On Equal Footing

Now, this reason may seem very idiosyncratic. Most olim do not end up teaching Judaism in ecumenical frameworks. In fact, outside of Jerusalem, I'm sure there is far less opportunity for this sort of thing. Nevertheless, I

"The very essence of Zionist thinking about the life of the Jewish people and its history is basically revolutionary - it is a revolt against a tradition of many centuries. ... we call for an independent existence of a working people, at home on the soil, and in a creative economy." David Ben Gurion

would like to make one point that is more general and would affect others, besides me, who may choose a community and lifestyle very different from my own: living in Israel gives us-perhaps paradoxically -a certain sense of security vis-a-vis the Gentile world. Obviously, I'm not talking about physical security, because the rockets and suicide bombers plague us much of the time. I'm talking about a kind of security that comes from being at home and being able to encounter the Other on a more equal footing.

The Jews as a people are now on the map and, together with that, our religion and culture. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote many years ago that Judaism is the least-known religion. I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to contribute to sharing some profound ideas and wonderful practices with human beings from other faith traditions. My hope and prayer is that these various cultures and traditions will be able to educate the people of the world regarding the sanctity of human life and the need for peace and justice. The struggle is a world-wide struggle. I'm trying to do my share within the context of a Jewish society. 

Debbie Weissman is a Jewish educator, founder of the Kehillat Yedidya Synagogue, active in Meimad and Netivot Shalom.

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