Playing the Diaspora 'cards'

This time, Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielski took the stand, telling reporters, “the penny will drop for North American Jews and they will realize they have no future.” Granted, Bielski’s comments were more charitable than those made by author A.B. Yehoshua earlier this year. “If you do not live in Israel,” Yehoshua told an American Jewish audience, “your Jewish identity has no meaning at all.”

So much for building bridges between the world’s two largest Jewish communities.

Anyone in touch with reality knows most North American Jews will never settle in Israel. Instead of employing fear tactics to promote Aliyah, Israeli leaders should partner with all Jews committed to Israel, regardless of where they pay taxes.

North American Jews have made impressive contributions to Zionism, even beyond AIPAC and their checkbooks. The community brings several key “cards” to the table of Jewish state-building - cards somewhat lacking from the current Israeli deck.

Sharing Jewish heritage

I recently spoke with Israeli teens who had returned from an exchange program in the US. As “secular” Israelis, these young men and women almost never enter a synagogue and admit they often take the Jewish character of Israel for granted.

While in the US, host families brought them to synagogue and religious-themed programs at Jewish community centers. For the first time in many of their lives, these Israeli teens saw men and women sitting together in prayer, a bat mitzvah, and – in general – Judaism not confined to narrow interpretations of Jewish law.

It’s often said that in Israel, one has freedom of religion, but not from religion. The Orthodox rabbinate rigidly controls civil affairs from the cradle to the grave, a system that forces thousands of “not Jewish enough” Israelis to wed in Cyprus each year.

The Reform and Conservative movements have made little progress in Israel, largely due to hostility from the religious establishment. North American Jews, both in Israel and abroad, have been instrumental in building what bridgeheads exist for the movements. Israelis are slowly joining these congregations and finding new ways to “be Jewish” and engage their heritage.

Judaism should be a source of pride, inspiration and education for all Jewish people, whether “secular,” Orthodox, or somewhere in the middle. North American Jews choose from a rich panorama of Jewish worship communities and practices. No single subset of Jews dictates ritual, marriage and conversion processes for everyone else.

If the “Jewish” part of the Jewish state is to remain at Israel’s core, Judaism must become something that speaks to everyone. Sadly, Jewish tradition In Israel has largely become a tool used by men in black hats to tell others how to live. North American Jewry offers hope and know-how for building Jewish communities that welcomes all Jews, including – gasp – interfaith couples and gays.

Living our covenant

Since its inception, Israel has been under constant threat. No other country faces so many enemies and challenges to its existence. Because of the siege imposed on Israel by the Arab world, the nation’s internal state of affairs often plays second fiddle to defense needs.

Every Israeli knows theirs is a country of deep social rifts – Jewish/Arab, Ashkenazi/Mizrahi, secular/Orthodox, etc. That the Arab world will likely reject Israel for years to come should not be an excuse to avoid closing some of these gaps. Of course, some things are easier said than done, and this is where North American Jewry comes in.

During a recent visit to Haifa, I learned about the astonishing sister-city partnership between Haifa and Boston in the US. Eighteen-years old and spearheaded by Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Boston-Haifa Connection boasts a multi-layered system of committees, exchanges and partnerships.

Through more than 100 individual projects, Jews in Boston and Haifa have partnered to address a range of social issues. Focuses include absorbing Haifa’s imperiled Ethiopian community, providing small business loans to women and minorities, and linking nonprofit heads in Israel with their American counterparts.

“This is the right way for Jewish people around the world to get involved in the build-up of our homeland,” Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav has said of the partnership. Yahav recognizes that American Jews possess skills and experience in promoting social justice agendas and bringing Jewish values to life.

America’s Jewish community plays a leading role in many US social issues, from preserving social “safety nets” to defending civil rights. As Israel continues to face existential threats, Diaspora Jews can provide the country with some of the vision, resources and commitment required for the Jewish state to live up to our shared covenant.

Building the Jewish future

Though Diaspora Jews do not serve in Israel’s army, they play an expanding role in securing Israel abroad. They have also demonstrated remarkable vision in promoting Jewish continuity and breathing new life into Zionism.

Thanks to a handful of Diaspora visionaries, more than 100,000 Jewish twenty-something's from around the world - including this author - received the unparalleled gift of a first trip to Israel. The "Birthright" program has made Israel and Judaism a central part of participants’ lives, leading to stronger Jewish communities more connected to Israel.

The Jewish day school movement is also revolutionizing Jewish communities, bringing Hebrew and Israel to life for children living thousands of miles from their “other” homeland. Jewish day schools and "Birthright" do not physically defend Israel’s borders, but they certainly influence the borders of a Jewish people endangered by issues ranging from Islamist extremism to assimilation.

Diaspora Jews are without a doubt Israel’s strongest ally and best spokespeople. Just four years old, the US-based Israel Project has changed the way international media cover the Middle East. Through extensive polling, journalist outreach and relationship-building, the Israel Project has taken the lead in Israeli public diplomacy, making Israel’s case heard around the world.

Another Diaspora-based nonprofit, Israel21C, promotes Israeli achievements in science, technology and the arts. Throughout the Diaspora, thousands of “Jewish communal professionals” build support for Israel amongst gentiles and promote Diaspora ties to Israel.

Far from losing their Jewish identity, an ever-growing core of Diaspora Jews is envisioning our Jewish future and helping the Jewish state secure its place in a hostile world. Israeli and Diaspora leaders should increase the number and capacity of programs designed to engage Diaspora Jews in these endeavors. Vehicles like "Birthright" illustrate the adage, “if you build it, they will come.”

The formidable challenges facing Israel require the joint efforts of Israelis and Diaspora Jews, many of whom already see Israel as their second home. To claim these individuals have no Jewish identity or future apart from moving to Beit Shemesh is both short-sighted and offensive.

Israel and the Diaspora should act as sources of inspiration for each other, with both sides understanding that aliyah is not a zero-sum game. If Israel is to fulfill its promise, all Jews must be encouraged and empowered to contribute.

Matt Lebovic is a postgraduate student at the Hebrew University. You can find more of his writings in his blog