Ba'Aretz # 14-Andy of Tel Aviv

Although most of those reading this probably didn't see the Andy Griffith Show when it first debuted on television (it was a spin-off an episode of the Danny Thomas Show, when the whole Make Room for Daddy cast got stuck in the fictional Mayberry, North Carolina and had to cope with a small town sheriff, his inept deputy, and a host of small-town-America-in-the-fifties characters), but I think almost everyone has seen it in re-runs some time or another. Aunt Bea, Otis the Town Drunk, Goober Pyle and his gas station, Barney Fife, Floyd the Barber are among those who have become part of American folklore.

The opening theme of the show was whistled as Andy and Opie, the father-son gentle sheriff and mother-less child, fishin' poles slung over their shoulders, head down the road... tossing pebbles that skip over the water. Whenever I hear that theme whistled, I think of gentleness and simplicity, virtue and common sense, and, of course, Aunt Bea's hot apple pie.

Whenever I hear that theme, I never, ever think of skyscrapers or wide boulevards, sophisticated boutiques or elegant restaurants, beautiful beaches or avant garde galleries, ethnic diversity or a cacophony of spoken languages. I never think of traffic jams or protest rallies or political intrigue. When I hear the "Andy of Mayberry" theme, I never picture a community of four hundred synagogues. Never, ever, ever!

In just five weeks, 2009 will be upon us and next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv, the first new, Jewish city built since Biblical times. In early 1909, 69 young Jews, whose names have been enshrined on a marker on Rothschild Boulevard, stood along the barren beach for a photograph and then proceeded to build what has become a thriving and important Middle East metropolis. Like New York, Tel Aviv is a city that never sleeps (although one hears slightly more Hebrew in TA than NY). Like Amsterdam and London, Paris and Rome, San Francisco and Sydney, Tel Aviv is a city one can visit over and over and experience it anew every time.

And the good folks at the Tel Aviv 100th Anniversary Commission have created a wonderful series of television commercials depicting the history of Tel Aviv. The commercials can be quite moving, as long as you hit the "mute" button, because the commercial's theme song is the whistled one from Andy from American TV so long ago. The song is a nice one, just not for Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv is just not the city I ever associate with Andy and Opie. At least not until Gomer Pyle trades USMC for the IDF.

Rabbi Jeff Kahn

Ba'Aretz # 13.....Democracy in the Middle East

For decades, I have described Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East and one of the most vibrant democracies in the world. Last week, for the first time, I became a full participant in Israeli democracy - I voted. Last week, municipal elections - for mayor and city council - were held in every Israeli community. The campaign began several months earlier and from beginning til end was, remarkably, quite different from any other campaign for office I've ever seen.

At the beginning of the campaign, blank wooden signs were erected in every town at nearly every major intersection. And as soon as those signs went up, they became covered with posters for the various candidates and parties. In nearly every city, three or four or many more people stood for mayor. In the same communities, four or eight or twelve or more parties presented lists of candidates for city council. A few candidates and parties also erected large billboards. Nearly every candidate left leaflets in our mailbox. Some of our neighbors hung banners in support of specific candidates. There were debates and I even received a robo-call. But there was absolutely no advertising on television... what a relief!

Stephanie and I walked Tuesday afternoon to our neighborhood polling station at the elementary school around the corner, presented our identity cards to the election official, and received two envelopes: one yellow and one white, and then were ready to vote. I then entered the voting booth where I found half a dozen yellow pieces of paper - each with then name of one of the people standing for mayor in our town - and a dozen white pieces of paper - each with one, two or three letters that identify a particular political party. I took the yellow piece of paper for the mayoral candidate of my choice, put it in the yellow envelope and sealed it. And then I took the white piece of paper for the party of my choice, put it in the white envelope and sealed it. Upon leaving the voting booth, both envelopes were deposited in the ballot box. And then we returned home to find out what happened.

The polls closed at 10:00 pm and we enjoyed watching the returns on television... for a while. Exit polls predicted the outcome in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, but there were no reports about our town... or most others. We planned to watch the returns as late as necessary and were surprised when at 1:00 am, the TV commentators said "Lailah Tov - Goodnight, we'll return at 6:30 am with the results." And, the next morning, at 6:30 we turned on the TV and found out exactly what happened.

The election was simple, convenient, fast and efficient... not what I've always experienced in the States in the past. And, the next morning, all the ballots had been counted, all of the results announced. It strikes me strange that nearly two weeks after the American election, the outcome of the presidential election in Missouri is still unclear and three U.S. Senate races have yet to be decided. Perhaps the U.S. can learn something from elections in Israel.

The day after the election here, the posters for the local candidates came down and the ones for the upcoming national election went up. Tzipi Livni now stares at you at nearly every intersection (I can't describe her look as a smile, it is much more like a stare to the left), except in Jerusalem, where a photo of a woman's face on a billboard is not appreciated by many people (even though they elected a secular mayor). New parties are forming as old one seems to be fading. Perhaps it would be best to wait until February to decide whether or not the Israeli system is superior.

One thing is for sure, major political changes are happening in the U.S. and Israel. May G-d bless our new leaders. May G-d bless our peoples. And may G-d bless our lands with safety, serenity, security and peace.

Shavua Tov - Have a wonderful week -

Rabbi Jeff Kahn

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Ba'Aretz # 12....Thunder and Lightening

I would be more than a little remiss if I didn't begin without wishing Hatzlacha u'vracha – success and blessing – to President-elect Barack Obama. All of us in Israel followed the American presidential campaign and election very closely. The United States is Israel's best friend and most important ally and what happens in America affects Israel. As in America, many in Israel supported John McCain. As in America, many in Israel supported Barack Obama. Now, all of us are united in praying for G-d to always bless the United States and the American people.

There are other elections mentioned in the headlines of the Israeli papers this week – Israel's for mayor and city council in every Israeli city this coming Tuesday, November 11^th. Some of the campaigns are very heated and the issues are the usual ones – more-observant and less-observant Jews living together in the same communities… usually fighting over the closing of stores on the Sabbath and the sale of non-kosher meat. Not much is likely to change, though.

And, we'll be electing a new Knesset just 90 days later. As you might expect, our relationship with the Arab population in (circle the description that suits you best – Judea/Samaria, the West Bank, the Territories, the Occupied Territories, the Liberated Territories) dominates the debate. This morning one of our major parties (Kadima) announced that it is the party best equipped to work with the new American administration and bring about what America thinks best. And, another of our major parties (Likud) announced that it is the party best equipped to stand up to the new American administration and protect Israel from what America thinks best. Ironically, both claims are true and all of us in Israel are waiting to see how the new American government will relate to us and our unique situation.

The fact that this week's Torah portion is Lech L'cha - Genesis 12-17 – can be no coincidence. The first eleven chapters of the Bible… the ones that described the creation of the universe, the flood and near destruction of life and earth, and the division of the world's peoples… are chapters written about all humanity, not the Jewish people.

The first eleven chapters of the Bible recount the story of a world in which there were no Jews. Had Adam been Jewish, there might not have been the expulsion from Eden. Had Noah been a Jew, the flood and death and destruction might not have been. It was the kind of world that Hitler planned when he carried out Kristallnacht – the Night of the Broken Glass – on November 9-10, 1938 - 70 years ago this weekend. Genesis 11 described a world in which confused people wandered about with no real relationship with G-d.

And then comes Genesis 12: 1-3: G-d said to Abram, 'Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you great. You shall become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you, I will curse. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.'

Let's recap: Verse 1 - G-d calls out to one man – Abram (later Abraham) – and commands him to leave his family and homeland and follow G-d to the Land of Israel.

Verse 2 - G-d promises Abraham that the Jewish people will become great because G-d will bless us. In fact, the nation of Israel itself will become a blessing.

And, Verse 3 – G-d will bless those who bless Israel (and vice versa)…that all the families of the earth will be blessed through us.

And, thus begins the rest of Bible, the story of G-d and Israel.

Fast forward thousands of years. It was announced this morning that the next White House Chief of Staff will be Rahm Emanuel – a fellow descendant of Abraham, a man with two important Hebrew words for a name. Emanuel means "G-d is with us" and Rahm, in Hebrew, means "thunder". Coupled with the fact that Barack is Hebrew for "lightening", it sure sounds like a storm from G-d is imminent!

May the coming storm wash away the violence, the hate and the terror that have kept us from living in peace here in the Land to which G-d led our ancestors so long ago. And, may G-d bestow the blessing of Genesis 12:3 upon President-elect Obama, the new Administration, and all the American people.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jeff Kahn