Lee Diamond – Wearing Jewish Skin and they didn’t get it
Lee Diamond – Wearing Jewish Skin and they didn’t get it
It was A, B. Yehoshua, a leading secular Israeli author who declared this powerful phrase to an audience of leading American Jewish leaders.
‘I Live in Jewish Skin”
“I don’t change my skin”
‘I don’t wear this skin when it’s convenient or remove it when inconvenient. It’s a case of 24/7 from birth to death for me.”
Let’s put it differently: I am A Jew to the core! Inside and out. Always!
His audience was in shock!
Not only because he implied that he was a full time Jew and that they were part time!
Not only because he declared they were Jews when it pleased them.
How dare he imply that diaspora Jews were Jews of convenience?
How, they asked asked can you be a Jew and be secular?
They were enraged and AB Yehoshua was condemned by the diaspora Jewish world!
The problem, my friends, Is that :
THEY DIDNT GET IT!
His words made little sense to them!
And that Is the sad tragedy of the diaspora understanding of Jewish Israel today!
Let’s call a spade a spade :
“There has never been a more profoundly Jewish community in our history than that of contemporary secular Israel of our day.” We live in contemporary Jewish skin
Our very essence is Jewish!
Our annual calendar is Jewish.
All of our holidays are Jewish.
Our secular holidays are Jewish
Our language is Jewish.
Our music is Jewish.
Our literature is Jewish.
Our history is Jewish.
Much of our art is Jewish.
Our museums are Jewish.
Our weekly day off is Jewish.
Our weddings are Jewish.
Our national anthem is Jewish
All of our hotels are Jewish
All of our state institutions are kosher, because that isJewish.
Our army us Jewish
Our soldiers are mostly Jewish
Our sacrifices for the life of this state. Are Jewish
Our immigration policy is Jewish
The arrangement of seats in our parliament is Jewish.
The world relates to us as Jews–for good and as bad.
Our leaders are mostly Jewish.
Our values are Jewish
Our greetings are Jewish.
Our memories are Jewish
Our tears are. Jewish.
Our education is Jewish
Our flag is Jewish.
Our menu is Jewish.
Our. Problems are Jewish
Our politics. Are Jewish
Our humor is Jewish
We bleed as Jews.
Our press and Media are. Jewish in every way.
We are day in and day day out Jews.
We differ in many ways
but what unites us is our
Jewish Skin.
And I close with a warm Shabbat Shalom as it’s about to be Jewish Time
.
Get it?
So pleased to have Rav. Diamond share his thoughts at Israel Seen.
Rabbi Lee Diamond, is based in Israel and began his unique rabbinate as an Israel Educator for the Diaspora. Rabbi Diamond has served as director of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and Associate Director of the Israel office of the UJR and NFTY Israel programs. He has dedicated his life to sharing the Israel he loves and creating an educational experiences for everyone visiting Israel. Rabbi Diamond’s philosophy: Israel is the stage on which I want to act out the drama of the Jewish people, its creative survival, and to affect people’s lives. When we see each other our discussion always seems to find its way to the ever changing political situation in Israel. In the end of course we come around to what is dear to the hearts of both of us: the importance of emphasizing Jewish values and ethics in our society.
