Dallas chapter holds Memorial Day event with the Boy Scouts

By Art Kaplan

The Harvey J. Bloom Post 256 in Dallas met their local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts at the Dallas Jewish Community Center in order to honor our fallen Veterans at 3 area cemeteries.  There were 32 volunteers present, and they all went to the Shearith Israel Cemetery on Dolphin Rd.  Back in 1955, Post 256 sponsored a monument honoring our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guard men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve our American way of life.

A few words were spoken by TALO Commander Art Kaplan, and then NEC, PDC Jerry Benjamin played TAPS.  After the ceremony, the Boy Scouts alongside the JWV members proceeded to put flags on the graves of our Veterans.

After Shearith Israel Cemetery ceremony was complete, some of the group went on to Temple Emanu-El’s Cemetery on Lemmon Ave and some went to Sparkman Hillcrest Cemetery to put flags on the Veterans graves there.  “The day was a humbling experience knowing what these deceased Veterans did for us to be able to enjoy all the freedoms that America has to offer,” said Art Kaplan, Commander of TALO.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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It takes a community

By Carl Singer

I just returned home from doing a Mitzvah.

One of my other volunteer “hats” is county chair for ESGR – the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.  ESGR is a Department of Defense organization that addresses the needs of Guard and Reserve service members and their employers.  (See:  www.esgr.mil  for information.)  As such along with other veterans-oriented volunteers I attend meetings coordinated by the Catholic Family and Community Services Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF).  David Pearson does a unbelievable job as their Assistant Director of Veterans Services.  Last week I received an email from David that a veteran who lives in the Paterson Park Apartments (New Jersey) had been mugged and robbed – both his money and his bicycle had been stolen.  For this veteran his bicycle is not recreational, but his primary means of transportation.

Like many empty nesters I have a few bicycles gathering dust at home.  So I contacted Michele Kadell who is the Senior Case Manager at Paterson Park Apartments which provides “Permanent Supportive Housing for Homeless and/or Disabled Veterans.”  Michelle runs a wonderful apartment complex for veterans.  This complex which is private/public funded provides a home to both male and female veterans (and in some cases their families.)  As you’ll recall in my testimony before the joint Senate/House Veterans Affairs Committee – “One homeless veteran is one too many!”

I teamed up with a friend of mine, Paul Anderson, (SgtMaj U.S. Marine Corps, Retired) who helped me fix up my son’s bicycle and we then were able to deliver the bike today.

It shows again that little things mean a lot – helping veterans on a 1 to 1 basis is important.

Pictured below are the bicycle and (from left to right) me, Paul and our veteran, Gary.

God Bless the United States of America.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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Dayton Chapter Volunteers at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

By Steve Markman

It would be difficult for any major museum, or other major public attraction for that matter, to function without an army of dedicated volunteers.  The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base just outside of Dayton, Ohio, is no exception.  While visitors will see staff members just about everywhere they venture in the Museum’s four massive buildings, just about all of them are volunteers.  From the Information Desk at the entrance to docents stationed at most of the exhibits, and others throughout the complex, most staff that a visitor will see are volunteers.

Members of Jewish War Veterans Post 587 always have supported the Museum.  Currently, six members serve in various roles throughout the complex, which is the largest military museum in the world.

Three members volunteer in the Holocaust exhibit:  Ira Segalewitz, Henry Guggenheimer, and Joe Bettman.  Ira and Henry are Holocaust survivors and routinely tell of their personal experiences from this sad era to large groups of school children.  Both also are Army veterans of the Korean War.  Joe Bettman has visited two former concentration camps and relates his thoughts of this experience to Museum visitors.

Leslie Buerke and Bert Cream serve as docents in different galleries throughout the Museum.  They study about the aircraft and artifacts in their areas and are ready to answer the m  ost-often asked questions from the public (Getting stumped usually results in their researching the question to be better prepared for the next time).  Bert always is ready to answer technical questions based on this thirty-six years experience in military aviation R&D.  Their duties also include watching for any problems visitors may have and providing assistance or calling in professional staff as needed.

Steve Markman, former Post 587 Commander and now Dept of Ohio Commander, volunteers in the Restoration Division.  He works out of sight of the public, helping to prepare aircraft for display.  For over ten years, Steve has been restoring the historic Memphis Belle.  The Memphis Belle was the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the U.S. after completing 25 missions over Europe.  (The Memphis Belle will go on public display in May of 2018.)

A seventh member, Felix Weil, who escaped Europe on the Kindertransport, also volunteered as a docent, but recently left the area to be closer to family.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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David Hymes Marks His Centennial

On September 16th, David Hymes will mark his centennial birthday. Most of us know David as our Past National Commander, but I got the opportunity to sit down and speak with him about his story for the past 100 years.

According to David, he was born on the kitchen table. “My mother couldn’t leave my sister alone in the apartment, and my dad was away working. To be honest, I don’t even know if we could have afforded to go to the hospital. So, I was born right there,” said David. David grew up on the West Side of Chicago, and he went to Marshall High School. His parents owned a small produce store that they both worked at 7 days a week. “We weren’t rich, but we always had food on the table,” he said.

“I wanted to study dentistry, but my parents couldn’t support it,” said David. After he graduated high school, he ended up getting a job at the local post office while he attended Northwestern at night. He studied for 6 years, and he graduated as an accountant or, as David calls it, “a Jewish engineer”.

After graduating, David and his friend rented a car, and they took a trip to Denver. The day after they drove back was the day that David’s draft number was picked. While he was at basic training, Pearl Harbor was hit, and as he put it, “my two year mandatory service turned into a four year mandatory service.”

He first got stationed in Panama, and he was able to transfer to Finance. After he reached sergeant, David was able to attend Officer Candidate School, and he obtained the rank of second lieutenant. He spent sometimes in the states before he was transferred to SHEAF headquarters in Europe.

“When I arrived there, I asked the guy what my job was going to be. He told me that I was going to be a postal finance officer, and I asked him what the hell a postal finance officer was. He said, ‘I heard you had a degree in finance and that you worked in a post office.’ I said yes, and he said, ‘there you go.’” He was in charge of getting supplies for different units that were in combat on the European front. While on duty, Mr. Hymes was shot in the arm, and he was hospitalized for nine months. He was discharged from the Army when he finished his rehab, and according to David, “I did not go back to the post office.”

The first job that David applied for was an accounting job. In those days, you had to put your religion on your application, and when he went for the interview, the manager said that they did not hire Jews. David told me that he said some things that would have not made his mother proud. However, he got another interview lined up for an accounting position at a liquor distribution company, and he ended up working there for a couple of years.

Around that time, David met his wife, Evaline, and they found an apartment in Hyde Park, Chicago. They ended up having two daughters. He also went into business with his brother in law, where he worked until he was 90.

He joined JWV in 1963, and he helped form the Dr. Samuel Pearlman Post 800 in 1967. He served as the Post Commander from 1970-1972. He subsequently was elected to the Illinois Department Commander in 1976. He served on the National Executive Committee from 1976 to 1994. He was then elected to National Commander in 1994. He also has served on the National Museum of American Jewish Military History’s board of directors.

David’s wife, Evaline, passed away in 2004, and David said he sold his house for an apartment in Chicago. He ended up retiring 3 years later. “I mailed all my accounts, and I told them that their accounts had been paid in full because I was retiring,” said David. He says his grandson is getting married in September, and he cannot wait to be there.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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Dunkirk: A Movie Review

Fewer events in modern history have captured the public interest and imagination as utterly as the battles and machinations of the Second World War. The source of countless films, novels and other dramatic retellings, cultural depictions often focus on hard won victories and uphill struggles against the Axis powers. In Christopher Nolan’s newest film Dunkirk we see a rarer, yet incredibly powerful, glimpse into an event that holds more ambiguous ground in the annals of history.

Opening on Nazi pamphlets fluttering down from an overcast sky, the story of Dunkirk begins as Nolan slowly brings the viewer into a tension-wrought film that proves to be as harrowing as it is compelling. Alternating between the perspective of a rank-and-file British soldier, Royal Air Force pilots, the civilian rescue fleet and at brief intervals, the commanders present, the audience can palpably feel the terror from every perspective.

The Battle of Dunkirk, alternately referred to as Operation Dynamo or the Miracle of Dunkirk, unfolded in May and June of 1940 in the small coastal French town of the same name. Surrounded by quickly advancing German troops and an incoming Luftwaffe (the German air force) over 400,000 soldiers, primarily British, became stranded once the totality of the enveloping German army became clear. The aforementioned pamphlets informed soldiers on the beach “WE SURROUND YOU” with arrows indicating the German position. Dunkirk captures the following battle, evacuation and activation of the British civilian vessel fleet that was sent to assist in the effort.

Dunkirk’s greatest strength is its ability to successfully flaunt conventional war film tropes by focusing upon the visceral terror of the conflict rather than emotional and interpersonal drama. Throughout the film dialogue is sparse and direct, and we are given little insight into the personalities of the characters themselves. The film instead chooses to provide us with an anxiety inducing and brutal experience of survival in war. As the invasion proceeds we see the beaches of Dunkirk descend quickly into unrelenting chaos. Soldiers blindly trust and mistrust one another, rescue vessels are boarded only to be mercilessly bombed and abandoned while British command struggles to comprehend the calamity.

The tension escalates further as we follow a man captaining a small British fishing boat with his son and a boy from their hometown. The marked contrast between the calm of crossing of the Thames on the way to rescue and the frantic stranded soldiers comes to a heartbreaking crescendo as the vulnerable fishing boat slowly breaches the zone of combat. This pivotal intersection is captured by quick shots of the vast unforgiving sea and deliberately unsteady camerawork that serve to inextricably draw the audience in. It becomes difficult to imagine the true experience of events was much different.

The powerlessness and crippling fear omnipresent throughout is captured with a spine-tingling score that leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat. Coupled with contrasting panoramic shots of destruction at sea and claustrophobic vignettes of desperate and struggling soldiers, the camera takes us on an exhilarating ride. Calling to mind director Christopher Nolan’s Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, Dunkirk delivers another sweeping and expansive epic that has proven to be just as successful at the box office.

A Nolan favorite, Tom Hardy stars as a stoic Royal Air Force captain executing precarious assaults to protect the beaches of Dunkirk from inside his miniscule cockpit. Harry Styles, making a surprisingly smooth leap from boy-band stardom to the silver screen, delivers an aggressive and yet undeniably talented performance as a low-level British soldier. Finally, British acting legends Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance round out the eclectic cast with characteristically complex performances. Branagh plays the hand wringing and desperate Commander Bolton who artfully exhibits a restrained compassion for the troops he desperately tries to rescue throughout the film. Rylance respectively showcases his skill portraying a fishing boat captain calmly eager to join the civilian rescue fleet that was deployed at the 11th hour.

Held aloft by its stunning cinematography, subtle and yet profound acting performances, and irresistibly tense score, Dunkirk has proven itself to quite possibly be the war film of the decade. Unique in its approach portraying the sober British military and the understated fear and panic of battle in the midst of overwhelming violence, we are treated to an unglamorous and gratingly tense masterpiece. Brutally honest and horrifyingly realistic, the film will leave you shaken and yet full of awe – and for this reason Dunkirk is undeniably worth the watch.

Author Lauren Hellendall has been the Membership Assistant at JWV since December 2016. She graduated from American University in 2014 with a BA in Environmental Studies and took many film studies courses while at university. Lauren loves working with veterans and is excited to have her first film review published in the Veteran.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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Leaders of the Jewish Community – Younger Than You Think

By 2LT Daniel Rosenfield

Who are the people that our Jewish community should look to for leadership?

Clergy? Politicians? Your Bubbe?

Millennial Jews, such as myself, are the ones who should be looked to for leadership. They are ready to take on obstacles and are not afraid to stand up for themselves, their faith, and the Jewish people.

But with the need for committed Jewish leaders in such demand, there must be a shift in the Jewish community. There must be an effort to look past the stereotypes, what we see on television, and understand why it is imperative for the Jewish youth to be a part of JWV programs and the greater community.

We want to take responsibility.

We are invested, and want to have the opportunity to create initiatives and programs that will impact our community. We are willing to learn about what it means to take responsibility – no matter how much that may be – and do more than talk about what needs to be done.

People listen to us.

With so many methods of communication at our fingertips, we know how to not just be heard – but listened to. We know the avenues where people are tuned in, and have a desire to make our message loud and clear! Even better, we do not rely on typical media. Social media runs our organizations, and Jewish organizations for youth are plugged into one another. When one idea, issue, or cause catches on within an organization, the entire Jewish community can be on board within hours.

We want a challenge.

We do not want it easy. We want to live up to the expectations of others, and more importantly, those we set for ourselves. Amongst Jewish youth groups, there is constant competition for how much can be raised for philanthropy. At Hillels across the nation, young Jews challenge one another for how many students they can engage and bring into Jewish programming. There is a hunger for success that you will not find amongst any other group.

We want to improve.

Millennials, no matter how brilliant we are, are always seeking ways to get better. We are hungry for educational trips, such as Birthright Israel, or personalized learning, such as Chabad’s Sinai Scholars. Young Jews are effective because we know that we must constantly sharpen our skills and knowledge base to compete and provide an edge that is needed in our world.

As I begin my first assignment as an Air Force Public Affairs Officer, I cherish the memories made and the lessons learned as a growing leader of my Jewish community. From fundraising to writing to program planning and more, so much of my leadership experience was because members of the Jewish community invested in me. They saw the potential in younger Jews and provided unmatched opportunities. They made a place for young Jews and created a path for their success.

At your next Post gathering, I urge you to spend a few minutes discussing how you can engage young Jews – especially those planning on wearing the same uniform that you so bravely wore. By passing on your lessons and laying the foundation for us, together we can strengthen the Jewish people.

Your Bubbe would be proud.

Second Lieutenant Daniel Rosenfield will be a public affairs officer stationed at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. He is an in-service member of Jewish War Veterans Post #256 out of Dallas, Texas.

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She thought she was “hardly worth mentioning”

By Joel Michaels

Gladys L. Lonstein-Gaman, a member of our country’s “greatest generation,” recently passed away, just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday. She served in the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War II (1943 -1946), where she was assigned to the 121st Station Hospital in Braintree, England. After the War, she lived most of her life in Peabody, Massachusetts where she raised her family. Her two sons, Steven and Philip, survive her. I am Gladys’ nephew.

Gladys came from a modest background in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she lived with her two sisters and younger brother. She was an unassuming woman who did not seek recognition for her military service.  During an interview in 2004 by the Veterans History Project, her first inclination was to diminish the extent of her contributions to the War effort. When asked why she enlisted as a nurse at age 24, she said “I had to be a part of it in some small way” and nursing was the only way she could make a contribution. She went on to say that “my involvement seemed so small to me” as she compared it to the many young men who saw combat and thought it was “hardly worth mentioning.”

Like many American Jews who served in World War II, Gladys gave two reasons for her service. The first was the protection of America, as she concluded that if “England had been taken over by the Nazis, we would have been next.” The second was to “help my people who were being persecuted in the concentration camps.” Supporting American soldiers in the field was how Gladys perceived she could best provide some outreach to her fellow Jews who were victims of the Holocaust.  Her remarks provide context for why a young Jewish girl from Worcester left for New York alone to enlist and go on to England to face an uncertain future during a most troubled time.

Although Gladys saw her contributions as a member of the Army Nurse Corps as small, not all saw it that way.  One night, while on duty at the hospital in England, Gladys experienced the impact of a German warplane’s bomb. After she emerged from the rubble and from under the desk she used for cover, she saw the significant damage surrounding her. Gladys immediately directed her attention to ensuring the safety and health of the patients in the ward. Her response and actions that day were the subject of a Major’s letter of commendation, which affirmed that “under extremely hazardous conditions, Second Lieutenant Lonstein did calmly and efficiently carry out the necessary work of attending to the patients in the ward.”  Gladys explained her reactions that night by saying that she probably was “too dumb to be scared” and “all I knew was that I had to get the patients to a safe place.”

Since World War II, the role of women in the American military continues to evolve. Some of this change can be attributed to the actions of many women, including my aunt, who served in the Army Nurse Corps. Like their male counterparts, they too were fearless in ensuring that our country would not fail in defending its security and freedom for its citizens, while restoring peace throughout the world. To this day I remain in awe of the contributions they made.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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Don’t Forget to Duck

By Sam Greenberg

Marty was born in Wilks-Barre, PA, and he was one of three brothers.  They grew up in a small town with around 4,000 Jews in the town, which was a large Jewish population for Wilkes-Barre’s size.  He was a Boy Scout, and he always wanted to serve his country and to follow in the footsteps of his brother Sam.

His chance came when he was drafted at the beginning of the Korean War.  His brother Sam dropped him off at his local train station to go to basic training.  Sam told him, “Don’t forget to duck,” and he laughed and continued to smile as he got on the train.

He trained at Fort Sam Houston to become a combat medic, and he joined the First Armored Division at Fort Hood, where they deployed to Korea.  He worked a lot in the field – dragging and caring for other soldiers.  He always said, “War was hell,” and that’s pretty much all he would say about it.  He was wounded three times during the battle of Pork Chop Hill, and he received a bronze star and a silver star for performing his duties.

He spent 10 months in Walter Reed recovering before going home to Pennsylvania.  He decided he would become a watchmaker and diamond setter, which he really enjoyed quite a bit – he did it the rest of his life.  There, he met Sondra, and they had three sons – Mark, Allan and Kevin.

Marty was a dedicated member of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., and spent more than 40 years giving back to other veterans.  Marty passed away earlier this year, but we will always remember him, still smiling.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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Leadership Under Fire

By Marc Wolf

From the remote mountains of Afghanistan, to the tip of Japan’s Honshu Island, to the desert sands of Iraq and to London’s urban jungle; I’ve spent much of my adult life far from my family and my hometown of Beaumont, Texas. Through my travels as a U.S. Naval Officer, I’ve learned volumes about myself as well as the different places I have lived and the broad range of people with whom I came in contact.

In my roles as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Intelligence Officer assigned to the Commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces in the FIFTH and SEVENTH Fleets, as well as the Senior Intelligence Officer for Naval Special Warfare’s SEAL Team TWO, I have always led with the Boy Scout Oath and Law as my guide posts.  “On my honor, I will do my best.”  Those words are the opening lines of the Boy Scout Oath.  You see, I grew up as a Boy Scout, earned the Eagle Scout by the age of 15, and those words are the code — let watchword be duty — by which I’d lived my entire life, especially when my own leadership came under fire on my third trip to Afghanistan.

An enlisted man under my charge, but one year my senior, Jesse Harrahill is one of the finest intelligence specialists I ever worked with during my tenure as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.  A true professional with a can-do spirit, a realist who was my sounding board when it was time to think outside the box, a friend and a colleague, Jesse is one of the few people I’ve known who truly “gets it” and whom I would trust to lead in all situations.  Jesse understands the big picture. At the time, he’d been doing what he does best for almost ten years and has what it takes to make it in any position in any organization. The Navy is lucky to have him and I was lucky to work with him during the two years I served as the Senior Intelligence Officer assigned to SEAL Team TWO.

The Navy places a significant emphasis on the advancement process.  How else do we retain and promote our finest Sailors?  The year I met Jesse, he was ten years in and was selected as “Intelligence Specialist of the Year” for the entire Navy. But despite all his accolades, Jesse had still not achieved an important status: Chief Petty Officer. He had one designation to earn before he would make this important career advancement. He hadn’t earned a “Warfare Device.” His best chance would’ve been on a previous tour of duty aboard an aircraft carrier, but he was so busy looking after others, he missed his chance to meet all the requirements and was turned down by the review board.

No matter how other members of the SEAL Team leadership and I argued and appealed, the Navy would not grant an exception for Jesse. So the senior leadership promised Jesse in my presence that we would make it happen — I made that commitment.

We all recognized that moving up to the next level at the senior enlisted ranks was important for Jesse’s personal development and motivation. I knew even more as Jesse had told me this was a goal for himself. I knew that if he didn’t advance he might get out of the service and that would be a great loss.

As Jesse’s superior, I not only had a personal interest in seeing this thru, it was my responsibility as an officer to ensure the integrity of the chain of command.  I vowed that under my watch, Jesse would advance.

A month later our situation changed, we had to act fast to take advantage of our enemy’s position and we had to move men into place to be ready. I was sent to another location in Afghanistan; but before I left, I laid out plans for how our manpower should be used. I made it part of my plan to keep Jesse behind. He was just three weeks from reaching his goal – his Warfare Device — and I wanted him to finish. Though Jesse was one of our best, I trusted the other Sailors in my department could complete the mission, and for personal good and the good of the Navy, Jesse was to remain in place. My commanding officer had a different idea.

In the military structure, you don’t question your command. It’s virtually unheard of and carries serious consequences. But I reminded my superiors of the promise they made to Jesse and of how important it was for us to keep that commitment.

I believe a person is defined by his character and the greatest asset he can have is a good name.  So, I put myself on the line to help Jesse Harrahill — to help him earn his warfare device and advance to Chief, to help the overall group and to help morale – to let them know they can believe and trust the chain of command and the Navy to take care of them, and to always do the right thing.

In the end, Jesse was able to accomplish his goal. Today he proudly wears the khaki uniform of a Chief, and the Navy and all of us are better for it.

Jesse knew I stood up for him in Afghanistan. He knew I put career and myself on the line. On my last day of active duty service, he honored me with a plaque inscribed with my own words, my mantra: “Always do the right thing and take care of your people no matter what.” He added his own sentiment to the plaque: “It is because of your devotion to this principle that I proudly wear my pin.”

In my life I hope to always remain true to those words — my own words, my own promise and watchword — whether as a supervisor, in management as an executive or as a member of a group taking care of my teammates.  It is my hope to always surround myself with people of integrity and honor, who stand up for what’s right, who consider the good of the group, and most importantly, who keep their word, no matter the risk. Words such as these remind me of my sense of duty, honor, purpose, doing what’s right in the most difficult of situations and the importance of looking out for each other, my fellow Sailors and Marines, my comrades-in-arms, my band of brothers.  I know I always will.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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PARASHAT EKEV

August 12, 2017

California Department Chaplain Dov Cohen from teachings of
Bradley Shavit Artson

What are you willing to die for? In the course of our daily routine, there are certain focal points — actions, comments or individuals — which can ignite our passion like nothing else. While these things may not receive a great deal of conscious thought or even our waking effort, their significance lies in how important they are to our sense of identity, of worth, or of meaning.

Each of us may have different symbols that we care for deeply enough to make a sacrifice. The flag, for some, is significant enough to curtail the Constitution. For others, the Bill of Rights is of such importance that they are willing to tolerate the burning of the national symbol.

Most parents would give up their lives for their children. Some special individuals have given their lives for the children of others. Many people get ulcers and heart attacks in the service of wealth, prestige or beauty. How we live our lives is often determined by what we value most. And that value can be identified simply by asking yourself, “For what am I willing to die?”

According to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the most important decision a thinker makes is reflected in what he comes to consider the most important problem. There is only one really serious problem, and that is martyrdom.  Is there anything worth dying for? We can only live the truth if we are willing to die for it.

Rabbi Heschel’s point is that our lives derive their ultimate value and sense of purpose not necessarily by what receives most of our time, but what commands our deepest commitment. Today’s Torah portion deals with this issue in a specific context. This portion speaks of “the Land which God swore to your ancestors,” the Land of Israel. That land has been the focus of Jewish dreams and Jewish efforts throughout the millennia. The ‘mitzvah’ of Yishuv Ha-Aretz, settling the Land, is one of supreme importance. And there are many who are willing to sacrifice their own lives, and the lives of others, to acquire and to keep larger portions of that sacred soil.

In Israel today, and throughout world Jewry as a result, a vituperative debate rages between those who hold that Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) is the supreme value and others who insist that Jewish sovereignty and Jewish lives are the highest value. Because of that difference in perspective, some are willing to endanger Jewish lives to stake a claim to more of Eretz Yisrael, and some advocate abandoning some of the Land in order to save Jewish lives (not to mention a sense of fairness for Palestinian nationalism as well).

Is the Land of Israel of ultimate value? Or is it a valuable tool toward some more encompassing end? The Torah we read this week is unambiguous on that score.

“Keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land, into which you go to possess it; and that you may prolong your days in the land.”

The Land is of importance, not as an end in itself, but as the necessary backdrop for the fullest possible encounter with God. Many believe that only within the Land of Israel is it possible to observe all the ‘mitzvot’ commanded in the Torah and the Talmud, and only within the Land are the rhythms of Jewish life and religion the basis of daily life.

Yet, the significance of the Land is not intrinsic to the Land itself. The Land is not the goal, but rather a sacred means to an even more sacred end. The ultimate goal is to observe all the commandments — including to “have one law for yourself and for the stranger,” including to “seek peace and pursue peace,” including to “love the stranger.”

The Land matters because it can lead to the creation of truly Godly Jews. To the extent that we utilize the promise of the land to become more compassionate, more loving and more just — to that extent alone do we merit inhabiting the Land. And only to that extent do we fulfill the purpose of our being there in the first place.

The ultimate goal of Judaism is to build Godly Jews. The Land, as with every other aspect of Judaism, is a sacred rung on the ladder of holiness. But the goal remains holiness, not the ladder itself.

To my brothers and sisters at this 122nd National Convention of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America . . . . . . .  Shabbat Shalom.

Volume 71. Number 3. Fall 2017

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