Here in Israel, about to turn 70 years old, we who have made this our home – as well as those who were born and grew up here – recall inspiring and sometimes difficult moments.
By DAVID GEFFEN On February 14, 1949, the honor guard of the IDF stands ready to salute David Ben-Gurion, as the Knesset meets for the first time(photo credit: ‘BAMAHANEH’/ARCHIVES OF AVIE GEFFEN)Why build these cities gloriousIf man unbuilded goes?In vain we build the world, unlessThe builder also grows.– Edwin MarkhamHere in Israel, about to turn 70 years old, we who have made this our home – as well as those who were born and grew up here – recall inspiring and sometimes difficult moments that have prompted us to grow. We recount times when we were faced with challenges and dealt with them successfully.That is part of what Israel means to each of us.Building and being built – livnot ulehibanot – has marked the lives of the citizens of this nation. My Independence Day tribute to Israel is not a deep philosophic truth; it is a statement of what this country means to me through a 1949-1950 visual tour taken from Bamahaneh, the soldiers’ magazine, reflecting upon some historic moments of the early state through photographs; the laughter aroused among IDF troops through original cartoons; and an advertisement or two to show how customers in those days were encouraged to make purchases.Renowned American rabbi Sidney Greenberg once said, “The rebirth of Israel points to a new role the Jew has chosen for himself/herself. Our people state forcefully, ‘We have had enough playing the anvil for your hammer blows. We Jews today now state proudly that we will beat out our own destiny; forge for ourselves the instruments of our salvation. We will stubbornly and unflinchingly rebuild ourselves in body and spirit on our ancestral soil, which bloomed when our fathers tilled it, lay waste for centuries in alien hands and awakened once more to the tender caress of loving hands.’” What strikes me and I hope touches you is an unknown painting of a soldier on the cover of the Rosh Hashana 5710 (1949-1950) issue. The depiction of soldiers in the army is normally very simplistic, with soldiers dressed in military “duds,” not the formal clothing a soldier could wear. This color portrait – one of the first covers of the magazine that is not a black-and-white drawing – is meant to give the reader “a new view” of our fighters. There is hope in his eyes as he looks upward. His helmet is worn with great pride, tightly fitted with a strap under his chin. He makes a statement to us and to the whole world that Israeli soldiers are not just a rag-tag band of defenders of the country, but a formidable presence prepared to ward off any threats that might arise. We take pride in the fact that on its second Rosh Hashana that the nation experiences, our soldiers stand ready to protect us and help Israel grow.
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