“For far too long Jews wondered the globe, being dependent on the goodwill of local rulers who turned on them at a moments notice.”
The Interviewee – Saul Noah Mangel (Born 1992), I am a blogger for the Times of Israel. I was born in Philadelphia and grew up in there before moving to Washington, DC for college at George Washington University. When I transferred, I moved down to South Florida, and will be living here before making Aliyah and moving to Israel in November.
In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general?
“I think a tremendous amount of importance. After the worst genocide in history, the Jewish people rebuilt a state that they had been exiled from for almost 2000 years. There was a state that allowed Jews throughout the world to realize that they no longer had to be ‘guests’ in another country. Israel is a state that provides Jews the ability to puff out their chests and say, ‘you can no longer push me around, you can no longer persecute me, because there is a Jewish state.’
“There is finally a home where Jews can go if they do not feel safe in their native country, or where they can go to fulfill the Zionist dream from over a century ago. For far too long Jews wondered the globe, being dependent on the goodwill of local rulers who turned on them at a moments notice. I hope that when the history of the world is written, it is recorded that the re-establishment of the State of Israel was one of the brightest moments in history. No longer will Jews be a stateless people, and that is all because of the existence of a Jewish state.”
Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel?
“Totally, and unequivocally yes. A large part of the reason I am moving to Israel is to draft into the IDF and hopefully qualify as a paratrooper. Unfortunately Israel does not live in a terribly safe neighborhood, and she has had a target on her back since before she became a state.
“Being an American Jew, a lot of people have questioned why I feel a need to defend a country that isn’t my native one, but if God forbid, Israel were to fall, Jews throughout the world would no longer be safe. I think people don’t realize that Israel is on the front lines defending civilized nations everywhere, and it’s crucial that people defend her, whether in the IDF, or in the media. As the Talmud says, all Jews are responsible for other Jews.”
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 grew up Conservative. While I would say that I am still technically a Conservative Jew, I think the special thing about Judaism is that you can be any mix of spiritually, ethnically, religiously Jewish. I do not make it to Shul as much as I would like, but I am extremely proud to wear a Jewish star pendant.
“As for the dominance of Orthodxy, I think it was born out of good intentions after the Holocaust. Israel needed Orthodox Jews’ spiritual blessing for the state because you can’t have a Jewish state and exclude Orthodox Jews. When Ben-Gurion granted the Yeshiva exemption from IDF service, the Orthodox community had been decimated from the war.
“It is worrisome that a small segment of the population has such power over the religious establishment, which should represent all Jews, and I think a new formula will have to be formed between the religious Knesset factions, Orthodox Jews, and mainstream Israelis, but I think a balance will be found.“
Do you feel morally responsible for Israel’s actions (such as its management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)?
“Totally. I think Jews are unique in the way that the world holds one Jew accountable for the acts of all others. Think about this: if a non-Jew commits a financial crime, people will say, ‘he is such a terrible person.’ Now, if a Jew committed the same crime, the response is, ‘greedy Jew’ or some other anti-Semitic slur.
“I feel it is the responsibility of all Jews to be responsible for all others, and that is only amplified when it comes to Israel. That is another part of the reason I am moving to Israel. I am emotionally invested in Israel in ways I am not in America, despite me having been born in America. I do not see this responsibility as a burden however, I see it as a blessing. The very fact that there is a Jewish state for which I feel morally responsible is a blessing that unfortunately was not afforded to Jews for thousands of years.“
In your opinion, what is the main thing Israelis fail to understand about the reality of being Jewish outside of Israel?
“I would say that a lot of Israelis do not understand why a sizable minority of American Jews have either turned their backs on Israel, or are outright hostile. Although to be fair, I am an American Jew and even I don’t truly understand why so many others have done this. I think Israelis struggle to understand the idea of a sizable group of Jews have chosen to advocate for policies that only appease radical groups.”
How would you describe Israel’s policy (formally and in practice) regarding its relationship with the Diaspora?
“I think it is amazing. Groups such as Birthright, FIDF, Sar-El and countless others have truly succeeded in bringing Diaspora Jews and Israelis together and forming those bonds. Personally, some of the Israeli friends I made on my Sar-El trip, I still talk to today, and they were the happiest for me when I told them I was making Aliyah.
“I think issues arise when Diaspora Jews are faced with the reality that Orthodox Judaism has such a dominance in the Israeli religious establishment, which can clash with the majority of Diaspora Jews who are not orthodox. However, for people around my age, Israel and Diaspora Jews have an amazing relationship and I truly hope it continues to strengthen.”
In your opinion, does Israel have an obligation to defend and help Jewish communities in need?
“I’m not an Israeli (yet) so I would caution to answer what Israel should or should not do. However, I think Israel has proven time and time again that she will do her best to help Jewish communities in need. Look at what Israel did for Ethiopian Jews, or when they smuggled prayer materials into the Soviet Union. Israel, as a Jewish state, has never backed away from helping Jews in need, whether it’s devoting massive amounts of resources to absorb them, or helping them abroad.”
Have you ever been to Israel? if you have, can you summarize your impression from the Israeli reality?
“Yes, twice. Once with my family when I was 16 and another at 17 with Sar-El. I think Israel is truly a special country, and it only takes one day of being there to realize that. Israel is unlike any other country in the world and when you can walk in the same places that you read stories about in Hebrew school, that is something special.
“Considering it only took two trips for me to realize I need to make Aliyah and move there, I think that is almost self-explanatory for how lasting of an impression it made on me. Something changes in you when you step off that plane in Tel-Aviv, and I can not wait to wake up every day in Israel.”
What was your best experience of Israeli culture in the past year (book, music, TV, movie, theater etc.)?
“In the past year, I have read countless books about Israel. I would say a few in particular stuck out. Ally (Michael Oren), Brotherhood of Warriors (Aaron Cohen), Raid on the Sun (Rodger Claire), Six Days of War (Michael Oren), Heights of Courage (Avigdor Kahalani), and The Ghost Warriors (Samuel Katz) are all outstanding books. There are many, many more amazing books about Israel that I have read, but that selection has produced the biggest impact for me.”
Can you tell us a bit about the Jewish community in your hometown?
“I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and there is definitely a thriving Jewish community there. There is a big presence of Jewish youth organizations such as USY, and even Jewish sports leagues such as JJBL (Junior Jewish Basketball League). Jews are in no way the majority of my hometown, but like everywhere else, their importance and magnitude always is larger than the size in numbers. I was fortunate enough to belong to a fantastic synagogue, Adath Jeshurun, and that provided me with 12 years of Hebrew school. Most of my friends from my hometown are Jewish, as it was a very tight-knit community despite its relatively large size.”
