Executive VP’s Impressions

BY ANDREW GOLDSMITH

Publishing the AMIT magazine entails an integrated challenge. Logistics demand it print about a month before it arrives in your mailbox, and it’s especially hard when the deadline for a Rosh Hashanah message is only a few hours after the end of Tisha B ’Av - apples and honey seem far, far away, especially when your back aches from sitting on the floor reading about our national cataclysmic destruction.

In addition to our personal challenges of the year gone by, for lovers of Israel like us it has been a confounding year of dashed hopes. AMIT supporters share one absolute and common denominator - a deep, visceral, and often inexplicable love for the children of Israel. And when you love something dearly you desperately want to be connected to it.

Our organizational lifeblood is greatly powered by a steady stream of activities building that connection. Most of us, being unable to penetrate a confounding bureaucracy, are limited to virtual tours or some such fabrication, in face of thwarted reopening hopes. It means the delay (again and again) of the living bridge that powers our organization and, admittedly, growing bitterness at being locked out. No one likes being excluded.

So, we look for hope in small things. July brought cause for celebration with the welcome return of AMIT “in person” events. A joyful Long Island Yom Iyun (day of learning) was filled with abun- dant hugs as friends long separated by circumstances reunited. These were not short, social hugs. These were “grandchildren goodbye at the airport” hugs. Across the AMIT network similar gatherings are eliciting the same phenomenon – “It’s so great to see you!” – so often just a pleasantry but now we really, really, really mean it. And what about Israel? What do we lovers of Zion grasp onto for now until better comes along?

R. Kattina said: “Whenever Yisrael came up to the festival, the curtain (of the holy of holies within the Temple) would be removed and the Keruvim (cherubs) would be shown to them, and their bodies would be intertwined with one another.”

We are taught that when Hashem and his chosen nation are close the Keruvim look at each other – face to face. One discerns the state of our divine union by a mostly hidden physical manifestation. When the Keruvim face away from each other - like a couple sleeping on far flung sides of the bed - it is very bad. There is a chasm that needs to be traversed.

But the Talmud (Yoma 54b) recalling the destruction of the first temple apparently contradicts this idea.

Resh Lakish said: “When the heathens (Babylonians) entered the Temple and saw the Keruvim (cherubs) – who were clinging to each other.”

At arguably the very worst moment in our history - as we faced national death and are yet still to be redeemed from exile - as Hashem is quickly retreating to the furthest Heaven and building barriers between us and him, the Keruvim are intertwined. Not just facing each other but clinging together for dear life.

It is at times of desperate separation that we cling to each other.

We will work our hardest to bring Israel to you by whatever means we can possibly create. But for the meanwhile, lovers of Israel, on behalf of all our AMIT children, please accept this extra long and most passionate hug from afar.

Shana Tovah U’metuka