Israel - Happy Birthday May, 2008
Israel and I have one thing surely in common, I am 60, and so is Israel, sort of.
I also have a signed copy of the book "Israel a Personal History," 1971, by David Ben-Gurion; one of 2000 copies printed, by "Funk & Wagnalls, Inc., New York. He was the granddaddy of all the leaders that would follow him to this day, so I believe. He was even born in the same month I was, October 16, 1886, I was born October 7, 1947, in Plonsk, Russian Poland, my grandfather was Russian, and grandmother Polish, and I was born an America. Perhaps he like I had a life time of studies; and I know he, like I traveled a lot, Mr. Ben-Gurion to most of Europe, and North and South America, as I have, also Africa. But his mission in life was different than mine, I am a simple poet, he was anything but simple, I think intentionally or unintentionally, he invoked into the New Jewish Nation, of the 40s and onward, a breathed of new life into its inhabitants, if not a presence of mission, and a spiritual rebirth.
He explains in his book, how Israel's Ancient neighbors were Egypt and Babylon, and how they both had , surpassed Israel in population, wealth, and military power as well as territory. I got the impression he did not like the dilution and influences that came along with befriending his enemies, when the rest of the world had to endure to them also. He goes on to say everything has changed since then, and surely it has.
But what I liked most of all, was what he said, and I shall paraphrase it: No nation (in its 4000-year history) was able to assimilate the Jewish nation into their culture for all their richness. Giving an example of the Greeks and Persians (and if I may add, even the Inca of Peru), absorbed so many other cultures into theirs. He adds in his narration, Christianity was its most difficult threat to deal with, and I am a Christian, not a Jew-he says it like this 'Christianity ...was a threat to Jewish survival...' and I guess I never thought of it that way, and perhaps it was, but I do not even think God wanted Jews to be Christians, only for the Jews to acknowledge their mission, and in my eyes, they missed the target, and tried to hide God from everyone else, and when Christians found him, well, jealousy can be a hard apple to swallow.
Anyhow, Christianity did not rob Judaism, and I think Mr. Gurion would be proud of many of the accomplishments Israel has achieved; alas, there are also a few he would most likely say "That is not want I figured on"; but happy birthday, Israel-you deserve it at 60.
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