israel at 75
Looking Back
How Americans Celebrated Israel at 50
JTA.org archives
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A mericans have enthusiasti-
cally embraced Israel as the
Jewish state celebrated its
50th year as an independent nation.

From cultural events featuring some
of Israel’s performing artists — to
public celebrations in cities across the
country, to extensive media coverage
— Israel this year has received the kind
of attention that few countries get when
marking 50 years of independence.

An outpouring of support for Israel
can naturally be expected from
American Jews, but the active involve-
ment of Americans who are not Jewish
in the broad range of activities prompts
the question: Why so much interest?
“This phenomenon reconfirms how
interested people are in Israel. It’s a
chance to look back and look forward,”
said Steven Spiegel, a professor of
political science at the University of
California at Los Angeles who special-
izes in U.S.- Israel relations.

According to a national survey
conducted by The New York Times, 57
percent of Americans said they have a
generally favorable opinion of Israel.

Some 76 percent believe the United
States has a vital interest in Israel,
while 15 percent do not, according to
the poll, which the Times published
last week, just days before Israelis
celebrated Independence Day.

The Times was one of several major
dailies across the country that ran
a special series, in conjunction with
Israel’s jubilee, that analyzed how far
Israel has come in its brief history,
as well as the turmoils, domestic and
foreign, that still trouble the small
nation. “Israel is different than other
countries. It was created at a specific
time in history for a specific reason,”
said Andrew Rosenthal, the Times’
foreign editor.

“The establishment of the state of
Israel in the middle of this century was
a major event,” Rosenthal said. “The
question of what will happen to Israel”
has been a concern since the state’s
creation. As Israelis marked their jubilee on
April 30, the day of independence
according to the Hebrew calendar,
Americans also gathered to join in the
celebrations. In New York, for example, thousands
gathered for a midday celebration that
also marked the city’s annual Jewish
Heritage Week. Elementary school
students from public schools and
Jewish day schools attended, and the
lunchtime entertainment also attracted
office workers from nearby offices.

In southern Florida, Norman Braman,
chairman of the Israel at 50 celebra-
tions for greater Miami, said, “The
community has rallied” in support of
the Jewish state.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation
raised $1 million in a special fund-rais-
ing campaign for a series of Israel 50
events that began last month and will
continue into the summer. “Over half of
the funding was from the non-Jewish
community,” said Braman, who once
owned the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jewish communities across the
United States have been celebrat-
ing the anniversary since last fall by
hosting a range of cultural perfor-
mances by traveling Israeli groups. In
some American cities, non-Jews have
also expressed public support for the
Jewish state, joining in the commemo-
rative events.

Kenneth Stein, a professor of Middle
Eastern studies at Emory University in
Atlanta, said that given the depth of
American interest in Israel, he was not
surprised that widespread celebrations
have been taking place.

“It would be noticeable if no one
cared,” Stein said.

For the New York-based Israeli
official who has been coordinating the
appearances around the country of
Israeli musicians, singers and artists,
the American focus on Israel this year
is not surprising.

“The history of the state of Israel is
not just the history of another state,”
said Rafi Gamzou, Israel’s consul for
cultural affairs. “One has to be short-
sighted if he doesn’t get the dimen-
sions of the jubilee.”
The Israeli Consulate in New York
has coordinated cultural events featur-
ing Israeli performers throughout the
United States. The Kennedy Center in
Washington, D.C., hosted six full weeks
of cultural events in honor of Israel
at 50 and during the summer Lincoln
Center in New York will host a festival
featuring productions by Israeli theatri-
cal groups.

The commemorations in the United
States stand in contrast to the jubilee
celebrations in Israel, which have been
marred by divisive political debates
over how to characterize the nation’s
history and religious conflicts. These
debates peaked on Independence Day,
when a leading Israeli dance troupe
canceled its appearance at the main
jubilee event because of objections
raised by fervently Orthodox leaders.

“There’s more celebration in the
United States than in Israel, partly
because American Jews have a deep
but more vicarious purpose in celebrat-
ing,” Stein said. “Israelis have more
issues they deal with on a daily basis.”
But there has been some dissent
within the ranks of American Jewry.

At least one rabbi organized an alter-
native celebration.

“We are very supportive of Israel, but
we also want to recognize the pain of
the Palestinian people and the tragedy
that we continue to occupy the West
Bank,” said Rabbi Michael Lerner, who
is the spiritual leader of Beit Tikkun, a
Jewish Renewal congregation in San
Francisco. “There’s a lot to celebrate,” Lerner
said. “Israel has accomplished a lot in
50 years.”
But he also maintained that there
is widespread ambivalence among
American Jews toward Israel because
of such issues as the peace process
and religious pluralism. “A very small
percentage of Jews will be participat-
ing [in Israel at 50 events]. A much
larger percent participate in holidays
like Chanukah and Passover.”
But for the vast majority of American
Jews, unity in support of Israel’s
achievements has been the main
theme of celebratory events.

“People get focused on the tensions
of the moment,” Spiegel said. Israel’s
jubilee is “an opportunity to look
beyond the moment.” ■
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