“Israel appears in my dreams and in my poetry. It is a strange land and it is home. It is the place I go to work and to be with friends. It is beautiful and ugly. I cry when I arrive and I cry when I leave. I wonder how I could live there and I wonder why I don’t.”
The Interviewee – Dennis M. Kirschbaum (Born 1961), Executive Director, Hillel at University of Rochester. I was born in New York City. I grew up in Baltimore and raised my children in the Washington DC area.
In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general?
“The Jewish state is filled with significance for me. As a 20 something year old, a three month volunteer experience in Israel transformed my perception of myself as a Jew and helped start my journey toward becoming a Jewish professional. In my view, it is not possible to live as a Jew without wrestling with what Israel means to me as an individual and what it means to the Jewish people.”
Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel?
“I do. In addition to being the Jewish spiritual home, Israel also represents physical safety for the Jewish people who were never free from persecution during our 2,000 year exile. Israel is the national expression of the 4,000 year-old Jewish experiment and though it is not perfect, its existence is vital to the ability of the Jewish people to survive and to thrive.”
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 belong to a synagogue that is affiliated with the USCJ (United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism) but I am a pluralist. I believe that the religious establishment in Israel needs to represent the broad spectrum of Jewish religious expression in Israel. There needs to be more room for diverse voices including the voices of woman, liberal Jews, and others who can help Judaism evolve as it always has, to incorporate new realities and modalities.“
Do you feel morally responsible for Israel’s actions (such as its management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
“I do. I believe that all humans are responsible for and to one another. All the more so for the actions of Israel, which I regard as I would the actions of a member of my family.”
In your opinion, what is the main thing Israelis fail to understand about the reality of being Jewish outside of Israel?
“I don’t like to generalize about all Israelis, however, I think that many Israelis do not recognize that a thriving diaspora is a benefit to the Jewish state. And not only financially. There is a fluidity of Jews in and out of Israel the way that oxygen and nutrients permeate a cell wall.
“This has existed at least since the time of the Babylonian exile. I have heard some famous Israelis say that Judaism outside of Israel cannot be sustained. I don’t believe this is true. On the contrary, Jews have a mission in the world and part of that mission needs to happen in the diaspora.”
How would you describe Israel’s policy (formally and in practice) regarding its relationship with the Diaspora?
“On the whole, I think it is welcoming and helpful.”
In your opinion, does Israel have an obligation to defend and help Jewish communities in need?
“Of course, all Jews are responsible each for the other.”
Have you ever been to Israel? if you have, can you summarize your impression from the Israeli reality?
“I have been to Israel 15 times. It is impossible to summarize. My feelings and impressions are as complex and deep as any. Israel appears in my dreams and in my poetry. It is a strange land and it is home. It is the place I go to work and to be with friends. It is beautiful and ugly. I cry when I arrive and I cry when I leave. I wonder how I could live there and I wonder why I don’t.“
What was your best experience of Israeli culture in the past year (book, music, TV, movie, theater etc.)?
“I saw a movie this year called ‘A Borrowed Identity’ about a Palestinian boy who assumes the identity of an Israel boy who has died with the encouragement of the Israeli boy’s mother. The moving was a deeply moving exploration about belonging and the nature of identity.”
Can you tell us a bit about the Jewish community in your hometown? Is it organized? Are there any community activities?
“I live currently in Rochester NY. The Jewish community here is about 20,000. It is vibrant and welcoming. There is a thriving Jewish Federation and JCC and a number of synagogues from across the religious spectrum. I work at the University of Rochester which has about 1,000 Jewish students.”
Would you like to add a few words about your work at Hillel?
“As a Hillel professional on campus, I see my work as awakening, encouraging, and building Jewish identity. Israel is an important part of that work. Connecting Jewish students to Israel is one way to do this and Birthright Israel is a great tool.
I have staffed Birthright 13 times and I can see the impact that it has on some students. It turns out that a love for Israel is not built into the DNA of all Jews much to frustration of my generation and those older than I. Young adults see disturbing images of Israel in the media and often don’t have the history or the perspective to see the complete picture. The best way for students to understand Israel is to go there.
Next year, my campus will host an Israel Fellow with the support of the Jewish Agency and Hillel International. Second most important after bringing young adults to Israel, is having them meet Israelis here. We think this program will have a great impact on our campus.”
