Since I attend a Jewish day school and live in a Jewish community, it’s not uncommon for me to hear about friends or family who have decided to make aliyah and move to Israel. Pre-Oct. 7, thousands of American Jews made aliyah each year, with the highest number being 4,000 in 2021, according to the Times of Israel. The constant news of people deciding to move to Israel makes it seem to me like there is a certain culture around Jews choosing to live in America. However, I am proud to be an American Jew, and there is a lot of value to it.
Many American Jews that I know have also chosen to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), with close to 23,380 American Jews serving in 2024, according to the Washington Post. I know many young Jews who made aliyah to serve in the army that have decided to stay in Israel permanently, or go to college there. At Reichman University, an international college in Israel, 36% of the student population is made up of North American students.
One of the main values that JDS promotes is Ahavat Yisrael, or love of Israel. Hebrew is a required class up until junior year, and Israeli holidays are celebrated, including Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. Seniors also have the unique opportunity to spend their second semester in Israel with the Alexander Muss High School.
Having a religious homeland to return to is an incredible blessing. However, I love living in a Jewish community and still connect with other cultures and religions at the same time, which is an amazing pluralistic experience. Even though only 2.4% of the United States population is Jewish according to the Pew Research Center, there are many highly populated Jewish areas despite being outside of Israel.
I am so appreciative of the fact that we have a Jewish state, and every time I visit Israel, I feel incredibly connected to the country and people of Israel. It’s important that Jews have a place to go in both times of need and also happiness.
However, I enjoy living in America and take pride in being an American Jew, because it’s a unique experience. Learning about other religions and cultures gives opportunities to appreciate Judaism in its own special way. I get to observe my religion in freedom while also engaging with other cultures.
I’ve had the amazing opportunity to talk to non-Jewish students about Judaism through programs, but also just at basketball camp. At school we have a partnership with Bishop McNamara High School to learn about Catholicism, and we play in a sports league with 12 other non-Jewish schools.
In fact, many of the roots of Judaism take place in the diaspora. The first time that Jews are described as a nation is in Egypt, and we received the Torah outside of our designated homeland as well. The Talmud Bavli, a major Jewish commentary, was written and compiled outside of Israel, and for most of Jewish history we had no state, kingdom or sovereignty. According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, around 8.5 million out of the 15.8 million total Jews in the world live outside of Israel.
Even though many of us as Jews feel a deep connection to Israel, there is also room to live outside of it and take pride in our home countries. There are other ways to connect to our religion besides living in our homeland. Something unique about living in America is the sense of unity that you feel with other American Jews.
There is nothing like the feeling of seeing a kippah or hearing Hebrew in a random place, or getting to talk about shared experiences at Jewish youth conferences. Not being constantly immersed in Judaism also gives an opportunity to carve out personal spiritual journeys and connect in special ways.
Connection and support of Israel are incredibly important values to have as Jewish young adults, but it’s also important to recognize that one can still connect to their religious identity while living outside of the homeland. Learning about other religions and cultures gives opportunities to appreciate Judaism in its own special way.
American Jews are lucky to be able to observe their religion and live in Jewish communities if they chose to, but also interact and learn from other cultures at the same time.
