March 2002 Israel And/Or Diaspora? By Rabbi Alvin Kass The story of Passover focuses on the emancipation of our ancestors from Egyptian bondage. The liberation of the Israelites, however, was not an end in itself. The Bible viewed it as the first step in a journey whose climax would be the establishment of a Jewish state in what was originally called Canaan, the country that God had promised the Hebrews. The observance of their distinctive faith centered around this Jewish homeland. Nevertheless, the trials and tribulations of the Jewish people throughout their long history lead to the emergence of many Jewish communities outside of Israel. Ever since the advent of modern Zionism in the early twentieth century, one of the most hotly debated issues within the Jewish community has been: Is it right and proper for Jews to live outside of Israel once they have a country of their own? The controversy has endured unresolved from the time the State of Israel was created in 1948 down to our own day. No one excoriated Jews who remained outside of Israel more scathingly than David ben Gurion, the first prime minister of the Jewish State. That same negative tone toward foreign Jews has been sounded by Moshe Katsav, the current president of Israel, who said that Jewish survival could occur only in a Jewish state. Most Jews who continue to live in America obviously disagree with Ben Gurion, Katsav, and company. If we didn't, we would move to Israel. Few, however, make that decision. Indeed, many Israelis give up living in Israel in order to come to the United States. Despite our continued residence here, many Jews stay in this country with a guilty conscience. They hear the voice of Jewish tradition calling for an "ingathering of the exiles," but inertia, economic well-being, and security concerns keep them here. They believe they ought to go to Israel but they lack the inner mettle to do it. In any event, many Jews abroad can now remain abroad with less qualms and weltschmerz, thanks to a new book by Boston Globe journalist Larry Tye entitled Homelands: Portraits of the New Jewish Diaspora. Tye argues that Diaspora Jewish life today, far from the disaster predicted by many Cassandras, has actually experienced a "real and widespread renaissance." Furthermore, he demonstrates that living in foreign countries has been the normal mode of Jewish life for almost 2600 years; and we're still around, alive and well. To be sure, life outside the Jewish homeland faces serious perils, particularly from intermarriage and assimilation. At the same time, it is undeniable that the American Jewish community is thriving in every respect including religious observance and knowledge of our heritage. Day Schools, yeshivas, synagogues, and Jewish communal institutions are growing by leaps and bounds. Indeed, many Jews who gave up their religion discover that their children and grandchildren somehow found their way back. Tye's book, which deals, not only with the situation in the United States, but with other Diaspora communities such as Buenos Aires, Dnipropetrosk, and Dusseldorf, finds the same positive developments elsewhere. None of this clearly is meant to denigrate Israel. It is our historic homeland whose support and preservation are the obligation of all Jews regardless of where they live. In truth, from a purely pragmatic perspective, Israel itself benefits from thriving Jewish communities throughout the world which can raise money and garner political support for the Jewish State. There is no reason that Jews can't live happily and successfully both in Israel and the Diaspora. Israel needs the Diaspora. The Diaspora needs Israel. May both grow and prosper forever!