or Why there is a chance for the continued existence of the Jewish people

by David Palmach

Translated by Karen Kellerman/ Nitzana

There I was in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, mid August and massive blankets of snow started to fall. I found myself at an abnormal event accompanied by abnormal weather conditions.

It was Shabbat and the Parasha was 'Eikev.' Myself, an orthodox Jew from Israel and several hundred other Jews were sitting in a big hall of the exclusive Copper Mountain ski resort. On this day, even though the snow fell so beautifully and the cable cars were operating, no one was thinking about skiing down the slopes but we were all intent on "surfing" into world of Judaism and towards the Holy Bible.

In the middle of an elevated platform sat two rabbis, one was a man and the other a woman. To their left was a musician who was prominently wearing a gold earring, holding an electric guitar. Everyone attending, received a program that was thorough in explanation for the occasion that was about to happen and all of the men received a knitted kippa. The affair began and everything went like clockwork according to the program. The event was videotaped, like every important event should be. The songs and blessings were arranged in an order that I was unaccustomed to and every now and then the Rabbis would bring forth a "news flash" from the Torah or the commentaries.

The "Hatanote HaSimha" were two beautiful and gifted girls that had arrived to the mitzvah age (13 years old). They had been adopted by Doug and Sue Seserman from an orphanage in Romania and all together they made a lovely family. As the years passed, the girls embraced Judaism and started to believe in "Yera'at Shamym," to honor God and to keep the mitzvoth. The two read from Parasha Eikev in perfect rhythm, tone and song. One could tell that as a result of their excellent articulation that there had been many hours of preparation and study invested by the girls, teachers and parents for this rewarding moment.

"Yerahem HaShem," "May God forgive me" that I did not stay completely focused on the ceremony. As I looked around many things were taking my attention, but still I was excited to see two beautiful young girls from Romania that had become real Americans - who knew much about Judaism and who were  following the Torah and "Derech Ha Eretz", the way of living the Jewish life.

Descend with me into the Valley of Jewish Genome
 
Amidst the prayers and songs that were accompanied by the electric guitar, many were given the opportunity to say a few words about themselves and each one took us to the roots of the Jewish DNA.

Douglas (Moshe) Seserman, whom I have known for many years, came up to read from the Torah. Emotion filled his voice as he spoke about his great grandparents that came from Europe to America.

We started singing a song by Hannah Senesh, "Eli, Eli," "My God, My God, may these things never end: the sand and the sea, the rushing waters, the thunder of the heavens - and the prayer of man" As our voices rose together in unison to this famous Israeli song - the ice broke. It was as if someone had placed electrode pads on my chest and I was being shocked "back to life." I lifted my voice into the second octave and sang loudly. I found myself exhilarated, I was no longer an outsider at this moment. Without warning, the melodious Israeli song became the key that opened the gate to my heart which drew me into this special inner Jewish collectivity.

As we recited the universal Jewish prayers and sang the Tehelim (Psalms) it was as if I was sky diving, but without a parachute. In my ear, I could hear the  Levites in the Temple at Jerusalem singing "Hallelujah, Betzilzalay Shamaa"………

If Rabbi Cook would have been present that day, I don't know if he would have given us a "Hechsher" (a license of validation), but one had to admit these people had an amazing way of making the connection between Am Israel, Torah Israel and Eretz Israel, and they did it very well.

Truthfully, as I said before, things were not normal, the surroundings and the ceremony, and so for a long time I was struggling back and forth in my brain about all that I was taking in, until the common zip code of Judaism came like a hammer and hit me over the head.

I knew that for an Orthodox person this ceremony was "Helul Ha Kadosh" (forbidden acts on the Shabbat such as driving, taking pictures, playing the electric guitar, etc.) and I thought to myself, "Could this be the full meaning of "Baruch Baruch Shemo," Blessed be His Name and is there above this place a bit of the "Shekanah" Glory of God?"

I glanced curiously at the upper windows and the parochet (curtain of the ark) to see if a little Shekanah had come from Mt. Sinai to the Rocky Mountains - but no sign - until the moment we sang "Eli, Eli" and Douglas Moshe Seserman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Colorado read from the Torah, blessed the people and took us to the roots of his great grandparents. At that moment when emotion filled his voice and tears brimmed from his eyes, to be truthful - I found myself to be in a likewise state.

To open the springs of the Jewish tears, now there is a common code that works within our DNA. Sometimes you don't understand the whole experience but you should just feel it. If we could do a collective Jewish hypnosis maybe we could find the secret code of how it makes our DNA work. This  feeling of being united intensified because of the people that surrounded me. Something deep inside was being aroused and was causing my Jewish code to unlock and work.

There were people in the audience like Steve and Deborah Weinstein, the Kramer's from Denver - warm Jewish people - working hard for Jewish purposes in the Federation. The Kramer's son serves in the Israeli Defense Forces in a parachute unit, the father wears a kippa and tzitot, keeps the mitzvoth and even though he doesn't know Hebrew, he is a real religious Jew.

Also among the group was one person who was my age. We served together in the IDF as young soldiers during the Yom Kippur war in 1973. He fought in Egypt at the "Chinese Ranch." The war had a traumatic affect on him because he lost so many good friends - name after name after name….and his friends were also my friends. What a small Jewish world.

From the Peak of Matan Torah Sinai to the Peak of Reading the Torah in the Rocky Mountains and back again

Meanwhile, I am fighting to forget those memories and suddenly they call Mr. Shmulik Rifman and myself to carry the Scroll of the Torah before it is returned to the Aron HaKodesh (Holy Ark). Mr. Rifman, native of Bnei Brak, kibbutz member of Reviveem, and mayor of the Ramat Negev Regional Council (non kippa wearer) is fulfilling the vision of the Negev. The rabbi asked us to come forward because we were visitors from the Promised Land. "Hashivenu elecha venashuva," Bring us back to You, Adonai, and we shall return, I thought. I arose hesitantly and found some comfort behind the big, tall body of Shmulik. It helped to ease the touch of embarrassment that I felt at that moment because I was not prepared to enter onto the great stage area.

Next, they fully blessed the State of Israel and all of the soldiers in the IDF, (my son and two of Shmulik's sons serve in elite units). I never thought that in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in abnormal weather conditions, attending an abnormal event, that I would experience a 'normal' way of feeling Israeli, but I did and this blessing shows you that Jews care for and take care of each other - "Arvoot Hadadeet."

Sometimes you need to walk a long distance like the children of Israel did in the desert and then you will understand that the holy ceremony taking place in the Rocky Mountains on that day had a touch of that same Holy Spirit that was present at Mt. Sinai.

At that moment, I understood that we will survive as a nation. You start to understand why the people of the Federation are working hard day and night to collect money for Jewish activities, local and overseas - money for new immigrants, for the development of the Ramat HaNegev - causing the desert to bloom.

You understand from the song of Hannah Senesh and  from "VayeHe Bensoaa Hasaron" when the Scroll is being returned to the Arc - that there is hope. During the emotional moment of Doug Seserman and the moment of being in a far away place, half way around the world and blessing the soldiers of Israel -you start to understand that there is a big chance that our nation will survive.

Something more clarified in my mind. Once, I thought that being in the Diaspora  was completely negative. I follow the ideas of great Jewish thinkers like Rav Cook that say "to be Zionistic pioneers in the Land of Israel is the peak of the peaks." Now I am asking myself, "Why am I thinking differently?"

First of all -aliyah is important -being outside of the Land is not ideal. Unlike France Rozentvieg, the Jewish philosopher from the time of the World War I, who wrote, "It is ideal to be in the Diaspora."

However, I think that the Diaspora offers some important advantages; when we are scattered across the globe we minimize the risk of being destroyed all at once. We will always have a root somewhere.

Secondly, the young girls that I observed today, displayed more of a love and knowledge for Judaism than many of the boys and girls that live in Israel and even Jerusalem. The girls longing towards our faith is not a trivial thing and they are not complacent in their attitudes as some of their peers have become in Israel. We also know from history that countries that are well off, help rescue and relieve their fellow Jews in other countries in times of distress.

I know today that the Diaspora and the State of Israel have an equalizing balance. If one is weak, the other will be weak, if one is strong, the other will be strong - we lean on each other. In one sentence of the Holy Bible, we are; "Israel araveem ze le ze" which simply means that for the Children of Israel, each one is a guarantee to the other. This characteristic has been set in our hearts since Mount. Sinai and has been passed from one generation to the next - to the Rocky Mountains and back to Israel. Thank God!

Summary

I will give myself permission to think that maybe the 'God of the Orthodox' did not visit the event today in the midst of the Rocky Mountains among the clouds and heavy fog at the time of Parasha Eikev. But from the Holy Ark behind the curtain, I hear the voice of the Shekanah whisper, "Kol Haneshama TeHalel Ya Hallelujah," Let every soul praise God...

These are the souls of the nation of  Jews  that search for a way to let this spring continue to flow, swell and increase. These words will be understood by everyone who has the common DNA code of the Jewish language which works down to the depths of the Jewish heart. You are the ones that will understand what we experienced at Copper Mountain - even if you have other opinions and conclusions than what I have raised.

David Palmach
Nitzana, Israel
Av 5768
August 2008