Happy Birthday Israel

by Alice Greenfield

The invitation to the ceremony for the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel was sent to 250 recipients by private messenger. The recipients were told to keep the event a secret; it was feared that the British authorities might try to prevent it, or that the Arab armies might invade earlier than planned.

The courier who had waited as the final draft of the declaration was being typed had forgotten to arrange transportation. He had to flag down a passing car to take him to the ceremony. The car was stopped for speeding and the courier arrived one minute before the ceremony was to begin. Eleven of the members who were to have signed the declaration were trapped in besieged Jerusalem and never made it there.

Promptly at 4 p.m. on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion opened the ceremony by banging his gavel on the table, prompting a spontaneous rendition of Hatikvah. Ben-Gurion took 16 minutes to read the document, the crowd recited Shehecheyanu, the blessing said over something new, and the state of Israel was declared.

After 2,000 years of wandering and after the nightmare of the Shoah, our people witnessed the historic moment when the Third Jewish Commonwealth was born in Eretz Yisrael. How many generations of our ancestors prayed for this event? How fortunate we are to have seen it in our lifetimes.

Some of us remember that moment, 60 years ago, and some of us have only read about it. But all of us share a common bond and kinship with those of our people who fought for and built the Jewish state. We are indebted to them, we are proud of them, and we stand with them, always.

The Israel of 2008 is a complicated place. It has confidence in itself and is conflicted about how to insure security and peace; it has become economically and technologically successful beyond imagining and has a large gap between rich and poor; it has successfully absorbed millions and has crime and educational gaps; it holds to democracy as well as to Jewish principles and continues to struggle with the issue of separation of religion and state.

Many of us travel to Israel frequently; others have never been there. If you are in the latter group, don’t miss the experience of a lifetime. Give yourself the gift of Israel this coming year. Israel’s cities are historic, its mountains, valleys and beaches are exquisite, its roads are fantastic, its cultural arts are distinguished, its people are indomitable.

In Israel lies our destiny; with Israel lies our faith. Israel is our spirit and our soul; our home and our heart. Let us celebrate its 60th birthday with prayer and song and unwavering support.