By Michael Regenstreif
These are very busy weeks in Ottawa’s Jewish community – indeed, in Jewish communities everywhere.
By the time you read this, both Passover and Yom HaShoah will be behind us.
But coming up quickly will be the National Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony, rescheduled this year to Monday, April 23, 3:30 pm, at the Canadian War Museum, and Yom Hazikaron, to be marked Tuesday April 24, 7:00 pm, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, and, then, Yom Ha’Atzmaut.
While Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron are solemn days, their sadness will quickly turn to great joy as we mark the 64th Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948, this year on April 26.
Ottawa will mark the day with two special events: the raising of Israel’s flag in front of City Hall at 11:30 am, and a community-wide party at the CE Centre beginning at 5 pm.
Two years ago, just before Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Rabbi Steven Garten wrote in these pages about the significance of Yom Ha’Atzmaut for all of us in the Jewish community – no matter where we might fall on the political or religious spectrum (From the Pulpit, April 5, 2010).
“Yom Ha’Atzmaut should be our community’s Olympics,” wrote Rabbi Garten.
“It should be our opportunity to celebrate the survival of the Jewish people manifest in the miracle of Eretz Yisrael.
“Yom Ha’Atzmaut should be the one time of the year when those who want to cede land for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and those who want to hold on to captured land, can sing ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ together. “Yom Ha’Atzmaut should be when we recite ‘Tefilat L’Medinat Yisrael’ together and it should not matter … how we choose to be Jewish …
“On Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we should be able to say ‘I am a lover of Israel,’ regardless of whether we belong to Peace Now or Betar …
“When one celebrates a birthday, it is a time to acknowledge achievements ... [It] is a moment to reflect on how far one has come, not how far one has to go to reach perfection.
“Israel’s birthday is such an occasion. Israel has taught the world how to make the desert bloom and has shared that knowledge with the world.
“Israel has absorbed people of many nationalities and has helped them learn to accept a shared identity. It offers that model, though not perfect, to nations still struggling with disparate immigrant groups.
“Israel has built an educational system, a health care system, an economic infrastructure that started with nothing and now is producing Nobel Prize-winning scientists, world renowned authors, skilled workers and even a few Olympic medal winners …
“We … have one heck of an achievement to be proud of. I hope that you’ll be there … for the Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration … and join in one heck of a birthday party.”
In keeping with what Rabbi Garten had to say about Yom Ha’Atzmaut being an inclusive day for all Jewish people, I’d like to call your attention to Daniel Gordis’ guest column on pages 1 and 2, the first of six columns by Gordis, which we’ll be featuring in the Bulletin over the next several months in advance of his visit here to speak at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa Annual Campaign kickoff on September 9.
A central point to Gordis’ column is that to truly love Israel is to both accept the country for what it realistically is and to strive to make it what it can be – that to criticize the sitting government or specific policies is not an act of disloyalty to Israel; it is, often, an act of love and a duty of citizenship.
I was reminded of that in recent days reading about legendary 60 Minutes interviewer Mike Wallace following his death at age 93.
Attacked by some over the years as a “self-hating Jew” for reports critical of Israel, Wallace maintained his support for the “ideal of Israel” while also claiming the duty, as a journalist, to report accurately and “let the chips fall where they may.”
So, to everyone, have a joyous Yom Ha’Atzmaut. I’m looking forward to seeing you at City Hall and the CE Centre.
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