POLITICS
T
The Prodigal Son Returns
he children of Israel are beginning to turn back to God: “Even though the Messiah is still on the way, He is stretching out his long arms towards His people,” said an article in Israel’s biggest newspaper Yediot Ahronot. Sixty years after the establishment of the State of Israel by secular Zionists, something is happening among secular Israelis—profound questions about God and a return to their Jewish roots. There is a shaking within the Israeli cultural scene, on stage, in books, on TV and radio, where spiritual and biblical themes are more common than ever before. “The face of Israel is changing, religiously and socially,” wrote Orthodox commentator Uri Orbach on the website Ynet. “While not becoming officially religious, some secular musicians have become freelancers who serve God in their own way. They sing songs of praise without turning their fans off by incessantly preaching from the Torah.” Among them are Ehud and Meir Banai, members of Israel’s famous Banai family of musicians and performers, who have written spiritual songs and spoken about their relationship with God in the Israeli media. Other stars using biblical texts include Barry Sacharov, Sharon Rotter, Yehuda Sado, Shay Gabso and Amir Benayun.
The change is not so much seen outwardly, by wearing a kippa (skull cap) or tzitzit (tassels) under their shirts. It is more an inward, spiritual transformation, put in motion by Israel’s difficult political situation in the Middle East. The failure of the Oslo Accords of the 1990s and the Gaza pullout of 2005 to bring the promised peace has brought soul searching among the secular population of Israel. “Israelis, especially non-religious Jews, are beginning to understand that without God nothing works,” said Rabbi Binyamin Mizrachi. “At first, the people think they know the best way to do things, just like in biblical times. They return to God only when they have no other choice. From the political point of view, Israel has failed in its 60 years of existence.”
‘The Time is Ripe for God’ Both groups, secular and religious, have matured and are finding common ground, centered on God. This has become more evident in the last couple of years. The sudden interest in God among the non religious is, in part, the result of the decay of secular culture in Israel. Many Israelis found themselves in a spiritual no-man’s land, connected neither to shallow materialism nor to their Jewish roots
nor to the political system that has grown increasingly corrupt. Even world-renowned, liberal author Amos Oz is in a state of transformation. When comparing his book, My Michael, from the 1970s with his latest book, A Story of Love and Darkness, one can see that Oz is looking for his Jewish roots, something he did not do in the past. A glance at the bestseller list of Israeli literature shows a definite change towards more interest in spiritual matters. Authors like Naomi Ragen (The Saturday Wife), Rabbi Haim Sabato (Come, O Spirit), and Hanoch Daum (God Doesn’t Permit) put God in the center of their writings in contrast to bestsellers of the past. “The time is ripe for God,” says actress Noa Yaron, who has written a book about her personal return to Orthodox Judaism, entitled Mekimi (My Uplifter). “The people are in a tremendous process of return. People are searching.” This “revival” can also be observed on Israeli TV. Series like Seizing the Heavens, Jerusalem Mix and Touching Distance, which deal with the spiritual side of life, are among the most popular programs on primetime TV. Furthermore, God and the meaning of life are themes in numerous Israeli movies, including Secrets, Ushpizin and Tribal Fire. By Aviel S chneider
Razel: ‘Return to God, not Religion’ Musicians Jonathan Razel and Aviatar Banai presented a concert featuring Jewish prayers and praise songs at the Tmuna Theater in Tel Aviv, the capital of Israeli secularism. At the end Razel asked the audience, which was more than 70 percent secular, whether the concert was too religious. In unison, the audience promptly shouted, “No!” “Israel’s society is going through a change and is becoming open to
4 | March 2008
God,” Razel said. “People are not becoming more religious, but the ‘antiGod’ aspect is disappearing.” Tal Fastmann, a Messianic Jewess and mother of five, attended the concert with her husband Boaz. “His music and texts are beautiful, biblical praise songs just like in our congregations, even perhaps a bit more melodic,” she told Israel Today. “The spiritual search in the Israeli music
scene is deeply moving. I hope that God will bring this spiritual transformation to perfection.”
ZION From Zion comes love, From Zion comes understanding, From Zion comes God’s word, From Zion we go out into the world, From Zion goes forth the Torah, And the word of God from Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Israel Today