By Nathan Schachter
After a much needed, relaxing and spiritual Pesach vacation, we came back together as a cohort with the unique opportunity to meet Rav Yoel Bin Nun. Most known for his heroic service in the Six Day War which we read about in Yossi Klein Halevi’s Like Dreamers, Rav Yoel began with his firsthand account of fighting for the reunification of Jerusalem. We got a peak into his personal beliefs and motives, and how the war and his achievements have affected the rest of his life. For example, with Yom Yerushalayim approaching, we discussed his personal method for commemorating and celebrating the day Israel regained hold of the Kotel and the Old City.
Only speaking Hebrew as he believes he can only convey the true meaning of his message in his native tongue, Rav Yoel also spoke to us about the issues facing the Jewish community today. In America, he only sees one existential crisis: assimilation. But in Israel, he sees four: security, solidarity, identity, and demographics. In his opinion, Israel can deal with the first three issues by herself. However, he explained that Israel’s issue of demographics is directly linked to America’s issue of assimilation, and without America, Israel won’t be able to deal with her fourth issue. This was Rav Yoel’s call to action for us as the next Jewish leaders. He reminded us that we each have a task in life, and while we may not know exactly what, when, or how it will play out, we must each fulfill our personal purposes. He was passing on “the baton,” as he called it - an additional mission - for us to be advocates for Israel, and even for ourselves to consider Aliyah. By moving to the Jewish state, we will be countering assimilation and helping repair both issues.
In Rav Yoel’s opinion, the next big thing facing the global Jewish community is the battle between identity - “Israelness” and “Jewishness.” These two identities in Israel have been conflicting for decades and have even affected Diaspora Jewry. He believes it’s time to bring light to this issue and find a solution so that all of us can live peacefully together among our differences.
