Sydney Wolf Blog 3

On Monday night while I was experiencing the eve of the fasting day of Tisha B’Av at the Kotel, the cultural and religious divide among religious Israelis had never been so prevalent. Tisha B’Av, a fasting day commemorating the destruction of the Temple and the many tragedies striking the Jewish people throughout their history, turned into an evening of observation at the Western Wall. When looking down at the area of the Kotel, there was an obvious divide amongst different groups of Israeli society which was visible due to the different ways they were commemorating or celebrating Tisha B’Av. There was a group of religious Zionists sitting in a circle of both men and women wearing knit kippas, thick payos and hippy garb singing celebratory songs about the state of Israel. Instead of observing this holiday as a tragedy, they found the positive in it and were celebrating the state of Israel and the hope they have for the future of the state. Then, there was ultra orthodox dressed in traditional Jewish garb of Tafillin and Tallit on the men’s side and head wraps and long skirts on the women’s side, praying and wailing into their siddurs up against the wall mourning the destruction of the most holy place on earth and of their ancestors.

            The religion Zionists and the ultra orthodox are only two groups of many throughout Israel. However, if there is this big of a divide between two groups of the more religious on how to commemorate the destruction of the temple, there will be an even bigger divide between the religious and the secular and even bigger divide between the Jewish and the non Jewish. If citizens of the state of Israel are this divided over Tisha B’Av how are they ever going to keep Israel alive? A country can not be strong if it is not united. The cultural and religious divides in the state of Israel are not only hindering its strength against external threats, but it is also going to destroy the internal structures of the country. If those within one country cannot agree on certain things, how are they ever going to keep themselves from being taken over and destroyed by other nations? The different groups throughout Israel need to find a way to come together and resolve some of their differences in order for Israel survive. However, how do you unite so many different groups of people with different beliefs? This is a question the government of Israel needs to focus on and work through if it wants to ensure its survival for generations to come.