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Chaverim y'karim - dear friends,
I arrived in Israel last Friday afternoon - just in time for Shabbat’s arrival. Amy and I had made our flights about six months ago, hoping we would have a trip of congregants who might join us. We had a small interest of committed travelers, which was not surprising at all, given the reality of travel to Israel today. So we REscheduled the trip for May 2025. If you would like to learn more about our congregational trip to Israel please be in touch! See below for an upcoming informational meeting.
We kept our plans to travel given the reality of our need to be in Israel, in no small part because of Nina, Amy's youngest daughter, who is currently serving as a combat soldier in the army in the Israel Defense Forces. We had promised Nina a visit in the Fall, and we didn’t have the heart to disappoint her. The army is tough and Nina was really looking forward to our visit. We couldn’t let her down, and honestly, Amy and her daughter needed each other's hug and among the hardest parts of this war, for me, is being away from Israel.
In the next few weeks, I will share further insights from the trip. For today, I want to tell you about our visit to Jerusalem. We were there for just Sunday/Monday this week. Things have really changed for me. While I have always loved all of Israel, Jerusalem was my base. Twice in my life I have lived there for a year, so I know several neighborhoods well and return there regularly - though far less of late. I now know Tel Aviv much better and that is both to my liking and a reflection of what has happened to the Jewish people's Eternal Capital. I still love Jerusalem but the complexity of its traffic and its population leads me more readily to other places for my visits.
Nonetheless, a visit to Israel feels incomplete without going to Jerusalem and as with anywhere - I go because of the people I want to see who are old or new friends and acquaintances and there are always new things to see and do! In fact, Jerusalem, like everywhere else in the country, is going through a major building boom - though slowed mightily by the war.
I want to highlight three of our goals for Jerusalem earlier this week: a visit to the National Library, check out THINKERS (a distillery), and meet a man who helped us to purchase $40,000 worth of protective gear for Nina and the soldiers in her unit.
The Israeli National Library
Situated between the Knesset and the Israel Museum in the very heart of western Jerusalem, the National Library of Israel is both an architectural icon and a vibrant center of culture. The library has become another feature of Jerusalem’s “Museum Mile,” which includes the Supreme Court, the Knesset, the Israel Museum, and the Bible Lands Museum. Designed by world renowned Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron, the new building and campus of the National Library offers a stunning visual and physical manifestation of NLI’s mission and vision of openness and accessibility, welcoming audiences from Israel and around the world to engage with the Library’s priceless treasures.
I had forgotten that the library opened to the public just weeks after October 7, 2023. The timing of the opening is a real reminder that at the very heart of both Jewish and Israeli culture is learning, an appreciation for the arts and beauty and a deep love of Jewish books on all sorts of varied topics and from throughout the world where Jews have lived. Especially in this last year — when so much of our talk about Israel has been about hostages, the many fronts of this horrific war, the many aspects of Israeli society that are broken and in need of real repair — it was a stark contrast to be in a beautiful new building that captures the very best of what Israel offers. This video will give you a sense of the aesthetics of the library.
One last note about the library. I visited with a dear friend and rabbinic colleague, who told me that at least once-a-week he goes to the National Library to study. He is able to take advantage of the resources of the library, sit to study and write, and be in a magnificent and functional space. In our visit to the library I saw that this example is not unique. There were many people in various reading rooms actively working. They were young and old, men and women, Haredi, Orthodox, and seemingly secular. There were soldiers and civilians, Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrachi. By way of skin tones: like all of Israel, a complete mix was present. The range of people who chose to sit and study in the National Library was a microcosm of the rich diversity of Israeli society. Please God, their studies should be fulfilling and help elevate the intellect, insight, and inspiration for this country.
Israeli Vodka, Gin and Whiskey?
After exploring the National Library we went to Thinkers Distillery in Machane Yehuda, a massive marketplace of small restaurants, jewelers, open air bakeries, fruit stands, Judaica stores, hardware, kitchenware, and clothing stores (sometimes in the same stall). It is a fun place just to walk around and a remarkably useful place to shop. It is often called "the Shuk" (Arabic for market).
In very typical Israeli style, Thinkers claims to be the purest alcohol in the world. I have no idea if this is true. I am hardly a refined connoisseur of spirits. But I will say it was most impressive to learn about the air purifiers and how they make water out of thin air - and good water out of the congested air of its home on Agrippas Street! There was something powerful about going from the National Library just a mile away to the streets of the shuk with hawkers of all sorts of wares to this new cutting edge distillery that captured important aspects of the Israel that I love. THINKERS is a wonderful reminder that Israel is known as Start Up Nation for a reason!
Bullet-proof vests and functioning helmets
While in Jerusalem, we also met Daniel Polisar for coffee. Professionally, Dan is the executive vice president and co-founder of Shalem College in Jerusalem, Israel’s first liberal arts college. But that isn’t why we met Dan. Last October, Dan was horrified when he realized that the army was issuing inadequate protective gear to its soldiers. Dan had three sons in Gaza at the start of this war. Rather than just complaining, Dan mobilized a group of volunteers (now a few of those individuals work with him full-time on this project) and has been supplying combat soldiers with proper protective gear. Originally, Dan hoped to raise ten million dollars. As of this writing, he has helped to donate more than 27 million dollars worth of equipment to individual soldiers. Dan realized that to take care of our soldiers in a timely fashion, he needed to work around the army bureaucracy. The mere fact that he has needed to do so is hugely problematic. The equipment has been a welcome relief for tens of thousands of soldiers but is a sign of deep problems within Israel's army.
Last month, when Nina became a commander, she saw the lack of proper equipment for her soldiers (she has ten for whom she is responsible) and she had learned many stories of soldiers "smuggling" in good equipment. She, herself, had been gifted various items. Amy and Nina’s dad started a fundraising campaign to ensure that all of the soldiers in Nina’s unit had proper protective gear. They raised a total of nearly $40,000 and it was Dan who coordinated the purchase of proper gear here in Israel and spoke with Nina's commander to understand and help facilitate the process. Dan has become an expert on helmets, bullet-proof vests, flashlights and much more. Out of necessity, and a deep sense of duty to protect Israeli soldiers, Dan has devoted much of the last year to this important endeavor.
We didn't do much talking during our meeting with Dan as there was much to learn. We listened closely as he and Nina discussed the challenges of navigating the bureaucracy of the Israeli army. Dan shared numerous stories about the many ways the army is failing to ensure that its soldiers have proper protective gear. Just a few examples — the army is issuing some helmets from the 1980s! Many soldiers lack proper protective eyewear. Literally, there are soldiers wearing bulletproof vests that were made for the Vietnam War. As you might imagine these vests are heavier and less effective than those that have been manufactured in the last 15 years. The larger story was in a Times of Israel article a few months ago.
There are marvels that the army accomplishes: the exploding beepers in Lebanon, the remarkable efficacy of Iron Dome, the explosion and destruction of hundreds of tunnels in Gaza and southern Lebanon. And all of that costs massive amounts of dollars (or shekels). But soldiers who are tired because of insufficient reinforcements (in no small part due to the Charedim who refuse to serve), failings of basic equipment due to overuse or age, and an antiquated/destructive bureaucracy winds up costing lives and morale. We would be fools to deny that this is happening.
Finally, Dan showed us the website that the army has created to allow soldiers to confirm the quality of their gear. The questions were ridiculous and in no way could one confirm that their equipment was adequate for the challenges of this war. You can learn more about Dan's work in his Times of Israel blog, get his contact information at the bottom, or donate to his efforts here.
Conclusion
I share these three vignettes with you because all of this is Israel. Incredible beauty, extraordinary technology, and frustrating bureaucracy. My love for Israel is so very deep that I see its flaws and I get frustrated and angry with certain aspects of the country. And yet, I am alive here in a way that is indescribable. I love that the bottle of gin from Thinkers is Jewish in its presentation - and you cannot imagine the Vodka bottle (I would love to show this to anyone who is interested!). I love that you need to know Jewish history and Jewish texts to remember the names of the streets. I appreciate that everyone here understands the horrors of October 7 and the existential fight under which this war is being fought. Nothing - let me repeat: nothing - needs to be explained.
The corruption in the government, the internal battles for the nature of Israeli society are different stories and I will address later - but the sheer horror of October 7, its continued impact in daily life, and the war against Iran - all of those are understood.
And I love that Israel is home to me. For that I will always thank the experiences my parents gave me through Jewish summer camp, in our home, and in our community that centered a deep commitment to the Jewish People and the land and State of Israel.
Lastly, if you are able, I hope you will consider participating in our solidarity mission this May. We have a zoom meeting scheduled soon (December 12) to discuss details of our upcoming trip, answer any questions and hopefully inspire you to travel with Amy and me from May 6 - 14, 2025! Maybe we'll even do a little lesson on the bottles of Thinkers!
As the Psalmist wrote, sha'alu shlom Yerushalayim - שאלו שלום ירושלים - pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Indeed, pray for the peace of our Jerusalem and all of Israel. May all who dwell within her borders know peace and security.
Rabbi Mark Cohn
rabbicohn@tsholom.org
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The image above is a whiskey barrel from Thinkers Distillery. You will see their slogan which gives no indication where it starts: To think is to live is to think. Note the lions of Judah, the menorah and a staff of grain. The story of the barrel, its contents, and the emblem's meaning are fascinating.
DECEMBER Lunch & Learns @ Noon in the Library: SEE below - December 11 & 20.
NOTE: There are no Kabbalat Shabbat services this week. Our next Friday evening service is December 13th.
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