By Harris Mevorah
A few weeks ago, we visited Zichron Yaakov to tour the grounds where the first Aliyah took place. Although on this rainy day the town seemed a tad dreary, its rich history allowed for us as a cohort to fully understand the implications of the area. Nearly a century and a half ago the first wave of Jewish immigrants attempted to cultivate and settle this land. To contemplate how far Israel has come in such a short time is truly astonishing. As the walking tour began, Jaimie led us to what seemed like a parking lot that overlooked grassy fields and the Mediterranean. He described the plight of the first Aliyah and how they were struggling without the knowledge and or resources to successfully cultivate the land. Specifically, he described a story where the members of this community were spending long periods of time attempting to harvest potatoes. Months and months, they waited, only to be dismayed that no potatoes were growing. After an extended disheartening period, one community member ripped up a root, only to discover that the fields had in fact been producing potatoes the entire time.
As we overlooked the fields, I thought a lot about what it means to give up everything for something you believe in; to take everything you know and move away to do what you believe is right.
This mindset let me back to both current day diaspora Jewry and what it means to be on this program. In regards to diasporia Jewry, every year there are multiple times when we are forced to isolate ourselves and give up wages, classes, and countless other opportunities for what we believe in. Ultimately, we preserve these traditions because we believe in Jewish continuity and all that J
udaism has to offer. Additionally, when analyzing this concept alongside our participation in this program it becomes evident that our investment in a robust Jewish future and cohesion is why we are here. When analyzing the program and the tour through this lens, it provides a greater motivation to fulfill the vision and mission of The Nachshon Project.
