Shalom friends,

We have achieved what no other indigenous people have – the realization of the 2000 year old dream to return to our ancestral homeland and to determine, by law, self-determination for our people, in our land.

We face continued acceptance of the myth that Israel was established by the Western nations to compensate the Jews for the Holocaust, and the Arab-propagated accusations that we “occupy” our homeland, have stolen the lands of others, and that equate Zionism with racism. In spite of endless efforts, we have been unsuccessful at perpetuating the same recognition of our rights that enabled the reestablishment of a Jewish state on our ancestral soil. We are not always able to explain why the accusations and blood libels are false or emphasize the values of Zionism as the liberation movement of the Jewish people whose essence thrived in our hearts and in our souls for thousands of years before it was given a formal name.

There is a direct connection between our ancient past, Herzl’s vision, Israel’s Declaration of Independence, our rights to proclaim Israel as the Jewish Nation State, and our right to feel connected to our fellow Jews in the world on the basis of our nationhood. Our hope has continuously sustained us.

The month of November began with acknowledging the importance of the Balfour Declaration and ends with the date of the UN vote to partition British Mandate Palestine. As we come upon the celebration of our historical connection to Jerusalem on Chanukah this Sunday, it is the perfect time to remind ourselves of some of the milestones that aided the creation of our thriving, dynamic Jewish Nation State.

	HERZL'S DREAM With the current rise in Antisemitism and the ongoing attacks against Israel, Zionism and its founder are more relevant than ever. Israel is certainly not perfect and remains a work in process. That is where we come in. READ MORE
	NOVEMBER 29: EVERY JEW SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS DAY The UN Vote on Partition of Palestine has great historical significance that should in no way be diminished by the change of rhetoric or attempt to negate the importance of what took place. READ MORE
	JEWISH REFUGEES FROM ARAB COUNTRIES Jewish refugees from Arab countries are a large part of the Israel mosaic. Knowing their story helps us remember and understand their experience as a part of what it means to be a collective nation from so many different backgrounds and places in the world. READ MORE
	JEWISH RIGHTS: A NATION STATE FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE Is it legitimate to found and maintain a State specifically for the Jewish People? Interestingly, both antisemites and liberal Jews find themselves struggling with this question. But once the answer to this question was very clear – Jewish rights to a nation state are laid out very clearly in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. READ MORE
	ISRAEL’S NATION STATE LAW Why did so many people get upset about Israel’s Nation State Law? What is the law exactly and what does it actually do? READ MORE

The battle for Jewish sovereignty is an ancient one. Get your kids excited about the Maccabees and the Chanukah story with our exclusive Israel inspired Color Me Maccabee coloring book.