Israel at 60

May 15, 2008

New generation has a new take on Israel

By Julie G Fax

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"The Jewish people have had a really complex dance with Zion for thousands of years," said Gordis, who runs Center for Leadership Initiatives from Vancouver. "I think the benefit this generation is bringing to the conversation is that they are adding nuance where it has not been so nuanced. Now, we have to make sure the nuances they bring get air to breathe, rather than get quashed."

And he thinks the Gen-Yers will benefit from being pulled into open discussion, because they will begin to understand that their interests can and are being addressed by established institutions. Gordis wants to see more efforts focused not only on meeting the Gen-Yers' needs, but on teaching them about how to be productive and educated participants in the wider community's ongoing dialog.

Gordis is optimistic that with the right kind of communal support, this generation will come through for Israel.

"Is the landscape going to look like it did 20 years ago? No, it's not," he said. "I don't know what it's going to be like in five or 10 years in terms of how young American Jews are relating to Israel."

"But if we sit here and just be critical of them, we're cutting off our nose to spite our face. They are getting the car keys," he said. "We are going to be partners."

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WEB RESOURCES:
The Forest Foundation
http://www.theforestfoundation.net/

Moishe House:
http://www.moishehouse.org/

Center for Leadership Initiatives:
http://www.leadingup.org/

Professional Leaders Project:
http://www.jewishleaders.net/web/guest/home

Beyond Distancing: Young Adult American Jews and Their Alienation from
Israel, by Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman
http://www.acbp.net/About/PDF/Beyond%20Distancing.pdf

Progressive Jewish Alliance:
http://www.pjalliance.org/

American Jewish Committee Access Young Leaders:
http://www.ajc.org/site/?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=1289765

New Israel Fund:
http://www.nif.org/

Birthright Israel-Taglit:
http://www.birthrightisrael.com/

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Forum discussion from other readers

Ah Chaim,if only the draft dodgers and people that encourage them in Israel would only listen to you.  They might get some inspiration and come to their senses.

Posted by sam corwin on 6/12/08 at 2:22 am

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Ah Chaim,if only the draft dodgers and people that encourage them in Israel would only listen to you.  They might get some inspiration and come to their senses.

I assume you are referring to the rapidly growing non-religious draft dodging sector

I also brought up that the real problem lies in the secular draft dodgers. Here is a report called Israel wages war on army of refuseniks showing that 27% of eligible draftees are not serving, and the trend is upward. Excluding those that ARE cowards or criminals or blind pacifists or out of the country, “7% are being excused because of either medical conditions or “psychological incompatibility” and that figure is increasing. “... people who turn up at recruitment centres with a letter from their psychiatrist saying they’re mentally unfit, and the next minute they’re running a hi-tech company.” Even those that serve are refusing to go on reserve duty; “Courage to Refuse” is not a haredi organization. And the stated reasons? They want to learn the Talmud. Hahaha, just kidding. “The reasons for the lack of commitment are clear. The recent Intifada and last year’s bloody war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, are fuelling the reluctance to sign up. IDF officials also insist the yuppification of Israel is a contributing factor, with the MTV and internet generation much more interested in making money than serving at an army checkpoint on the West Bank.”

Posted by Ben Plonie on 6/12/08 at 11:02 am

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I love all these bold statesments. “...also brought up that the real problem lies in the secular draft dodgers. Here is a report called Israel wages war on army of refuseniks showing that 27% of eligible draftees are not serving, and the trend is upward. Excluding those that ARE cowards or criminals or blind pacifists or out of the country, “7% are being excused because of either medical conditions or “psychological incompatibility” and that figure is increasing. “… people who turn up at recruitment centres with a letter from their psychiatrist saying they’re mentally unfit, and the next minute they’re running a hi-tech company.” “...The reasons for the lack of commitment are clear. The recent Intifada and last year’s bloody war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, are fuelling the reluctance to sign up. IDF officials also insist the yuppification of Israel is a contributing factor, with the MTV and internet generation much more interested in making money than serving at an army checkpoint on the West Bank.” Yeah, thats cute. It couldn’t possibly be that they just dont want to risk life and limb for seditionists, racists, and hooligans, who spend most of their time attempting to deligitamize and disenfranchise the very people who are being asked to guard these “students of the talmud”, who if given half the chance would turn the country into Boro Park, with all the attendant victimhood, halachically sanctioned corruption, misogyny, and sexual deviancy. Yeah, I tried your link. No joy there. Here are some links that do work. “...11% received exemptions this year on grounds of being ultra-Orthodox, an increase of 1% over last year. As it is Jerusalem Post, we can assume that they mean that last year there were 10% ultra-Orthodox exemptions, and this year there were 11%. That is an increase of about 10%, not 1%. ” “...For our mathematicians: assume that the number of ultraorthodox increases at the rate of 10% of current ultra-orthodox draft dodgers each year. In what year will all draftees be exempt because they are all ultra-orthodox, unfit or abroad? Now assume that there is a non-induction induction effect. By that I mean that for each ten ultra-orthodox draft dodgers, there will be 3 or 4 non-ultra-orthodox who decide they aren’t going to be suckers: if the ultra-orthodox don’t go to the army, why should they serve? Can you imagine the absurdity of the fact that Druze youth volunteer to serve in the army of the Jewish state, while ultra-orthodox Jews do not? Can someone explain how and why this is justified? Can you explain why a kibbutznik who belongs to peace now should be guarding settlements, while an ultra-orthodox Shas or United Torah Judaism voter who insists that Israel must never give up a millimeter of the occupation is busy making believe he is studying the Talmud?” “...For the rest of us, an easy question: If it costs NIS 40,000 (currently - soon to be increased) to pay university tuition for one future Israeli engineer, how much does it cost to pay tuition for 100 ultraorthodox draft dodgers? Answer NIS 0. Yeshiva tuition is paid for. Yaakov Katz, THE JERUSALEM POST Jul. 30, 2007 “...The Israeli government can hardly complain, since they promulgated the Tal law. It is impossible that the majority of Israelis support this unfair, suicidal law, and yet periodically it is renewed, the monstrous offspring of incestuous coalitions. ” Ahead of the August draft, the IDF reported damning statistics showing a sharp rise in the number of teenagers dodging military service. The total reaches 25 percent of youth born in 1989 and scheduled to enlist in the IDF this summer. Of the 25%, some 11% received exemptions this year on grounds of being ultra-Orthodox, an increase of 1% over last year. Seven percent did not enlist for medical reasons, including physical and mental conditions. Four percent did not enlist because of criminal records, and 3% live abroad.” http://www.zionism-israel.com/israel_news/2007/07/barak-versus-ultra-orthodox-draft.html. Though I do not agree with the concept that the actions of secular prospective inductees is conditional upon the actions of ultra-orthodox prospective inductees, It would appear, at least according to these numbers, that at worst( going on the assumption that everyone of the 7% claiming some medical or mental disability is full of it), responsabilty for this situation wouldbe evenly distributed between the secular and religous communities. That however, is likely not the case. “...RAMAT GAN, Israel, Nov. 21 (UPI)—An Israel Defense Force general spoke out Wednesday against a growing number of Israeli youth who dodge the draft. Maj. Gen. Elazar Stern, speaking during a conference at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, called leftist non-religious youth and ultra-orthodox youth who receive government exemption from military service draft dodgers, the Jerusalem Post reported. “When a leftist refuses to enlist we drag him to court,” Stern said in a statement. “But when someone on the other side (right-wing religious) does not enlist, nothing is done.” Stern cited figures that say about 26 percent of Israeli youth do not enlist in the IDF, with a majority of that number from ultra-orthodox groups. Some critics argue that one factor to draft dodging may be a result of what is seen as a military failure during the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Still, Stern argued that military service exemptions from the government did not mean that the youth involved were not draft-dodgers. “There is no such thing as an entire neighborhood, an entire family or an entire community being suited to sitting and learning Torah,” Stern said referencing the Torah studies that are used as a justification by the ultra-orthodox for military exemption.” http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2007/11/21/Israel_general_speaks_out_on_draft_dodgers/UPI-36771195676117/

Posted by Shoded Yam on 6/12/08 at 12:51 pm

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