In today's 3-2-1, a student astutely noted that it is very hard in today's world to hold on to one's roots. She expressed admiration for the State of Israel which has been able to hold on to the Jewish past in a modern society. Please consider this point and reflect on the following:
1) In your view, what specifically does Israel hold onto that is difficult for it to do? Give two examples of ways in which Israel has held on to its roots and explain why it has been hard to do so.
2) In a society in which "new and improved" is valued, and "old" is considered obsolete, how can we effectively explain to others why we/Israel continue to hold on to the "old." What argument would you make to someone in this regard?
There's no question whether Jews are devoted to their homeland. Millions of Jews choose to live in Israel because the land means so much to them, even though there is a threat of danger and violence from Palestinians. As well, people travel to see historic sites in dangerous areas because they are so dedicated to their roots. You can say that the Jewish people are very persistent when it comes to holding on to their roots.
ReplyDeleteYou can argue that Israel holds on to the "old" because without our history, customs, and traditions we would be nothing. These things were passed down from generation to generation and have a special place in our hearts; we would be empty without them.
The cities and landmarks themselves are one thing that Israel has a particularly hard time holding on to, because of the constant threat of attacks by enemies. A few months ago, I heard that President Obama was trying to get Israel to agree to go back to the boundaries from before 1967, which would mean giving up half of Yerushalaim and the Kotel. However, we fought back and absolutely refused to do so. We have consistently kept on to our roots and even now 2000 years later there is still a deep connection between the Jewish people and Israel.
ReplyDeleteThe "old" that we hold on to shows the world what the Jewish religion is all about. If we just let it all go, our religion would not even exist today. Many religions are based off of views established thousands of years ago. Everything Israel is made up of; all of our beliefs are based off our roots, our "old". Without this we would be nothing.
In response to the first question, Israel has held onto its roots for many generations. One example is through the refusal of Israel to give its historical sights to the Palestinians. These historic sights can trace thousands of years back to the time of our forefathers. These historic sights are our only tangible claim to the land. This is difficult because even though Israel knows that relinquishing these sights to the Palestinians will not bring peace, the other nations do not seem to have the same perspective of this matter, constantly pressure Israel to give these sights. They may even begin to blame and accuse Israel of not pursuing peace. The second example is in the way Israel conducts war. During battle, Israel maintains their ethics and morals, even though the terrorists do not even regard them. This may be difficult because of the price that is sometimes paid from the Israeli Defense Force, but we still keep these Jewish values despite the terrorists’ conduct.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the second question, Zionism portrays the love and eternal connection to the land of Israel. The entire movement was consistent to return to the "Holy Land" where our forefathers dwelled in thousands of years before. If those leading the movement didn't want to return to the "old" land, they would have attempted to find another location to establish the state. Our history is in Israel. Generations and generations have walked the soil and worked tirelessly to conquer the land, fighting battles, planting, etc. We have a connection to the land and its "old" history. The “Old Testament” is the eternal proof for our new modern state.
1) Israel held on to its historical and religious structures. For example, the last standing wall of the second temple, or the old city. In a world where its “out with the old and in with the new” it’s amazing to me how Israel has held on to it culture and it’s history. Even when the world is changing they stick to they’re roots.
ReplyDelete2) Israel has held on to it language, Hebrew. When so many other countries have English as they’re language, Hebrew is its history and its culture, so they strive to hold on to it.