"The Israel Problem" : Article response

4-23-16 

This week I read the article "The Israel Problem," By Donniel Hartman. This article addresses the Idea of how modern american Jews view their connection to Israel. He believes that we are getting more and more disconnected to it, but it is not our fault. Although I can see where he is coming from I can only agree partly to this statement. A new generation is continuously finding a way to support Israel. This is not everyone but I do believe that as the connection fades another part strengthens. He believes that we as american Jews are in a transitional period. In some ways this could be true, but I do not believe that there is necessarily a disconnect , but the way some people who dont know enough about Israel is not good. The disconnect is knowing enough about it. In american media it is hard to know enough about Israel because it is not shown enough and when it is it is not in a accurate fair way. There is no side that is to blame for this situation, but this is why programs like EIE are important. We can inspire people to want to know more about Israel, not necessarily politics, but the culture and beauty

Orthodox Speaker Last Week

4-18-16

Last week we had a ultra orthodox speaker come and talk to us as a continuation of us learning about the different streams of Judaism. There is no other way to say this- we were all deeply offended. This was of course expected, but we were prepared to be open to other opinions and tried to be as respectful as possible. As I sat there I thought about one thing that we have been taught throughout our experience on EIE, be able to defend yet be open to be angry and be open to others. One thing that I knew he was going to say was that  we, as modern american reform Jews, we were not considered Jews to him.  Although I predicted this, I cannot say I was ok with this.  One thing that I really value as a reform Jew is the sense of community and the strength that connects Jews in a common thing. So because someone does not consider me Jewish, although I can respect their opinion, It hits me in a wrong way because those values are a huge majority of why I am proud to be Jewish. I strongly believe that there needs to be a middle ground  between the orthodox and reform and everything in between. I say this because it IS unity that connects the Jewish people and I believe after all that we have been through It is worth sharing the sense of pride in Jewish values

Learning about the modern period

4-11-16

Since we have been back from Poland , we have started off learning about the modern period of Jewish history. It has all begun from the rise of Zionism. We have learned about the belief in a Jewish state since I have came on EIE but it being the main part of our conversation has made me fully understand it. I know know why the Jewish people needed the Jewish state. We have also learned about the rise and fall and multiple aliyahs. These all tie into the idea of a jewish state. Seeing how this all happened is different from everything we have learned about in jewish history so far. We always go to the sites where the history happened but it feels different this time. Since we are in the modern period it seems to be more relatable. I have learned a lot of things here and they have made me proud to be jewish but since it is easier to relate I have been particularly interested in this. I feel more interested in something that has happened more recently

Article Response: Goodbye to the Reign of the Rabbinate, Hello to a New Era of Judaism

April 10 2016


In this article it talks about the new generation of Judaism. There is less attention to asking people like a rabbi for help for most young people. It also addresses the aspect of the Israeli government changing. People are not going along with Heredi part of the government anymore. This can be viewed as a good thing and a bad thing. The way you view this article can vary on what you believe. Our generation is constantly changing so thats why this article was written. Because of this change we have the ability in Israeli politics to form a new set of values. People are not necessarily able to change the laws but it can be something powerful, the more reform some things come could be viewed as a more open society. If the people feel that going to someone like a rabbi for advice is not necessary to them then it isint. Overall this article addresses the fact that the powerful changes that the modern society can have

Poland Essay

          Elliana Bogost

April 7, 20116

The country of Poland appears to me as a bleak and dark place.  The history of twentieth century Poland is filled with many horrible things.  For the Jewish People, Poland represents the past.  Poland was a place where many Jews resided before 1939.  In fact, before WWII, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe.  However, even before WWII, anti-Semitism was on the rise.  Once Nazi Germany invaded Poland, the handwriting was on the wall.  Even though Jews were a very small percentage of the population of Poland, they had been successful compared to their population and this gave rise to anti-Semitism.  Therefore, when I visited Poland, as a Jew, one cannot help feel an overwhelmingly sadness.  Knowing that at one time this country had a wonderful, thriving Jewish community and then it was completely wiped out.

        We visited the town of Tycocin, which is a run down small town with only a couple thousand people in it.  But before WWII, there were at least a couple of thousand Jews that lived there.  The Jewish people lived in Tykocin and worked there.  They raised families and built lives for themselves.  The town was once known as a shtetl.  The Jewish people spoke Yiddish and even though there was a lot of hatred toward the Jews after WWI, there was a very vibrant Jewish community.  The town of Tycocin before WWII represents life.  The small town of Tykocin was a very active place.  Jews worked in different areas.  They spoke Yiddish, Polish and Hebrew.  It was a lively placed filled with families and businesses, schools and synagogues.  Jews had lived there since the 1500’s.  However, in 1941, the Nazi’s marched in and were ordered to kill all of the Jews of Tykocin.  Over 2000 Jews were marched into the forest and shot to death.  They were taken into the Lupochowo Forest and shot by the Nazis in the summer of 1941.  A thriving Jewish town, which was filled with life, was now obliterated.  The Forest is now forever, the symbol of death.  At this moment in time, the town of Tykocin died along with the Jews.  It has never been the same.  There is the blood of the murdered Jews that runs through the forest.

        Even though the Holocaust was filled with horrific acts of humanity there were many times that brave and courageous people did their best to stand up to the Nazis, even though they were facing death.  Janus Korczak was a Polish Jew who was a Doctor, and author.  However, he also ran a Jewish orphanage.  There were almost 200 boys that lived in the orphanage.  In 1939 the Nazis made Dr. Korczak move his orphanage into the Ghetto.  In August of 1942 German soldiers came to get the orphans.  The Germans were familiar with Dr. Korczak because he wrote famous children’s books.  The Nazis offered to let Dr. Korczak go free but he refused.  He wanted to stay with his children.  He told them that they were being moved to somewhere nicer.  He never told them they were going to die.  They were marched through the streets in their best clothes.  He was holding their hands and they were taken to Treblinka to never be heard from again.  It was an act of defiance that he marched with his children.  He did not what them to go to their deaths alone.  Even though the Nazis murdered them, Dr. Korczak won.  He refused to leave his children.  He tried to protect them until the very end.  He wanted them to go out with dignity.  He gave his own life to make sure they did not have to march to their deaths without him.  There were others that defied the Nazis.  There were nurses who poisoned sick Jewish kids because they did not want them to die at the hands of the Nazis.  It was in defiance of the Nazis murdering the children.  There were thousands of others that defied the Nazis, whether physically or mentally.

        Rabbi Emil Fackenheim survived the Holocaust and believed that there should be a 614th mitzvah which is basically to believe in God and be a Jew even in the face of what Hitler did to the Jewish people.  It is also to make sure that Israel exists and Jews must make sure Israel survives.  There are 613 Commandments and Rabbi Fackenheim believed that this should be the 614th.  I think that the idea of not allowing Hitler to win is very important.  I believe that every generation of Jews that exists shows that the Jewish people will not die out.  Every Jew owes it to the Jews that were murdered by Hitler to carry on our faith.  It is difficult to understand how something so horrific could happen to six million people.  It is understandable that people may lose their faith but it would be worse for the Jews to turn away from their faith as the survivors.  It is important to never let the world forget.  After so many of our people were murdered simply for being Jewish, those of us who are born into freedom must be sure to carry out our faith and make sure we never die out for the memory of our ancestors and for future generations.

        The Holocaust was horrific and when standing on the land of where so many of our people were slaughtered, it is so overwhelmingly sad to think that the world stood silent.  It is frightening to see similar things happen today with refugees all over the world.  It is difficult to understand how humans can treat others like animals and even worse.  However, the wonderful thing is that the Jewish people have survived and the State of Israel is here and thriving.   We must be leaders to the rest of the world to help those that cannot help themselves and make sure that the Holocaust never happens again.