By Gavi Tropper, Features Editor
On Monday, November 17, a delegation of Dati Leumi (religious Zionist) rabbis from Israel called Rabbanei HaAretz HaTova visited Yeshiva University as part of a tour of Orthodox Jewry in America. They had the opportunity to meet with YU Roshei Yeshiva and students, and discussed with President Ari Berman how to better bridge the Jewish communities in Israel and America.
Students also had the opportunity to hear from Rav Yaakov Shapira, Rosh Yeshiva of Mercaz HaRav, who gave a shiur in the Glueck Beit Midrash. “I enjoyed the shiur a lot,” Adir Strauchler (YC ‘29) told the YU Observer. “I think it’s very nice they had him come from Eretz Yisrael. It was very meaningful, and I hope it was informative for them as well.”
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union (OU), led the planning of the Rabbanei HaAretz HaTova mission until his untimely death over Succos. After his passing, the OU carried on organizing and funding the program. They partnered with Gesher, an Israeli organization that promotes dialogue among diverse segments of the Jewish population, to help facilitate the program. For years, Gesher has been bringing groups of Israeli leaders to America in what Gesher’s CEO Ilan Geal-Dor described to the YU Observer as a “reverse Birthright.”
But never before had they taken a group of major Chardal rabbis. “It was our idea, but it was their choice,” Geal-Dor said. Besides for Rav Shapira, the group also included Rav Baruch Vider, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hakotel, Rav Eliezer Igra, a dayan (religious judge) in the Beit Din HaRabbani HaGadol (Israel’s high rabbinical court), as well as other rabbis from numerous cities and yishuvim (settlements).
Geal-Dor explained that it is crucial for Israeli rabbis to learn about Jews outside of Israel. “Some of them, it’s their first visit in the United States, because part of their ideology is they shouldn’t leave the country,” Geal-Dor said. “We think that it’s important for them to get to know and understand how important it is to build the bridges between the Jewish communities. Half of the Jewish people live outside Israel.”
The weeklong program started in Israel with an orientation where the participants could learn the statistics and details surrounding Anglo Jewry. Once in America, the group had the chance to meet with congresspeople in Washington, D.C. and to see many different segments of the American Orthodox community. They visited the Yeshivish community in Lakewood, met the Skverer Rebbe in New Square and attended Chabad’s Kinus Hashluchim in Edison, New Jersey, an annual gathering that brings together thousands of Chabad emissaries. They also visited students in Columbia University and toured the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach.
There were certainly some culture shocks for the visiting rabbis. “Besides YU, in most of the places, Israel doesn’t play a big role,” Geal-Dor said. Many were also surprised at how little attention was given to the works of Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in American Jewish education. “These people are all kooknickists [followers of Rav Kook]. And in America, Rav Kook is just another rabbi.”
The rabbis were also amazed by American Jews’ attitudes toward moving to Israel. “Another thing that surprised them: The American Jewish community is not on its way to make aliyah,” Geal-Dor said. “They thought that every Jew is actually planning to come, and they don’t understand why [not]. And I think the question is the opposite. 98 percent of the people are not planning to make aliyah. They live in America. They’re American.”
The group was impressed with the scale and seriousness of Jewish education in America. “They think that Israel is the most advanced country in Judaic studies, and then they come to see the education in America, and it’s mind blowing to see the level of the schools, the buildings,” Geal-Dor said.
Besides fostering greater appreciation for American Jewry, a broader purpose of the mission is to inspire greater interaction between Jewish communities in America and Israel. “These rabbis now ask themselves, ‘what can we do, from the Israeli side, to build the bridges between the Israel Orthodox communities and the American Orthodox communities, because actually we share a lot of our ideologies,’” Geal-Dor said. “‘What can we do together?’”
These conversations generated many practical ideas. “Should we be more active in helping people who are trying to make aliyah? Or maybe have chavrusas between Israelis and Americans? Or maybe do twin communities, and have a shul community in the States partnering with an Israeli community — a rabbi with a rabbi, a community with a community?” Geal-Dor said. “Many ideas are now coming up.”
Photo credit: Ilan Geal-Dor