This is an important day– the State of Israel is turning 60 years old– the ancient land of an ancient people is celebrating just 60 years of independence. Others much better informed than I have noted all Israel has accomplished in these 60 years– the ingathering of Jews from all over the world, the literary treasures, the music, the scientific achievements, the technological expertise, the advances in medical care, the agricultural innovations and yes, the survival. Because despite the desire of our neighbors to drive us from the neighborhood, making their displeasure known with unending attacks on homes and schools and hospitals and women and children and old folks, we continue to live and thrive. The spirit of the Jewish people here in our homeland is unlike anything I have seen anywhere else. There is a joy in our lives. We are a passionate people– passionate in our love of sports teams, in our maniacal driving, in our help for others in need, in our celebrating and in our grieving. Israelis do not hide their emotions. Sometimes they may be hard to take, but you usually know what’s going on with them. We live and we thrive and we welcome Jews from all over to the world to come and join us.<\/p>\n
But the best thing about Israel’s 60th birthday is that everyone is mentioning how young the country is at 60. Young indeed! May it continue to flourish and may our enemies come to realize that they have more to gain from peace with us than from this endless war.<\/p>\n