Not all of us are really religious people, but these words, written by Rabbi Dan Ehrekratz, might speak to most of us: “…Of course, for much of Israel’s six decades of existence, love and support for the state have been among the few areas where modern Jews did find common ground. But over the years, Israel has evolved as a nation, and is now faced with the same internal and external complexities and choices as all other nations. As a result, the debates among non-Israeli Jews over political and policy issues in Israel have become broader and more strident.”
But with all these complexities – with all these challenges and questions, hopes and fears, with all of the inherent contradictions that is Israel and the International Jewish World, the most important thing we can do is make sure we know each other, understand each other. Feel each other. Many advocating getting there through Torah study, reading the works of Herzl and Jabotinsky. And we say, “YES, go for it.” But we also know and believe that for the Jewish people to come together, they must listen to each other’s music, watch each other’s TV shows, eat each other’s food, shop each other’s stores. In short, understand each other’s LIVES.
“AbbaNibi” (named after the famous Israeli song which won the European song contest in 1978) is here to start you off on doing just that. Sign up for our newsletter, friend us on Facebook, come to our site. Do it to find out what the “JEWS ARE UP TO.” We promise you an almost bizarrely eclectic mix of stuff designed to help us all know each other – to enjoy each other. After all, say what you will about the Jews; we’re nothing if not a good time.
AB-BA-Ni-Bi 