You essay is lovely and I appreciate your experiences. I would ask you to reconsider the notion that “hashem” gave Israel to the Jews. I am Jewish. I am American and Israeli. I am nearly 100% certain that whatever god is, he/she/they did not determine that a sliver of land on the sea and desert was meant only for Jews. The land is shared amongst all people who choose to live there. You are very young. I was 22 years old when I moved from Baltimore to Tel Aviv. in 1985. Israel was 37 years old but the land was ancient. I immediately felt at home. I also knew that this special land was home to many people of many different faiths and some of no faith at all, for thousands of years. I would never tell anyone that this land is only for Jews. That would not be a very Jewish thing to do.
Thank you for your comment! Let me clarify what I mean by this because it’s a few different things. When I say that Hashem gave it to us, I mean that he gave us a place to call our own. That doesn’t mean others can’t, only that we can. I also believe that Hashem gave us this land not necessarily as its “owner” but as its steward. Jews take a unique sense of responsibility of caring for the land itself and its people. All peoples can find themselves able to pray and live freely who seek the same when the Jews are the steward of the land. The last is that it’s my way of describing a miracle that is our return. I don’t think it would be fair to say we did what we did without the help of the divine.
Thank you for sharing!
You essay is lovely and I appreciate your experiences. I would ask you to reconsider the notion that “hashem” gave Israel to the Jews. I am Jewish. I am American and Israeli. I am nearly 100% certain that whatever god is, he/she/they did not determine that a sliver of land on the sea and desert was meant only for Jews. The land is shared amongst all people who choose to live there. You are very young. I was 22 years old when I moved from Baltimore to Tel Aviv. in 1985. Israel was 37 years old but the land was ancient. I immediately felt at home. I also knew that this special land was home to many people of many different faiths and some of no faith at all, for thousands of years. I would never tell anyone that this land is only for Jews. That would not be a very Jewish thing to do.
Thank you for your comment! Let me clarify what I mean by this because it’s a few different things. When I say that Hashem gave it to us, I mean that he gave us a place to call our own. That doesn’t mean others can’t, only that we can. I also believe that Hashem gave us this land not necessarily as its “owner” but as its steward. Jews take a unique sense of responsibility of caring for the land itself and its people. All peoples can find themselves able to pray and live freely who seek the same when the Jews are the steward of the land. The last is that it’s my way of describing a miracle that is our return. I don’t think it would be fair to say we did what we did without the help of the divine.