A thriving Israel has much to be proud of

By Rabbi Dr. Ronald L. Androphy

The state of Israel will celebrate its 75th anniversary on May 14.

Who could have imagined 75 years ago, when David Ben Gurion proclaimed the modern state of Israel into existence, that Israel would not only survive, but also thrive? The very day Israel came into being, Israel was attacked by several Arab armies, including those of Egypt, trans-Jordan, Syria and Iraq — all of whom threatened to push Israel and the Jews into the sea. Jerusalem was cut off from the rest of Israel, and the survival of the Jews in the city could not be guaranteed.

In fact, Ben Gurion could not issue Israel’s declaration of existence in Jerusalem, as he preferred, because Jerusalem was under siege. The survival of Israel hung by a thread. Yet, by virtue of the bravery of its citizens, Israel was able to repel the invading Arab armies, attain a cease-fire that actually enlarged its territory from that of the U.N. Partition Plan — which all the Arab countries had rejected anyway — and allowed the nascent state to develop.

The Israel Postal service has a special Letters to God department, for all the letters arriving in Jerusalem from around the world addressed to God. They are opened and placed into the cracks of the Western Wall.

Source: Israel21c.org

As all of us know, Israel has been compelled to confront many challenges: numerous wars, murderous terroristic attacks, the absorption of literally millions of Jews from other countries, economic crises, finding a balance between the ultrareligious and the secular, and more.

Yet, despite the many hardships and difficulties Israel has been forced to tackle, the country is truly a modern-day miracle. Despite the many challenges that confront the Jewish state, Israel has become a remarkable success story.

Israel is among the world leaders in science, technology, agriculture and medicine.

Its colleges and universities are the best in the Middle East, and amongst the more prominent in the world. Israel’s development of its human capital is also a remarkable accomplishment.

Is Israel perfect? Obviously not. No country can always make the correct decisions. As the recent demonstrations illustrate, Israel is experiencing many of the same left-right confrontations that vex us in this country.

But despite the current political uproar over the issue of judicial review, Israel remains one of the freest countries in the world — in some ways even more democratic than the United States. For example, here in the U.S., if you vote for a losing candidate, your vote becomes meaningless ex post facto. In Israel, contrarily, given its parliamentary style government based on political parties, every person’s vote matters.

I am also proud that the state of Israel has been one of the most loyal of allies to our own country, the United States of America.

I hope that God blesses Israel with peace, security and prosperity that will be enjoyed by all of its citizens. I also pray that God grants Israel’s leaders the discernment needed to resolve the many issues and challenges Israel confronts — including the Palestinian issue — in a just and fair way, guided by the principles and ideals of Torah and Judaism.

Happy birthday to the state of Israel on its 75th anniversary!

By Adam Schorr

Team Shalva, an organization that supports children with special needs, once again participated in the 2023 Jerusalem Marathon on March 17 — in Jerusalem, the heart of the holy land.

Many students from destinations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States all arrived in Israel in anticipation of this meaningful opportunity. They sought to give back to the Shalva organization by running various distances in the marathon.

Whether runners navigated a 5k, a 10k, a halfmarathon or, more remarkably, a full marathon, each distance was worth the cause. The primary goal of the organization is to give individuals with special needs the opportunity to challenge themselves and show the world their inner strength. The team includes children and young adults with physical and mental disabilities, and the team has a unique approach to running. They focus not on time or distance, but on the personal journey and development of each person.

In support of Team Shalva, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School sent a team of enthusiastic juniors and seniors to represent the yeshiva. Upon arriving in the morning of March 16, the team headed straight to Shalva’s headquarters in Jerusalem, where they received a tour of the beautiful campus and various facilities available to organization members. Later that evening, with other schools and seminaries attending, Shalva held an opening ceremony, including with its esteemed founder, Rabbi Kalman Samuels, who delivered powerful remarks about the significance of Shalva and its evolution throughout the years.

On Friday, the big day came, and all runners set off in the streets of Jerusalem on their runs, exploring the true beauty of the city while facing challenging terrain and exerting strenuous effort. It was all worth it in the end, especially at the finish line in

Sacher Park, where celebratory spirit spread throughout the park and racers received shiny silver medals for their accomplishment. But the joy did not conclude there.

With a fun-filled Shabbat planned, students from many participating schools congregated once more, taking part in delicious meals, developing new friendships, and even having the special chance to hear again from Samuels. Tamir Goodman, a former American-Israel basketball player, also shared inspiring words about his career in professional basketball and some unfortunate challenges he faced from antisemitism, which hurt but did not dominate his motivation for the sport.

Soon after, students joined together and filled up the dance floor while celebrating Shalva and closing out Shabbat, a true icing on the cake. It was a perfect ending to a remarkable experience. Participants began their journey home over the next two days, already looking forward to the 2024 Jerusalem Marathon.

HAFTR’s involvement in this year’s marathon enabled students to come together and show their strength, determination and courage with members of Shalva. It also allowed Team Shalva and HAFTR to show the world that amazing feats are possible when people try their absolute hardest.

A special thank you to HAFTR’s chaperones, Alyssa Schechter and Joey Hoenig, for leading Team HAFTR, as well as our runners: juniors Joseph Cohen and Isaac Herskovich, and seniors Abie Baruch, Joey Cohen, Amanda Ehrenhaus, Max Glaubach, Eric Herman, Molly Klein, AJ Mandel, Sophia Mastey, Alexis Pollack, Madison Pollack, Adam Schorr, Haylee Soshtain, Corey Spitzer, Effie Willner and Ryan Zuckerman.

Adam Schorr is a senior at HAFTR High School.