09/26/2023
Kol Nidrei Israel Bonds Appeal by President of Ner Tamid, Rob Birenbaum
Israel Bonds Appeal
Shana Tova. Before I begin tonight’s appeal, as President of
the Ner Tamid Congregation and, on behalf of the Board of
Directors for Ner Tamid, I wish to ask for mechila. I recognize
that there have been times when the leadership of the shul has
fallen short of your expectations and so we ask the congregation
for mechila.
For those whose voices went unheard, I ask for mechila.
For those whose ideas were given short shrift, I ask for
mechila.
For those who were not properly recognized for their
contributions to the shul, I ask for mechila.
For those who were either sick or who lost a loved one and
for whom I did not pay a visit, I ask for mechila.
For those who cannot hear me in the back, I ask for mechila.
For those who are either too hot or too cold, I ask for
mechila.
For those who I have wronged, knowingly or unknowingly, I
ask for mechila.
As I make this appeal, I beg that you do not hold my
shortcomings or those of the shul’s leadership against the necessity
and urgency of investing with Israel Bonds. It is a most worthy
endeavor that must not be conflated with my shortcomings or those in shul leadership positions.
***********
Fifty years ago, Arab armies from Egypt and Syria, together
with forces from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq, Libya,
Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Cuba and Sudan, launched a surprise
attack against Israel on Yom Kippur. As Jews were fasting and
praying, the Jewish state found itself on a multi-front war fighting
for its survival and the right to exist. Hundreds of thousands of
enemy soldiers crossed the ceasefire lines established at the
conclusion of the 6 Day War, invading the Sinai and Northern
Israel, and determined to destroy Israel and make good on Arab
leaders previously unfulfilled promises to drive the Jews into the
sea. Indeed, it was Anwar Sadat, then President of Egypt, who
only two years earlier declared that war was inevitable and that he
was prepared to sacrifice one million soldiers in a war against
Israel. Sadat threatened war time and again throughout 1972 and
1973 until launching, with Syria, a coordinated surprise attack
against Israel on Yom Kippur, our holiest day, for which Israel was
unprepared, outmanned and outgunned.
In the Golan Heights, 180 Israeli tanks faced off against
1,400 Syrian tanks, and in the Sinai, fewer than 500 Israeli soldiers
were attacked by 80,000 Egyptian soldiers. It did not look good,
and the first few days of the war led to massive casualties and the
loss of territory and strategically important positions held by Israel. We were all alone. Israel had to defend itself, by itself.
Being born in 1978, I cannot begin to imagine what the
Jewish world collectively felt as whispers of the Yom Kippur war
began to creep into American synagogues during services. I
imagine that those whispers turned into loud pleas to Hashem for
Israel’s safe delivery from destruction through intense prayer on
our most solemn day. Looking out into the sanctuary, I know that
many of you were a part of and remember this seminal moment in
the Jewish people’s history. Following the conclusion of Yom Kippur, you did not rest on your prayers to Hashem because you
knew that prayer, as important as it is, is simply not enough during
a crisis. You acted. You bought bonds, raising hundreds of
millions of dollars for Israel’s defense because the Jewish people
knows the terrible consequences of not having a sovereign Jewish
state in the world. We in the diaspora need Israel and Israel needs
us.
We know the results of the Yom Kippur war. After initial
losses that seriously threatened the existence of the Jewish state 25
years after its birth in the shadow of the holocaust, Israel prevailed.
We successfully repelled the Arab invasion, crossed the Suez,
encircled the Egyptian third army, and retook all of the Golan. We
made our way into Egyptian territory with nothing in our way but
60 undefended miles to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, and our
forces advanced within Syria to be within only 20 miles from
Syria’s capital of Damascus. It was a complete military victory
even if Israel and the Jewish people were deeply shaken
psychologically, leading to much internal discord within Israel and
between Israelis that brought down the Israeli government and
heroes like Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan.
*************
In my brief retelling of the story of the Yom Kippur war, you
may have noticed that I used the word “we” and “our” when
describing Israel’s struggles and victories. Many of us do the same
even though we in the diaspora do not live in Israel and are not
Israeli citizens. We do so because of how close we feel to Israel.
Israel is family. We have a partnership with Israel and are invested
in her future and we demonstrate that commitment to her well-
being by investing in Israel Bonds. Israel Bonds is one of the
critical links between Jews living in the diaspora and those living
within Israel.
Last year, my Israel Bonds appeal focused on the direct
connections that Ner Tamid has to Israel. I talked about our shul’s
religious Zionist ethos, its prayers for the State, for the soldiers and
for her leaders; how we proudly display the Israeli flag, and how
we unapologetically recite Hallel with a bracha on Yom Haatzamut
and Yom Yerushalaim. And, I read off the names of the 19 Ner
Tamid families who have made aliyah over recent years. This
year, we add the names of Stephen and Cheryl Mordfin to that list.
The Mordfins have a deep history with Ner Tamid, with Steve
having served as Ner Tamid’s Vice-President and President. It’s
bittersweet to say goodbye to these Ner Tamid families, but we
also have intense pride for their courage and determination to live
in and defend our claim to our ancestral homeland that was
promised to us by Hashem. When we purchase an Israel Bond, we
do not merely invest in the abstract idea of Israel, we are showing
our love and support for the many friends and family who have
chosen to make their home in Israel.
******************
Ner Tamid reestablished its annual Israel Bond drive last year
after not having one for several years. You answered my appeal to
you with an overwhelming financial investment in Israel Bonds.
By the numbers, our shul purchased Israel Bonds in the total
amount of $1,208,431. For a shul of this size, that is simply
incredible. We punched far above our weight and invested in
Israel Bonds more money than many shuls far larger than our own.
Pound for pound, the dollars that we invested in Israel Bonds per
member unit has got to be the greatest in the Baltimore area.
Yasher koach!! We should be incredibly proud of ourselves for
the total amount that we collectively invested in Israel.
Now, I know that my appeal to you last year was good, but, I
did not think that it was $1.2M good. I actually thought about
quitting my day job!!! But, before I got too full of myself, I looked
further into the numbers. The truth is, I am not that good. 64 of us turned in our Israel Bond cards. Last year, Ner Tamid had
approximately 260 member units. So, my appeal to you last year
only convinced about 25% of you to purchase a bond. And those
who did, did so with incredible generosity. But what about the rest
of you? You each have a stake in our partnership with Israel. It’s
not just the total dollar amount of bonds that are purchased which
demonstrates our shul’s commitment to the welfare of Israel and its
people, it is also our rate of participation that demonstrates our
fealty to the Zionist enterprise. So, I urge each of you to buy a
bond and be a part of the Jewish people’s greatest project of the
modern era. For those who sat on the sidelines last year, get in on
it! You can purchase a bond for as little as $36.00. So, as the Nike
saying goes, “Just do it.”
********
I know that there is an elephant in the room that has not been
addressed. Some of you are questioning why you should invest in
a country that is presently struggling with an internal domestic
crisis of its own making and appears to be intent on destroying
itself from within. The answer is because we are a family and one
people. A family does not turn its back on a struggling family
member. A family offers greater support and encouragement
during a crisis. Purchasing a bond demonstrates that we believe in
Israel and her future, whatever lies ahead. Israel will overcome
this moment in history just as she has overcome every other
challenge that she has faced. And, she has faced far greater and
dangerous challenges like the Yom Kippur war, which resulted in
domestic turmoil despite a clear military victory. Following the
Yom Kippur war led to a period of internal conflict and self-doubt
for Israel. However, after it all shook out, Israel became a much
stronger and wealthier nation that was able to forge peace
agreements with her neighbors and become a world leader in many
fields. Likewise, Israel will emerge from the present domestic
crisis in a stronger position and with a better sense of herself as a democratic and Jewish state, thus continuing to be a light unto the
nations. Regardless of political position, every Israeli protester
waives the Israeli flag with pride. All want what is best for the
State of Israel. We in the diaspora must demonstrate that same
pride in Israel and her people regardless of politics.
We Jews are one nation of people. We are all members of a
large family. We are one people with a single homeland in the land
of Israel. We all waive Israel’s flag proudly irrespective of political
position. And that, my friends, is what Israel Bonds is all about.
We put aside our differences and invest in the one place that each
of us is entitled to call home. Make the investment in Israel and
affirm our love for Israel and who we are at Ner Tamid.
G’mar chasima tova.
To purchase Israel Bonds click here: https://www.israelbonds.com/Virtual-Tab-Card.aspx (choose Ner Tamid in the drop-down)
Invest in Israel bonds to support Israel and diversify investment portfolios. Learn more about Israel bonds and invest online.
