יזכור

#יזכור

What does it mean to remember?

 

Could you imagine if sirens rang out throughout the United States on memorial day? If instead of sales and an excuse to get drunk or take a long weekend, we actually paused to think about those that fought to protect my country? To consider for a moment those who were wounded with battle scars, both seen and unseen? Those who died for the cause and those who died in the crossfire? Those who had a name and those who had neither name nor possession to speak of but simply a hope for a better future? Could you imagine stopping all of the traffic across America in order to take that minute or two, just to remember? And yet here I am, in a place where even the concept of waiting in line is all but foreign, in which people stop. And cry. And feel. And remember. Because most have served, and everyone has known loss. From the peace now activists on the left to the unyielding settlers on the right, everyone comes together on this day, putting aside differences to mourn. This is the burden that the Israelis share. And in its purest form, it is nothing less than admirable. 

The national anthem carries the eternal hope of the Jewish people: "To be a free nation in our land." Let us be clear. We are still far from that dream. Billions wish to see Israel and the Jewish people no more. To deny that is to turn a blind eye to reality. To ignore the injustices on the ground here--between Jews and non-Jews alike--is to live in a fantasy as well. Sixty-six years have come and gone, and the dream for this country and my people to be "a light unto the nations" is far from reality, just as the dream to be free of oppression and discrimination, both within and without, seems to be constantly going dimmer. But on this day, seeing and sharing in the losses and tragedies of my people, the dream begins to reemerge. The light escapes the darkness. The will to fight on for freedom and justice is restored. A prayer was said tonight: may we lose no more. Allow me to amend that. May we lose all of our biases and stigmas that lead us time and again to war, and through that may no more lives be lost in the struggle, instead remembering those that have perished in battle for only one thing: their pursuit of peace. And may the nations of the world learn by our example that through a true dedication to mourning and not to glorification of war, the longing for peace can overcome all battle cries. And maybe some day, after the ringing wail of the siren has pierced the heart of every individual around the world, the ever-present words of Scripture may finally be realized: "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." But until that day, I shall proudly honor those that have fallen to terror on this soil. For this nation was not given to me on a silver platter, and I will carry the memory of those who fought to create a state free of tyranny and oppression. I will continue to fight to make that dream into a reality.

 

I sincerely hope that the count of those who have fallen in defense of the State of Israel will rise no more, but that peace will prevail even in the face of pessimism and negativity. For as long as hate and mistrust reign upon us, the death knell will continue to toll. May there peace for us and all the world.

יהי זכרם ברוך.