Times of Israel reports:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the closing plenary of the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly held in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Toward the end of his appearance, as his host, outgoing JFNA chair Richard Sandler was about to bid the prime minister farewell, Netanyahu asked to make another point, stressing what he said really worries about him about Diaspora Jewry.
“What I’m concerned with when it comes to the Jewish people is one thing, and that’s the loss of identity. It’s not the question of the Wall or conversion; we’ll overcome that. It’s the loss of identity,” he said.
Paraphrasing an article by Ammiel Hirsch, Netanyahu said that those who are not concerned with Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.
“There is some basic truth to that,” he said. “Jewish survival is guaranteed in the Jewish state, if we defend our state. But we have to also work at the continuity of Jewish communities in the world by developing Jewish education, the study of Hebrew, having the contact of young Jews coming to Israel.”
What is needed is a new approach, suitable for the internet age, that will help Diaspora Jews “understand that their own future as Jews depends on continuous identity,” Netanyahu said.
“It’s protecting Jewish identity and developing Jewish consciousness that is the most important thing. It transcends politics; it touches on the foundations of history,” he concluded. “We’re one people. Let’s make sure that every Jewish child in the world knows how proud they should be to be Jews.”
VIDEO:
What is the PRACTICAL MEANING of his words a) to his crowd at this event, and b) to the crowds these [Federation] people are influencing, and c) to the המון עם who would possibly see this videos (and others where he makes this point and) take his words to heart? I paraphrase it as follows:
געדיינק אז דו ביסט א איד
“Take measures to remember [in the midst of non-Jewish world in which you live] that you are a Jew!”
A man of Bibi’s impact makes such a statement!
I say, amazing!
When a yid such as Netanyahu says that WE are Jews, WE are Hashems children, we are special… That (hergesh) feeling is the highest level of the Neshama’s connection with its source. That “identity” he touched upon transcends Torah (as taught in Chassidus in great detail)
Torah is the fuel of a jew. You see many young Jews frum ones who went to Yeshiva but lose the passion as they go about without Torah study.
This is number 1. Not really sure what you are trying to say that is connected to the issue of maintaining an identity. I’m not doubting that a Yid that does nothing can’t have this connection. What I was saying is that if they want to have Jewish continuity in their family, they have to be Shomer Torah V’Mitzvos. I’m not speaking on the spiritual level in which you’re holding at.
Chassidus is clear that there is an element of the Neshama of Yidden when you reach its essence that is even higher then Torah and Mitzvos. As the Rebbe explains regarding the Kruvim (which represent Yiddin) on the Aron that is “above” and separate from the Torah that is lying within it.
Granted this is deep stuff, and the arguments go back and forth in that you also need Torah. However, to see a secular Jew grasp the transcending connection that every yid has with Hashem irrespective of his/her performance of Torah should be an AHA moment…
Shabbos and kashrus is not enough to keep a Jew observant. Without Torah it’s like a fish out of water.
Truthfully speaking, the only way to gurantee Jewish Identity is through being at least Shomer Shabbos and Kosher. Israel is NOT a solution to being Jewish and does NOT solve the identity crisis. Believe it or not, tons of secular Israelis have cut themselves off from the Jewish people by getting “married” to shkutzim meshukatzim.