Page 20 - Issue 11

embarrassment of bringing matzah to school for lunch during Pesach was also part of this
survival mentality of not drawing attention to myself as a Jew. Combating this apologist
approach of keeping our heads down is exactly part of the national tikkun that Herzl thought
was necessary when describing the need for a total transformation of the Jewish people in a
state of their own.

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At the end of the 19 century, Herzl travelled around and saw the way that anti-Semitism
took shape in various ways throughout Europe, Russia, and North Africa. His idea of giving
people the option to leave the cycle of migration and oppression, and to create a sovereign
moral Jewish state was not met with enthusiasm; mainstream Jewry resented his intrusion
and his criticism. Nevertheless, he unveiled the truth of their ‘question’ and proposed an
alternative: he described an alternative physical environment for the Jews to live in, and
suggested that the vitality and idealism of the youth carry this idea forward: “Although I
speak of reason, I am fully aware that reason alone will not suffice. Old prisoners do not
willingly leave their cells. We shall see whether the youth whom we need are at our command
– the youth, who irresistibly draw on the old, carry them forward on strong arms, and
transform rational motives into enthusiasm.” Perhaps more than ever before, we have a
responsibility as a youth movement not to allow Israel to be negated or undermined as the
physical place where simultaneous tikkun atzmi and tikkun of our nation can take place, and
we ourselves cannot passively allow Zionism to be co-opted by people (Jews and non-Jews
alike) who do not understand that the Jewish people are a nation equal to all others, and that
we need a state of our own to be able to realize and legislate our values and principles. And
those of our movement who decide to come here on
aliyah can choose to help us fight the corrupt and racist
Israeli society and government, through education and
democratic means, day by exhausting day.
Anti-Israel anti-Semitic events are now on the rise, and
are being described by respected and trustworthy news
sources, not just by Jewish newspapers with an interest
in “Jewish continuity.” Anti-Semitic vandalism and
graffiti are rampant in most cities around the world,
including cities with Habonim Dror kenim. But we as
Habonim Dror have not been dealing with this head-on.
Why is this? Are we afraid? Why are we so willing, as
Security around Jewish schools in Barnet (a left-wing Jews, to chalk up these anti-Semitic events
London borough with a large Jewish
population) went on high alert after specific as exaggerations made by the right-wing Jewish
threats were made towards children during establishment to force us to stay Jewish? What do
the height of the Gaza conflict you believe the role of a Habonim Dror ken should be
in combating anti-Semitic/anti-Israel events in each
city, specifically in relation to the wider Jewish community?

The more I have read about anti-Semitic events around the world, the more I have noticed
that the response of the Jewish community leaders to vandalism of their community centers
(if there is a response at all) is to beef up security, or make statements like “We are going to
grow and share our message of pride, goodness and kindness, so people will learn more
tolerance, understanding and respect" (this was in response to graffiti on a Chabad center in
California saying “Achtung Juden”). What does this type of response achieve? I believe that
as members of a Zionist youth movement, we have a responsibility to respond and take
actions that will lead to tikkun of our Jewish communities – what do these actions need to
be?