“Israel is a guarantee that we will always have a place to call home; a place that will accept and embrace us. This is especially powerful in a world where antisemitism is on the rise.”

The Interviewee – Rabbi Rachel G. Greengrass (Born 1980), born in Ft. Wayne Indiana. Currently live in Miami, Florida where I serve as a rabbi in a congregation of 1400 families (roughly 5500 people).

In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general?

“There are so many reasons why I feel the existence of a Jewish state is important to me personally (and in general). I will highlight three of them:

1) Jews everywhere will always have a homeland to lovingly accept them and protect them. As the granddaughter of survivors, and the bearer of their story, I appreciate how important this role is for the Jewish state. When Jews were being persecuted and slaughtered – only 70 year ago – those countries that we had called our new homelands, European and American, shut us out. Israel is a guarantee that we will always have a place to call home; a place that will accept and embrace us. This is especially powerful in a world where antisemitism is on the rise.

2) To be a place of lived Judaism. In the Diaspora, we celebrate holidays and mark our Jewish calendars, but only in the homeland are holidays experienced fully in their place and time. Harvest happens at Sukkot and Shavuot! The first buds break through during Tu B’Shevat. And the city shuts down, with people walking through the streets in white and barefoot on Yom Kippur. There is no other place on earth to experience the holidays in this way. And likewise, our biblical stories come to life. We hike in the waterways of Ir David, climb Masada, discuss Elijah on Mt. Carmel. Only in Israel do we witness those histories instead of them merely being distant tales.

3) To be a light unto the nations. Our purpose as a Jewish people, as given by God, is to be a light unto the nations. The State of Israel has far to go in this mission, but already this young country is a beacon of what is possible to the world.“

Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel?

“I do. I feel it is my job to speak out against those who speak ill of the State. To correct misinformation. I also believe I can love Israel, want her to exist, but not agree with all of her policies, the same way I often disagree with the US government.”

Do you affiliate yourself with a specific denomination in Judaism? What is your view regarding the dominance of the Orthodox denomination in Israel religious establishment?

“I am a proud Reform Jew. The dominance of Orthodoxy in Israel – that it controls who is a Jew, what conversions are valid, what weddings are kiddushin, who prays where (and at what volume) at the Kotel – all are very disturbing to me. If we are to be a homeland for all Jewry, then more than one expression needs to be recognized. If we are to be a democracy and beacon of light unto the nations, then we cannot allow antiquated interpretations of the roles of men and women to continue to be employed to oppress and suppress women.“

Do you feel morally responsible for Israel’s actions (such as its management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)?

“Yes. I am, at times, defensive and proud, at times, ashamed. It hits me in a very personal way. As a Jewish state, I hold the state to high standards, and so does the rest of the world. Like it or not, the actions of the State reflects on every Jew, even those who have never set foot on her soil.”

In your opinion, what is the main thing Israelis fail to understand about the reality of being Jewish outside of Israel?

“Good question. I don’t know. Maybe that, for most Jews, their Judaism is very tangential to how they live their lives. Their Jewish identity is not their privacy identity. They connect to their faith through family, food, and humor. It’s really a wide spectrum, but in the diaspora, those for whom their Jewish identity is primary to who they are – are both observant and not, both reform and orthodox, and very often ‘just Jewish.’.”

How would you describe Israel’s policy (formally and in practice) regarding its relationship with the Diaspora?

“Very focused on conjuring support for the actions of the State and raising money to support the State.”

In your opinion, does Israel have an obligation to defend and help Jewish communities in need?

“Yes. For me, this is one of the biggest selling points to diaspora Jews who have little personal connection to the Homeland.”

Have you ever been to Israel? if you have, can you summarize your impression from the Israeli reality?

“Yes. Many times. Each time it is different. It’s a beautiful country, I am always inspired and spiritually moved. I love the people and the feeling of being welcomed and in it together. It’s also very hard. It’s hard to be religious but not orthodox, to be a rabbi and a woman. It’s hard to be called names when I wear a tank top and to see those who get to use the title “religious” not always be kind. It’s also hard to hear the racism against Palestinians, it’s understandable, but it’s always disheartening.”

What was your best experience of Israeli culture in the past year (book, music, TV, movie, theater etc.)?

“I just saw the Israeli film ‘Melting Away.’ I loved the story and loved to see a family struggle with having a transsexual child. It was very honest and showed the complexities of Israel, where the country is at once very modern and very fixated in older ways of thinking.”

Can you tell us a bit about the Jewish community in your hometown?

“My hometown had a very small very proud Jewish community. I am from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, also known as the City of Churches. I was a token Jew and formed a very strong identity as such. Today I live in Miami, Florida, a large Jewish community where it is easy to be a Jew and doesn’t take much effort to have Jewish friends and experiences.”