Yom Ha’atzmaut – May 11, 2016

Yom Ha’atzmaut
Today is Israel Independence Day, marking the 68th year since the Jewish State declared its independence in 1948. The day is filled with celebrations, ceremonies, parties and, of course, barbecues. And there’s certainly a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. How could anyone imagine that after nearly 2,000 years of exile and persecution, culminating in a holocaust that destroyed one third of our people, the Jewish people would once again live as a sovereign nation in their homeland? But this is exactly what happened, and continues to happen, through a combination of hard work, ingenuity, sacrifice and Divine intervention.

In the Diaspora, it’s not always easy to appreciate the miracle of the State of Israel. Today is a day pretty much like any other day for most of us, with the exception of a brief ceremony at a synagogue or school, if we can find the time to attend. We’ve grown to take the existence of the Jewish State for granted, probably because Israel has become such a strong and stable country. We know it’s there (just in case) but we don’t always feel so connected to it.  One of the reasons we started IsraelAM is to help people connect with Israel each day, simply by staying informed about the latest news in the country. We hope it’s working.

Let’s all take some time out of our busy day today to appreciate and celebrate the miracle of Israel on its 68th birthday.

May Israel and the entire Jewish nation be blessed with peace, prosperity and unity.