of the alternative, which all too often means bloodshed on Israeli soil.
With the exception of 9/11 and the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans have not had to deal with the damaging emotional trauma that war on the home front brings to its citizens. Unfortunately, this reality continues on a daily basis in Israel.
It saddens me to know that so many of my Jewish friends in the States fail to recognize the sacrifices that continue to be made on our behalf.
We might have a peripheral appreciation for the sacrifices previous generations made in leaving their home countries for a better life, however, we forget that our fellow Jews in Israel continue to fight for us in a country where we will never be second-class citizens.
One of the main reasons behind the establishment of Israel is the idea that the Jew will never be fully accepted into the fabric of another country.
Despite the success that many Jews have experienced in the last century, let us not forget that only a couple generations ago Jews across the United States were changing their names in order to avoid filling the Jewish quotas in higher education and other forms of anti-Semitism.
Let us not forget that today, across the continent of Europe, observant Jews must worship in synagogues fortified with high walls and barbed wire.
And let us be aware that observant Jews in the U.K. are all too often being forced to walk to shul under the close guard of the local police.
What the people of Israel continue to fight and die for is a country that offers safe haven to Jews across the world so that if, and when, the disdain for the Jew becomes too intolerable in foreign lands, our people will have a home that welcomes us with open arms.
This year, I hope my fellow Jews across the globe recognize the sacrifices the people of Israel have made on our behalf and offer a quiet moment of reflection.
