Page 6 - HaMizrachi #29 Yom HaAtzmaut 2021 USA

TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Yosef Blau

Celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut

in America of the 1950s

n contrast to some segments of to Israel for a year of hachshara after because he permitted shaving during
both Reform and Charedi Jewry in graduating high school was normative. Sefirah. Rabbi Feinstein answered the
IAmerica, the Modern Orthodox phone himself (I was not even one of his
community welcomed the establishment Kol Dodi Dofek, a talk by Rabbi Solove- students). He asked me if I considered it
of the State of Israel. But this positive itchik at YU’s Lamport Auditorium a holiday. When I replied yes, he said I
attitude did not extend to any significant that ideologically defined American could shave. I am not aware of any writ-
contemplation of aliyah. Israel was the Religious Zionism, was given on Yom ten version of this response.
haven for the refugees who survived the HaAtzmaut in 1956. But it was delivered
Holocaust, and later for the Jews forced in Yiddish and not published at the time. The sixties was the beginning of a
out of Arabic countries. America, the Its initial influence was limited to those change which intensified after the Six-
leading world power and winner of who heard it. Not many young people Day War. In retrospect, the major rab-
the Second World War, was a land of knew Yiddish. Those of us attending the binic figures understood the historic
opportunity for Jews. By European stan- Yeshiva Program at YU had to know implications of the re-establishment
dards, antisemitism was minimal and a some Yiddish since all the Talmud of a Jewish State in Israel after almost
generation born in America dreamed of classes were conducted in Yiddish, but 2,000 years, but this did not filter down
material and professional success. it was easier to follow a shiur based on to the broader Orthodox community.
a text written in a mix of Hebrew and Except for a small minority, American
With this background, I share my rec- Aramaic than to understand a talk fully Modern Orthodox Jews were so excited
ollections of Yom HaAtzmaut during in Yiddish. about the opportunities that America
the 1950s. I attended a day school in seemed to offer that even though they
which Jewish studies were taught in The Hebrew translation first appeared knew the establishment of the State of
Hebrew (Ashkenazic pronunciation), in a volume entitled Torah UMelucha Israel was historically significant, they
then yeshiva for high school and col- in 1961 and it later became recognized didn’t consider it relevant to their lives.
lege. I have no memory of any signifi- as a classic work in Israel and America.
cant celebration in school. The Young An English translation first appeared With the passage of years and events,
Israel synagogue where we prayed was four decades later. Examining issues of all this has changed. The Six-Day War
no different. Only because I went to the “Commentator,” the Yeshiva College led to a radical change. Graduates of
Camp Moshava after ninth grade and student newspaper of the time, I didn’t America’s yeshiva high schools started
joined Bnei Akiva did I experience Yom find any mention of the talk. There was to spend a year of study in Israel; this
HaAtzmaut celebrations. an editorial questioning the lack of any trend expanded until it has become nor-
official program on Yom HaAtzmaut. mative in recent years. This increased
Before jet planes, there were no direct exposure to Israel is the source of greater
flights between America and Israel. Bnei Akiva had a festive prayer service identification and aliyah. May that trend
Only a select few American students and a chagiga. At one, I was asked why I continue to grow.
studied in Israel during that era. Stu- hadn’t shaved, since I should treat it as a
dents didn’t receive college or semicha holiday. Uncomfortable with deciding on Rabbi Yosef Blau, a past president of
RZA–Mizrachi, is the Senior Mashgiach
credit for learning in Israel. Going to my own, I called Rav Moshe Feinstein, Ruchani (spiritual advisor) at Yeshiva Uni-
Israel for a summer was unusual. Bnei the leading halachic authority, from versity, an affiliated organization of the
Akiva was again the exception; going the event. I didn’t ask Rav Soloveitchik Orthodox Israel Coalition.

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