Page 22 - HaMizrachi Australia Sukkot 5781

With Pope Francis, who is looking at
one of Rabbi Goldin’s books.

trips, we organized a rally for Israel in “How do you
the Old City of Jerusalem. They were
truly exceptional events. I still meet
people who tell me it was their first continue to identify
time in Israel and how it changed their
as a Religious Zionist
lives.

Throughout your career in America, when you are living
you’ve both witnessed and played an
important role in the development of
Orthodox Judaism in America. What in a Diaspora of
are your thoughts on the future of
the Religious Zionist–Modern Ortho-
dox community in the United States? choice, and all of us
The Religious Zionist community in
the Diaspora faces a serious challenge. have the opportunity
How do you continue to identify as a
Religious Zionist when you are living to live in Israel?”
in a Diaspora of choice, and all of us
have the opportunity to live in Israel?
It’s much easier to call myself a Reli-
gious Zionist when I’m not allowed acknowledge that Aliyah is not easy with that. The moment that tension
to enter Israel. This may be why the and that there are reasons, some valid is lost, G-d forbid, we lose the battle.
yeshiva community usually shrugs its and some not, for not living in Israel.
shoulders at Zionism. If they focus too But on the other hand, a Religious Diaspora Religious Zionists must also
much on the importance of Israel, it Zionist community in the Diaspora appreciate that they live in a vastly
becomes much more difficult to justify must not ignore the tension between different world from Israeli Religious
living in Lakewood, so they choose to its beliefs and reality; it should remain Zionists. All too often, we treat Israel
focus their attention elsewhere. But uncomfortable to willingly choose like Disneyland. We go on the Kotel
in our Religious Zionist communities, to remain in exile. We should all say: ride, the Masada ride, eat some sha-
where we constantly stress the impor- “there are reasons for me to be here warma, buy some presents at the gift
tance of Israel and Zionism, we can’t in exile, but I recognize that Israel is shop and go home to America. But
avoid this issue.
my real home.” We have to be able to while American Jews talk about the
How should we grapple with this create communities that live with that colleges their kids are going to, Israeli
tension? On the one hand, we must tension. People have to be able to live parents talk about which units in the

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