Dear brothers and sisters,
It is time to go home.
I am writing this letter to every Jew of my generation in an attempt to speak with each of you personally. The events of the past months have caused us to ponder good and evil, to examine our role in this world, and to re-evaluate where we are headed as a people. I offer you the rough outline of a plan whereby we will shift the tide of Jewish history. I offer a glimpse of dreams that are waiting at arms length to be seized. I ask that you read this with an open mind and that you understand the times we live in will one day comprise large chapters of Jewish History textbooks; we have the choice of being a part of an elaborate footnote, or the subject of entire chapters. For the few moments you take to read this, let go of the apathy and cynicism that seep into our minds from our surroundings; seriously consider your ability to materialize this dream.
We are a unique generation, the first in two thousand years to take the State of Israel and its accessibility for granted. We are the first to be raised in an environment free of the anti-Semitism that has plagued generations even more comfortable and secure than our own. We are a generation born into the lap of success and affluence, and the first to dedicate nearly all our time, efforts and vision toward maintaining our wealth and the comfort it affords. Sadly, we have left little time to worry about our personal spiritual goals, not to mention our national ones. We are content to peruse the newspapers and passively acknowledge tragedy as it hurdles by rather than realizing we are the key to combating it. At best, we are only mildly alarmed at the spiritual decimation of our brothers and sisters who are slowly melting into the featureless homogeneity of American multiculturalism at a rate that surpasses the most pessimistic of forecasts.
What are we striving toward? Maintaining the status quo? To aim to be even more comfortable?
We must wean ourselves from the priorities imbued in us by communities that preach comfort and a life free of any tension whatsoever. This was understandable for a generation desperately trying to recover from the darkness of the Holocaust, but the stagnation of that comfort has given birth to a dangerous mentality that there are no more dreams to be had and nothing more to build for the Jewish nation. This malignant pedagogy has fostered the farce of "post-Zionism" and led millions of Jews to look elsewhere for meaning.
Our first step is to realize that every individual is born with certain tools, talents and circumstances, which he or she must use to bring goodness and Godliness into the world. We must add to that the realization that God placed before every generation of Jews throughout history a unique set of tools, talents and circumstances, often marked with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Our present day challenges must be met using the gains attained by past generations of Jews, through blood, tears, and prayer. We must not pretend that what our grandparents were striving for has been achieved. We must build upon that which our ancestors perished for. We must continue moving toward our redemption right where our fathers left off.
It is clear that the task that faces our generation is the spiritual, economic and physical strengthening of the State of Israel. I used to insist that aliya should be a goal rather than an option, but I no longer do so. Aliya is not a goal. It is unnatural for it to be. It was a goal for those who created the State, it was a goal for those escaping the horrors of anti-Semitism, but it is not the goal for our generation…It is the starting point.
Israel is the point from which we will embark toward the ancient goal of producing a luminous society that will invigorate the Jewish people from within, and in turn, shine light on to all peoples of the world.
We were born into a time when aliya is easier than it has ever been in our entire history. Yet as we make plans for our next visit to the Holy Land, the world is changing its mind about Israel's very right to exist and defend its citizens. Our eternal homeland is starving for spirit. We as American Jews possess the spirit to quench the parched lips of Eretz Yisrael, and to cultivate our religious dreams, dreams that have been obscured by the erroneous idea that they have already come true.
In the stadium of our historical narrative, we have been sitting on the bench - educating ourselves, strengthening our intellects and fostering unique talents in preparation for some abstract notion of success, always just beyond reach. We must clear the bench and do that which we know is right.
The Plan
This is an invitation to join the initial group of individuals and couples who will make aliya together with Kumah. This group of pioneers is taking shape and preparing to board the plane this summer. This core group will form a community adjacent to an existing one, providing initial stability as they immerse themselves in the Hebrew language and fulfill their national service. Together they will go through the process of becoming citizens.
The successes, challenges, joys and sorrows of these pioneers will be documented and shared - through personal testimonials, articles, and artwork - with those still in America. Through media campaigns, lectures, and educational programs on college campuses we will present our generation with tangible images of people just like them who are living extraordinary lives in their new home. They will read of our welcoming Shabbat into our new homes for the first time as joyous songs echoe throughout the hills and valleys. They will share the ups and downs of a community all building our lives together and offering each other love and support. They will read of the genuine manifestation of the Jewish unity that is called for daily, about which countless meetings and conferences are held, but which is usually only witnessed as a response to persecution. In these communities, where Jews are building lives, homes and each other - together, it will become a way of life. The unity of Jews from every walk of life and the unity of vision, drive and personal ambition within each individual will spread and slowly envelope our generation.
Having developed a sense of stability, as well as a growing strength and confidence in the ability of individuals to affect the world around them in the deepest and greatest possible ways, the pioneers will join with many young people, North American and Israeli, already in Israel who are have eagerly awaited such a project. Together they will move from their transitional environment to the first of three primary communities to be founded by Kumah.
They will fuse spiritual and idealistic intensity with a profound sense of openness and love for every Jew as they create a community that becomes "home" to all who set foot in it. It will be a community that is cognizant of the divine truth inherent in approaching life as an opportunity to learn from every individual in a very literal sense and allowing every single experience to change you. It will be located in one of four breathtaking locations already approved by the Jewish Agency - all beautiful. A plot of land will be allotted to each member of Kumah on which to build a home.
A euphoric sense of fulfillment and relief will emanate from the group as they realize that they have done it. They have arrived home in Israel as a starting point toward accomplishing their specific goals, tasks, and dreams. They will marvel at the realization that they have stepped into a world that they can alter and perfect on so many levels and in so many ways. Such menial tasks as ordering a Jewish contractor to design the new Beit Knesset, smiling and offering comfort to the elderly woman sitting across from them on the bus or spending money on anything - thereby strengthening the economy of millions of Jews - will become sanctified. They will realize that every stone they pile atop another not only forms the wall of the home they are building for their families, but for their children and their children's children and for the entire Jewish people in its simple powerful message: We have come home for good.
At that point American aliya will begin to gain momentum. As is the case in England and Australia - students will begin to board planes still wearing their graduation gowns. Young men and women, undecided about pretty much everything will begin their search for meaning by making the one decision that they are certain is the right one, and which only becomes harder and more traumatic the longer one waits. V'shavu Banim Legvulam. The children will return to their land. And though they may not admit or realize it now, parents will follow.
Two more communities will be founded. One will focus on centralizing and maximizing the use of cutting-edge technology and the new scientific advancements that so often emerge from the brains of one of our own. Existing Jewish-owned technology companies will converge and open branches and headquarters. They will create jobs, breathe life into Israel's economy and become a center of the technological world. Jewish investors and businessmen from all over the world will be encouraged to direct their efforts and expertise toward the Jewish State and to open branches and new projects in this bustling new city.
The second community will be based on creating the ideal model of an environmentally beneficial city. It will incorporate new ways of conserving and purifying water, integrating solar energy - which has been heating all Israeli's water for years - into a wider range of uses and develop ways to clean up Israel's environment, reversing the damage caused by the complete disregard for environmental issues shown by a population who has been forced to live completely in the present since its inception.
With the awakening of American aliya will come a new brand of Zionism. One which is defined by a Jews desire to tie their destiny to that of their fellow Jews both spiritually and physically in the Land of Israel no matter where he or she is currently located. Jews everywhere will begin to care deeply about the welfare of the State of Israel as they realize that it will soon be their home. There will be an increased sense of family amongst the Jewish people. There will no longer be any euphemisms used to justify the death of another Jew, as the level of intolerance for the mistreatment of our own biological family extends to every Jew worldwide.
It is one of the tenets of our religion, but do we really believe that every generation is given the means by which to bring the redemption? I invite you personally to take part in making this vision a reality. By making that decision you are already doing so. There is no question that we will succeed. There will be setbacks, but people like you and I are the only ones who have changed the world in the past and we must stand up and realize that. We must begin to live life.
It all starts with you. Think about it.
B'ahavat Yisrael,
Ezra Levine