Happy Birthday: Israel at 75 and my Ima, Sylvia Kruger at 95

Reflections from Moshe Kruger’s recent trip to Israel

As many of you know, I recently attended the Israel at 75 General Assembly (GA). I also visited my mom and four siblings in Israel. There were many memorable highlights of my visit, including the precious family time I had celebrating a joint birthday with my mom, who is 95 years young.

My time in Israel exceeded my expectations. Being in Israel to experience the dramatic shift between Yom HaZikaron (honoring the fallen soldiers and victims of terror) and Yom HaAtzmaut (celebrating Israel’s independence) was powerful, raw, and emotional. To go from sorrow, grief, and memories to jubilation was unbelievable.

The GA brought together more than 3,000 North American Jews. The General Assembly, which takes place annually in North America and once every five years in Israel, was timed to coincide with Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut.

The gathering occurred during heightened tensions in Israel as regular demonstrations have rocked the country for the past four months over the government’s proposed judicial overhaul.

Those protests spilled over into the General Assembly, with hundreds of demonstrators chanting and holding signs and flags outside the opening gala in Tel Aviv’s expo center – and in some cases, inside as well.

At the opening session of the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced the launch of a new initiative, “Kol Ha’am — Voice of the People” aimed at improving dialogue within the Jewish people and identifying new young Jewish leaders.

These sessions will be held in major Jewish communities worldwide, including Chicago. Bob Feferman and I will be attending the session in Chicago in June.

Herzog noted these current contentions in his remarks and fraying ties between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, stating, “I am convinced that there is no greater existential threat to our people than the one that comes from within our own polarization and alienation from one another.”

JFNA sees this recent strife over the proposed judicial overhaul as threatening Israeli American relations. Jewish Federations understand that only if Israel remains a strong democracy can we be confident that it will remain a homeland open to the entire Jewish people.

Moshe Kruger
Executive Director
574-233-1164 x1802
MKruger@TheJewishFed.org