One of the most peculiar ideas to ever come down the road is the assertion that Zionism and Judaism are not connected to each other. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. And dangerous.
Here’s exhibit number one. On Yom Kippur, Judaism’s most powerful and extensive public commemoration, after 25 hours of prayer and fasting, how do we conclude our services? L’shana haba’ah birushalayim—“Next year in Jerusalem.”
And on Passover, Judaism’s most powerful and extensive private commemoration, after hours of study, feasting, and praying, how do we conclude our services? L’shana haba’ah birushalayim—“Next year in Jerusalem.”
Sounds pretty Zionist to me.
Also sounded pretty Zionist to David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister. In a speech before the U.N. Commission on the Partition of Palestine, Ben-Gurion said this:
“Three hundred years ago a ship called the Mayflower set sail to the New World. This was a great event in the history of England. Yet I wonder if there is one Englishman who knows at what time the ship set sail? Do the English know how many people embarked on this voyage? What quality of bread they ate?
Yet more than three thousand three hundred years ago, before the Mayflower set sail, the Jews left Egypt. Every Jew in the world , even in America or Soviet Russia knows on exactly what date they left—the fifteenth of the month of Nisan; everyone knows what kind of bread the Jews ate—Matzah. Even today the Jews worldwide eat Matza on the 15th of Nisan. They retell the story of the Exodus and all the troubles Jews have endured since being exiled, saying: “This year slaves. Next year, free! This year here. Next year in Jerusalem, in Zion, in Eretz Yisrael!”
That is the nature of the Jews.”
The Baal Shem Tov once said that memory is the source of redemption. Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to remembering the ties of Jews to Jerusalem.