In light of his new initiative, an open letter to Yitzchak (“Bougie”) Herzog

Dear Bougie,

I read with interest about your initiative, as the new head of the Jewish Agency, to bring Hebrew-language studies to all Jewish youth worldwide, and I’d like to congratulate you on this ambitious idea. It certainly shows creative, out-of-the-box thinking, and a real determination to meet the crisis of today’s Jewishly alienated youth head-on. I wholeheartedly wish you success in its implementation, and it’s inspiring to see that you are exploring various avenues in your efforts to redeem the young generation from its spiritual straits.

I must confess, though, that when I first read this announcement, I thought of the king of the Khazars and his friend, the Jewish sage, who was told in a dream by an angel, “Your intentions are pleasing, but your actions are not pleasing.” In other words, your idea truly does come from a genuine desire to find a practical way of reconnecting young Jews around the world, at least minimally, with their Jewish identity, and you hope to achieve that goal by familiarizing them with the Hebrew language, as spoken in Israel. Perhaps you sincerely believe that knowledge of Hebrew could stem the tide of assimilation currently sweeping over American Jewry, with intermarriage estimated at over 50 percent.

But as much as I wish you success in your endeavor, I must admit I’m skeptical. Several years back, I visited Los Angeles as part of the lecturing staff for an Arachim seminar, where I met young Israeli yordim who told me that the JA, over which you now preside, had organized a Hebrew ulpan for their non-Jewish American girlfriends. It seems there was a social problem among this young crowd. They would get together on Friday nights, and the when the fellows began to talk about old times, army stories and so on, they would naturally slip back into their native Hebrew — and not understanding a word of it, the poor girls weren’t getting to hear about their boyfriends’ acts of valor, real or invented. So the Jewish Agency came to their rescue by teaching the girls Hebrew. Now they could get married and really communicate.

And there is another point I’d like to mention before I compliment you on your initiative. It’s important to reflect on the words of Professor Joseph Klausner in an essay entitled “Israel, Where Are You Going?” which was published back in 1952, when the State of Israel was in its infancy. Klausner, a secularist through and through, was alarmed at the trend he saw: The modern State of Israel, he lamented, had accomplished Yetzias Mitzrayim without Maamad Har Sinai. In other words, he was looking beyond the prognosis for Israel’s political or economic survival, at its prospects for spiritual survival, and what he saw, to his dismay, was that a generation of “Hebrew-speaking goyim” was being raised on the soil of the Holy Land. If this is what he had to say in 1952, what would he say today?

So tell me, Bougie, is the Hebrew language, in and of itself, an effective barrier against assimilation?

Just think of all the yeshivah students in America who can’t speak a word of modern Ivrit, yet their Jewish identity is solid. True, you can argue that although they can’t speak the language, their familiarity with holy texts certainly gives them a working knowledge of Hebrew. But nevertheless, this knowledge in and of itself is not what gives them their Jewish identity.

So, having aired my doubts, I salute you for your idea and wish you success in implementing it, as the state of Jewish youth around the world is beyond despair. On the face of it, it looks as though that lost generation is gone forever, Rachmana litzlan. And this being so, I wouldn’t dismiss any effort to forge even the weakest connection between that drifting mass of youth and their people, for who can say? Despite the bleak evidence we’ve discussed, it’s always possible that a student here or there, knowing a bit of Hebrew, might pick up a Tanach and read it — and perhaps some dim spark in his or her heart might be rekindled.

And here’s something else you might consider adding on to your program at some point. It could give a big boost to Jewish identity, even among those who no longer seem to be drawing any nourishment from their holy roots. I’m referring to the amazing Shabbos Project initiated by South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, which has already brought millions of Jews back in touch with themselves. The idea to bring all of world Jewry together in the halachic observance of one Shabbos each year has caught on big-time, and it’s nothing short of miraculous to see how millions of Jews observed the holy day last week. It seemed like a fanciful, unrealistic idea at first. But it’s now in its fifth year, and has been picking up momentum with each round.

True, it’s a religious initiative, and conventional wisdom says that the Jewish People dislike any kind of religious missionizing, even when it’s their own religion on offer. But somehow, the Shabbos Project has gotten past that hurdle, and secular Jews in many cities worldwide are enthusiastically taking part. After all, you and I both know that there’s nothing like a real Shabbos experience to create a sense of Jewish identity and unity across borders. Why not incorporate this already-successful movement into your efforts to stem the tide of assimilation? It has proven itself to be nonthreatening to Jews of the most secular backgrounds. They don’t feel that anyone is trying to pressure them; on the contrary, in every place this beautiful initiative has reached, it has been warmly embraced by Jews who don’t observe Shabbos at all the rest of the year. Consider its potential as a way of boosting Jewish identity and pushing back the scourge of intermarriage.

I believe all of us look forward to seeing the entire Jewish People united, through their language and the gift of Shabbos, in their unbreakable connection to their deep, life-giving roots.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 733)