By Lara Rodin
Since my first time visiting a Druze village in 2010 on my first trip to Israel, I have been intrigued by Druze faith, and their place in Israeli society. The hospitality and delicious meal I received at an authentic Druze home in 2010 sparked within me a question of nationalism and faith that is inherent in Druze life within Israel. The trip we took last week to a Druze village just near Carmiel, overlooking Haifa and Acco, reignited those questions and thoughts within me. What does it mean to be a minority in Israel? What is the relationship between religious faith and nationalism? What is the nature of Israeli national identity within the Druze community?
These questions and more were explored during our visit to the Druze village, as we met with a member of the community who not only spoke to us about the mysterious secrets of the Druze religion itself, but we also had the opportunity to discuss the relationship of the Druze people to the state, land, and nation of Israel. It was a pleasure to see the Jewish shops of Carmiel, with their Hebrew store signs, neighbour the Druze stores- their Arabic business partners. What the media would like us in North America to believe about the hostile relationship between Jewish and non-Jewish Israelis isn't always the case, and the Druze village was a refreshing example of this. Seeing these friendly relationships reaffirmed in me the hope for a peaceful relationship between Jews and other faiths in Israel. Furthermore, I was intrigued to learn more about the "secret religion" of the Druze people, whose stories of reincarnation and multiple lives are quite interesting, and parallel much about what I believe in the "Olam Haba" (world to come).
Learning about the Druze army service was particularly salient in regard to my learning experience at the village and in Israel in general. The Druze people serve in the Israeli army as citizens with full rights and a deep seated commitment to the state of Israel and it's right to exist. They often do this despite Druze family and friends living on the other sides of Israel's borders. Loyalty to one's host country is one of the highest values in the Druze religion. Contemplating the friction between national and religious identity can be applied to our experience as North American Jews, who feel a loyalty to both Judaism in Israel as well as our home countries. The experience of spending time in a Druze home, and being treated to delicious hospitality and interesting discussion, opened my eyes to the multiculturalism in Israel, and allowed me and my peers the opportunity to peer into the lives of those Israelis who aren't Jewish, yet still remain important and welcomed citizens who feel a connection to the land and to the Israeli national identity.
