By Rabbi David Wilfond, Director of Education
On Shabbat, the group enjoyed some quality time to rest and recoup after a busy week of touring. Friday and Saturday, the group celebrated Shabbat with services in the classic NFTY style with lots of spirited singing and guitar music. On Sunday, after exploring more highlights of the ancient Port City of Akko the teens embarked on their “Chavaya” experiences. These are four-day activities during which students can explore a personal interest with a like-minded group of friends. The choices are; Gadna, an Israel Defense Force immersion; Tikkun Olam Social Justice projects; and Yam l’Yam, a hike from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea. This Wednesday evening, the Chavaya experiences concluded and the teens re-grouped as before. Tonight, they will share presentations with each other about what they experienced in their Chavaya programs.
Since today is July 4th, it seems appropriate to share a bit about the meaning of July 4th for Israelis. July 4th is powerful date for Jews. On July 4, 1946 a year after the end of WWII, 42 Jewish survivors of the Holocaust were brutally murdered in Kielce, Poland by their Polish neighbors because they, the Jews, had dared to come back to live again in their homes in Poland. In 1946 Jewish life was cheap and one could murder Jews freely without protest, as tragically occurred to the Jews in Kielce. Exactly 30 years later to the day, 102 Jewish hostages of a combined German and Palestinian Terrorist Cell were in danger of being murdered in Entebbe. It was on this day in 1976 that Israel sent a commando mission to Entebbe, Uganda to rescue over 100 Jews being held hostage by terrorist hijackers. One of the big differences between 1946 and 1976 was the existence of the State of Israel and the IDF. Israel does not exist just to protect Israelis. Israel sees as its mission to protect Jews anywhere they are in danger. This is why Israel has done so much over the years to rescue Ethiopian Jews and Russian Jews. In 1976, over a hundred Jews were in mortal danger in Uganda, so what did Israel do? They sent their soldiers in the dark of night on daring rescue mission 2,500 miles away and brought the hostages back to safety in Israel. In 1976, Jews around the world felt safer than Jews just thirty years before in Poland. The difference is that in 1976, the State of Israel had already come into existence. Israel looks out for the safety of Jews where ever they live. This is a powerful message of Jewish responsibility that has become a big part of July 4th memories in Israel.
