Page 14 - HaMizrachi 1 Chicago Edition

Greetings from

Israel’s Leaders

Naftali Bennett MK
Minister for Education and Diaspora Affairs
and Head of the Jewish Home Party

Yes, the first two generations built Israel is no longer the young,
Writing the and strengthened Israel against the fragile and weak country it
backdrop of the War. But today, our
once was. Israel is a hi-tech
Next Chapter. 70th Yom HaAtzmaut is an opportunity powerhouse exporting life-
saving medical, agricultural
for us all to shift into a new, positive
Together. narrative capable of uniting Jews around and cyber technologies to the
the world.
world. There is good reason to
say Hallel and give thanks on
srael was born only three Israel exists because the Jewish people this special day.
years after the Holocaust, with dreamed of returning home for
I Jerusalem as its capital. Indeed, generations. Many people worked hard and
it was the collective memory of the many died so that we could stand
Holocaust that helped connect Jews to Israel exists because we never forgot on our own two feet. Now it’s up
each other and to Israel. The knowledge Jerusalem, and ”Next year in a rebuilt to us – Jews all around the world –
of what our grandparents went through Jerusalem” echoed every Yom Kippur to write the next chapter in Israel’s
forged a strong bond between Jews and every Passover from one end of the history.
around the world. earth to the other.

70 years later, that is no longer the Israel exists because the Jewish people
case, and I think that is a change for the want to govern themselves, with a
good. Israel exists not because of the Hebrew-speaking parliament and society
Holocaust, but despite it. and a life based around a Jewish calendar.

Avraham Duvdevani
Chairman of the World Zionist Organization

The Israel- possible to build Jewish life in the Dias- scholars) and major thought leaders

Diaspora Bond pora without Eretz Yisrael at its center. who can delineate the path of Religious
Zionism, and Roshei Yeshiva (yeshiva
Therefore, it is the role of the Religious heads) and educators who can translate
he historical role of Religious Zionist Movement to set the tone and this theory and vision into practice.
Zionism – “Mizrachi” – was be the trailblazer in connecting World
T always to be a spiritual-religious Jewry to Eretz Yisrael. Religious Zionism can and must leverage
bridge between Israel and the Diaspora. all this goodwill and understanding of
The Mizrachi has the ability and the the centrality of Eretz Yisrael among
Today, the overseas Orthodox tools to spread its wings and fly into those thousands of young rabbis and
community is supportive of a genuine massive action among hundreds of influential laymen and women.
connection with Eretz Yisrael, a thousands of Torah-observant Jews
bond that will express the content looking for reinforcement and motiva- And so I congratulate the World Mizrachi
of their lives as Jews. It is a fact that tion from the Holy Land, wanting to see Movement for initiating this publication,
this population has an indestructible the new light illuminating Zion. which – through the special spiritual
spiritual and personal bond powers of Eretz Yisrael – will become
with Eretz Yisrael. There are few Both in Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora a source of strength and inspiration to
religious Jews who imagine it is there are Gedolei Torah (great Torah thousands of Jews across the globe.