printFour minutes and 40 seconds into this rather good video about Israeli and Jewish innovation, an entrepreneur speaks up for the contribution of immigrants who come to Israel. The camera pans out to show North African Jews lovingly carrying the Torah and Japanese Jews deep in prayer. To see Japanese Jews praying at the Wailing Wall is certainly moving. Who would have imagined!
But the distinctly American narrator thinks his Jewish viewers are dumb not to notice that all Israel’s diverse-looking immigrants are wearing kippot (yarmulkes), praying to the same G-d, and holding the same ancient Scriptures close to their hearts.
Do you think this cultural and religious cohesion might have something to do with these immigrants’ love of country and joy of assimilation? Indeed, Israel: Don’t give us the diversity crap: you welcome Jews and Jews only to the Jewish State.
Personally, I wish Israelis would assemble a book of Israeli jokes:
Here’s what a Jewish mother says to a Jewish child aged 7, to spur him to better things:
“After all I’ve done for you, is asking for one Nobel Prize really too much?”