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There is a tradition in Judaism that when God created the world, He took a pebble and cast it into the air. It fell towards the ground and eventually made contact with the waters. Upon contact the pebble descended to the floor of the seas and from the very spot where it landed, all of creation emerged. It is believed today that pebble that God once held is the rock that sits on the Temple Mount inside of what is known as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It was on that spot where the Israelites would eventually construct their two Holy Temples, which were subsequently destroyed first by the Babylonians and later by the Romans.
Since the Roman conquest and dispersion of the Jews from the land of Israel nearly 2000 years ago, Jews around the world lived in a state of exile. The exile was both physical and spiritual in nature, and in both ways cruel to the well-being of the Jew. Distanced from their homeland, the Jewish people suffered mightily from persecution and xenophobia in foreign lands. Removed from their spiritual home, their connection to the Divine was frayed and frazzled and consistently challenged from generation to generation. Nevertheless, the dream of one day returning to the land of Israel held the Jewish people together. It became part of their daily prayers and their life cycle rituals. It instilled hope in their young and old alike. It brought to life the words of the ancient prophets who never ceased from believing that redemption was possible.
Finally, in the 20th century, after tragedy and destruction, a homeland was granted by the United Nations to the Jewish people in the land of Israel. Eleven minutes later President Harry S. Truman announced that the United States would be the first country in the world to recognize and bless the new State of Israel. The surviving remnant of the Jewish people who had reconstituted their community once again in their ancient homeland were forced to defend their tiny new homeland against a myriad of invading armies. When they prevailed the new State of Israel was born.
Today Israel has grown from a tiny democratic outpost in the Middle East into one of the most powerful countries in the world. It is a leader in agriculture, science and medicine, cyber security, humanitarian relief efforts, technology and so many other fields. It remains the only democratic state in the Middle East and a vital ally of the United States. As we celebrate the achievements of the State of Israel on her 74th birthday, we give thanks that the words of the prophets continue to ring true in our ears, and that the modern State of Israel perpetually strives to make their visions of peace and prosperity a reality.
My contact information is jbarras@tbam.org. I would like to hear from you.
