* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
After the devastating incidents in Gaza over Shabbat, once again we find ourselves looking at the beautiful, bright, and smiling faces of young men who gave their lives for Israel and the Jewish people.
But then I received a poster from Florida with photos of the smiling and bright faces of individuals and families who are making Aliyah from Boca Raton.
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, senior rabbi of Boca Raton Synagogue, proudly told me about this wonderful event: “We aren’t worried about losing synagogue members if they are moving to Israel. In fact, we’re encouraging people to do so. The truth is that we are jealous of them and they are a source of inspiration for all of us. Every year we hold a joyous celebration in honor of families from our community who are making Aliyah. This year our celebration was especially meaningful and moving for all.
We are hoping that these photos will give encouragement to all Israelis who have seen the photos of our fallen soldiers today. So here are the pictures of outstanding members of our community who have chosen to come and join your community in Israel.
Boca Raton is a pleasant and comfortable Jewish community with many conveniences, but a key ingredient is missing: It is not the Land of Israel. I think that every Jew in our generation needs to think about moving to Israel. It is not a matter of ׳if,’ but a matter of ‘when.’ We hope that soon we will all be able to join all of you in Israel.”
Take another moment to look at our new Israelis. We extend our warmest welcome to all of you! Welcome home!
You can listen to Sivan’s latest podcast episode on Shavuot here: https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/sivan-says/sivan-says-naso-shavuot
