Words from the heart… Please read..
This time of the year I see many posts from friends moving their children into college or sending them off to a gap year in Israel. It’s an exciting time that is pregnant with promise and possibility. Last night I had a similar experience when I moved my oldest daughter out of the house into her new apartment in Yerushalayim. She isn’t going to college though. Avigayil is doing a year of Sherut L’uemi, a year of national service. Her entire graduating high school class is either serving in the army or volunteering this year. Giving back to your country is a value ingrained in teenagers in Israel.
I always challenge my American Jewish students why it is that because of an accident of birthplace, Israeli teenagers feel a sense of responsibility to service and Israel, while American Jewish teenagers largely think about their own advancement – either in yeshiva or college. I’m not critical of the American Jewish community and I use the challenge largely to spur my students into activism. But it is something that I do think about frequently.
I’m very proud and excited for Avigayil and her decision to serve our home and people. This is just another reason that living here is such a dream. #livingthedream day 1,142
P.S. Did I mention that she gets to live in Yerushalayim?!
