Navigating the growing chasm between different age groups’ support for the Jewish state.
In the summer of 1990, when I was 16 years old, I and 44 other Jewish teens from across Northern California’s East Bay spent six incredible weeks in Israel. I was the first from both sides of my family to visit the ancestral home of our religion. This life-changing trip was the first of three times I spent in Israel, including my three-week trip as part of my grad school program and once as part of our Jewish Federation’s first community trip back in 2012.
Israel has always had a special place in my heart, not only because of its rich history and incredible beauty but also because, as I walked the streets and interacted with people, I knew I was in a place that “got” me. I didn’t need to play Jewish geography to feel connected… in Israel, you feel it.
As you might imagine, over the last several years, Israel has been at the forefront of my mind, especially with the rise of antisemitism and the rise of anti-Israel sentiment that we have witnessed and experienced.
I am a Zionist and will continue to share this openly and proudly. To me, Zionism means that you believe in the importance of there being a place that Jews from around the world can call home. I do recognize that, like many other countries, there are flaws in the decisions and actions made by the Israeli government. Do I always agree with decisions that are made in Israel? Absolutely not. But I also know that since I am not an Israeli, nor do I live in a country surrounded by people who want its complete destruction and actively work to make that happen every day, I am not always able to understand or grasp why certain decisions are made entirely. This is a nuanced perspective, and it is often difficult to articulate, let alone communicate to people.
So often, people view things as either-or, but with Israel, I believe that two truths can be held simultaneously, which can allow people to stand in solidarity with Israel. And it makes me almost sick to my stomach that for some people, the word “Israel” has become a “dirty” word and has even torn families and life-long friendships apart. Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined that this would happen, especially within the Jewish community. And yet, it is the reality in which we live in today. Part of this issue can be solved by not viewing what is taking place in Israel through our “Western” lens.
Study after study continues to illustrate the growing chasm between the different age groups who have strong positive connections with Israel. The percentage of 18-25-year-olds who have a positive perspective on Israel has been declining over the last 10+ years. Part of this has to do with how Israel is perceived in the world because younger people develop opinions and perspectives through social media, and Israel is still trying to figure out how to improve its public relations to respond to this “trend.” More effort and attention needs to be made to educate our Jewish youth, keeping in mind that the “issue” about Israel is no longer black or white … there is a lot more nuance than ever before. Unfortunately, there is a challenge in teaching nuance, and people cannot fully comprehend the issue unless they see it for themselves. The only real way to do this is to see and experience Israel with your own eyes… not what online algorithms decide you should see as you scroll on your social media feeds.
Jason Moss is executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Greater
San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
