/ Yom Ha'atzmaut

Using a series of texts from the iEngage Research Team, curated by Sarah Mulhern, we have put together a study guide with texts, insights and suggestions for your own future thinking.

For North American Zionist Jews, Yom Ha’atzmaut is a time to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel and, at the same time, to consider the past, present, and future of our relationship with Israel and its citizens. This guide is designed to help you examine this important relationship in terms of the following key questions:

• What type of loyalty should Israel expect from North American Jews and what does that loyalty demand of us?  What kind of voice should North American Jews have when it comes to Israeli policies?
• In what ways are North American and Israeli Jews dependent on one another?
• What is the model or combination of models necessary to (re)build a sense of Peoplehood?

This guide provides a framework for looking at these relationships through the metaphors we use to describe them (section II), a text study to probe the roots of these metaphors (section III), and a worksheet to explore the implications and effects of these metaphors (section IV).

We encourage you to use the guide on your own, with a study partner or with a group at a pace that feels comfortable. The questions are provided to facilitate reflection or conversation. Choose the ones that resonate. Chag sameach!