Why We Need a Jewish Homeland

by Audrey Lichter

I just finished reading a biography of Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657), a prominent Jewish scholar, rabbi, and publisher who lived in Amsterdam during the 17th century. Menasseh ben Israel was a key figure in the Jewish community in Amsterdam, which was one of the most significant centers of Jewish life in Europe at the time. He was brilliant and worldly, traits that often put the Jewish community (most who had fled the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal) on edge since they lived under the largess of their host community in Holland, and as a prerequisite for living in Holland, there were strict instructions not to engage in religious discussions with the non-Jewish community for fear of being accused of proselytizing, and undermining Christianity,

Menasseh ben Israel is particularly known for his efforts to get the Jewish community readmitted to England. Having been expelled from England in 1290 under King Edward I, Jews were not allowed to live in the country. This lasted until the mid-17th century. Menasseh ben Israel sought to reverse this expulsion, and his lobbying played a crucial role in eventually allowing Jews to return to England. To make the case that the Jews would be good for England, he had to make many concessions, and plead for the ability to pray and bury their dead in a Jewish manner. 

This story was not uncommon during the long diaspora Jews have lived in until 1948 and the founding of a Jewish state. We, who were born after that, take for granted the freedom that the existence of Israel affords us. Recent history should remind us that in our time of the most need, no country opened its borders to save European Jews from destruction. 

We take for granted the freedom that the existence of Israel affords us.

Israel is now in an existential fight for its existence. For those who think we Jews would be safe without our own homeland, I urge them to take a close read of the history of the Jewish people. Among the many reasons Israel is important for the Jewish people is the crucial fact that it is our homeland and will always welcome us. History is catching up to us here in America as we watch in horror the world targeting Jews once again. We must ask ourselves, “Where are we in history?”

We must never go back to having to plead with a host country to allow Jews a place to live. We must fight against this growing antisemitism  calling into question the necessity for a Jewish homeland.