To Unify a Nation: My Vision for the Future of Israel - Hardcover

Lipman, Dov

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9655241483 ISBN 13: 9789655241488

Verlag: Urim Publications, 2014

Inhaltsangabe

Exploring the issues of the separation between religion and state in Israel, this book by Knesset parliament member Rabbi Dov Lipman lays out his vision for the future. Lipman was elected to the Yesh Atid party, which, though largely secular, calls for a more moderate and open form of Judaism. His is a voice of reason in the religious debates and battles that have threatened to undermine Jewish unity in Israel and around the world. Lipman has observed firsthand the polarization, extremism, and discrimination that have been on the upswing in Israel, and his book examines specific practical issues rather than general theological questions in the Israeli political scene. As the only ultra-Orthodox member of the current coalition, he offers a unique insight into the internal societal struggles of the Jewish community as well as the hope for a better future for both Israel and Jews around the world.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

MK Rabbi Dov Lipman is an ordained Orthodox rabbi and the first United States-born member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in more than 30 years. He lives in Beit Shemesh, Israel. Yair Lapid is a former leading Israeli journalist who announced his entry into Israeli politics in 2012. In the January 2013 national elections, his new party Yesh Atid gained 19 seats, making it the second largest party in the Knesset and Lapid one of the most powerful political figures in the country.

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To Unify a Nation

My Vision for the Future of Israel

By Dov Lipman

Urim Publications

Copyright © 2017 Dov Lipman
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-965-524-148-8

Contents

Foreword by Minister of Finance MK Yair Lapid, 
Acknowledgements, 
Introduction, 
1. Dignity of Man, 
2. Racism and Discrimination, 
3. Religious Coercion, 
4. Women, 
5. Accepting All Jews as Jews, 
6. The Workforce, 
7. Sharing National Responsibilities, 
8. Honesty, Integrity, and the Rule of Law, 
9. The Bible, 
10. Jewish Pride, 
11. Unity, 

CHAPTER 1

Dignity of Man

The most basic of Jewish values, which cannot be overemphasized in our schools, in our homes, in our community centers, and in our places of worship, is that all humans are created "in the image of God" and deserve to be respected as such. Throughout our tradition God is described as "merciful," "compassionate," and as a Being of loving-kindness. Through that lens, human beings are capable of the most remarkable "divine-like" behavior. This is not simply a statement at the outset of the Bible, but has been proven time and time again.

Rick Hoyt's brain was deprived of oxygen during his birth in 1962, resulting in living his life as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. His parents, Dick and Judy, were told to "free" themselves by simply putting Rick into an institution since there was no hope for him to live a normal life. Despite seeing clearly that Rick could not speak or walk as he grew older, Dick and Judy noticed how Rick's eyes followed everything that was happening. They were convinced that his brain was processing what occurred around him and that he could enjoy various experiences.

Dick and Judy took Rick sledding and swimming and could sense his joy. They took this one step further and taught him the alphabet and basic words. They were convinced that their son comprehended everything and were desperate to find a way to enable him to communicate with them. When Rick was ten years old, they paid $5,000 to engineers at Tufts University to build an interactive computer for Rick. The computer lit up the letters of the alphabet, and when the letter that Rick wanted would light up, he tapped his head against the head piece of his wheelchair.

Dick and Judy's theory about their son's ability to understand was proven to be accurate when his first communication via the computer was "Go, Bruins," the hometown professional hockey team which was in the league championship that season. This made it clear to everyone that Rick loved sports and was able to be a fan like everyone else.

When Rick was 15, he told his father that he wanted to join a five-mile run on behalf of a lacrosse player who became paralyzed in an accident. Being an ever-dedicated father, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair, and they completed the race. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."

That was all Dick needed to hear. Dick dedicated his life to entering races with his son to maximize the amount of time Rick would feel not handicapped. They competed in over 1,000 races including marathons and triathlons. The triathlon includes swimming and biking. Dick swam with Rick in a boat attached by a bungee cord to a vest on Dick's waist. He rode a special two-seater bike with Rick in front.

This dedication of parent to child demonstrates the "Godlike" capacities latent within all human beings.

A person could read this and think that this is merely a special gift which enables people to have the capacity to give to their own children. Linda Elsass disproves this theory. In 1978, Elsass's son was dating a girl, Darlene, whose parents threw her out of the house and was labeled "incorrigible." The girl was required to appear in court with the possible outcome of being forced to live in an institution for troubled youth. Linda's son asked his mom to accompany Darlene to court since he had to be in school that day. She did so and someone in the courtroom asked Linda about taking Darlene in as a foster child. She initially declined because she had her own children to care for. But then she thought about Darlene not having parents and decided she had to do it. The Elsasses took in Darlene and, as she relates, "It never stopped."

The family became known as the address for any children in need. Ultimately, Linda and her husband, Larry, played a role in raising 250 children, some of whom stayed for just a few hours, others for weeks, and many for months. As Larry commented, "When I went to work in the morning, I didn't know if I would have a place at the supper table when I got home. I started counting them when I got home to see who was new." Lest one think that these children did not receive adequate attention, one foster child, Dee Hoffman explained: "Before coming here, I had been in many foster homes, but when I got here, I knew this was home. They helped shape my life, and I never left. They are my mom and dad." The selflessness displayed by Linda can only be described as "Godly."

Lest anyone thinks that this type of giving is limited to parents and their children, biological or not, Tyler Kellog's story dispels that notion. Tyler was a 21-year old college student who decided that life should revolve around acts of kindness. He saved $2,000, equipped his car with a place to sleep, and set off to drive 2,600 miles from New York to Florida and back in order to "perform acts of kindness for strangers." During his trip he helped 115 individuals in varied circumstances. He helped a person get his boat into a lake, assisted a policeman in setting up a barricade, and spread mulch with gardeners. But the most meaningful moment came when he saw a man crying and he asked, as he always did, "Can I help you?" The man responded that his wife had recently died and he had no one to talk to. They sat for three hours and simply talked. When Tyler stood up to leave, the man said, "Thank you, I realize now that my life will go on." Yes, human beings are "Godly" and can give other people the ability to go on with their lives through the power of the simple words, "Can I help you?"

We should not make the mistake of thinking that only people who perform acts of kindness of significant magnitude, people like Dick Hoyt, Linda Elsass, and Tyler Kellog deserve the highest levels of respect. Everyone, regardless of stature or fame, incubates these remarkable qualities within themselves and can call up these resources even for small, perhaps mundane, circumstances that arise in life.

This idea became crystal clear to me personally when I was sitting shiva for my beloved father. He was a federal judge and a community leader and a continuous stream of friends sought to console my family in my parents' home in Silver Spring, Maryland for the week following his passing. One day, when the room was overflowing with visitors, the front door opened, and in walked our mailman, sobbing like a little child. People moved to the side as he approached my family, sitting in a row in the front of the room. He kneeled before my mother, handed her flowers, and while sobbing, with tears coursing down his face, he managed to say, "I am so sad that Judge Lipman passed away."

Why was our mailman so broken up over my father's death to the point that I had to console him?

I asked him about their relationship and he explained: "As a mailman, I spend my day delivering the mail without much contact with other people. Whenever your father was home, the moment he heard me putting the mail...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Urim Publications
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2014
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 9655241483
• ISBN 13: 9789655241488
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 96
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
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