Back to Israel for Gilor Meshulam

For the past two years, Gilor Meshulam served as the shaliach (Israeli emissary) throughout Rhode Island. His list of activities is long: he taught in several schools, worked with Hillel members at the University of Rhode Island and at Brown University, worked with local youth groups, spoke in synagogues, led discussions at the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence as well as the two Kosher Senior Cafes, and even spoke to groups such as Rotary and Jewish War Veterans.

The Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) events that he organized were especially memorable as he brought a personal touch to these events.

After completing his mission, funded by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Jewish Agency for Israel, he left in mid-August to resume his life in Israel. Accompanying him is Rachel Shmookler, his fiancée, a native of Buffalo who has been working in South County.

Ahad Ha’am, a philosopher of Zionism who lived a century ago, wrote:

“The people’s heart is the foundation on which the land will be built.”

Ahad Ha’am lived before Israel became an independent nation, so he was looking into the future. However, even beyond 1948, his pronouncement applies. The mission of Zionism is to continually rebuild the State of Israel. We must not only defend it, but we must build the Jewish character of Israel in each generation.

Gilor serves in both aspects of rebuilding Israel. He has defended the State of Israel on the battlefield, and he builds the heart of the people of Israel, both here and in Israel. While in the army, he has said that he believed that building the Jewish hearts of his officer cadets and of his soldiers was as important to him as building their physical and military fitness.

In Rhode Island, he has been dedicated to building the Jewish hearts of students. However, he has not relied simply on “fun” activities. Gilor has been very serious about his mission, and wanted to make sure that his students understood Israel.

When Gilor first arrived, he prepared objectives for his units in the schools. A couple of people at first were concerned that he would be too rigorous for their schools, but he soon showed them that the students appreciated his teaching methods. Some appreciated him so much that they declared him to be  their best teacher.

A couple of years ago, Gilor mentioned that one of his primary reasons for coming to the United States was to learn about Jews in the Diaspora. He felt that, as an Israeli, he had to have a much better understanding of his cousins in the U.S. if he was going to teach Jewish history and values in Israel. Now that he has accomplished that goal, Gilor is going on to an elite program for educators at Hebrew University, where he will rededicate himself to building the people’s heart in Israel itself, fulfilling Ahad Ha’am’s pronouncement: “The people’s heart is the foundation on which the land will be built.”

LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.