As we prepare to mark Israel’s 75th anniversary, I want to share a brief vignette with you.

The famed Israeli photographer Rudi Weissenstein arrived in Israel from Czechoslovakia in 1936 with nothing but the change in his pocket, his camera and the dream of a Jewish homeland. Photography was his passion and the people of Israel his subjects. His photos captured the birth and growth of the Jewish state and during his life he created an archive of more than one million photographs capturing key moments in the state’s history.

But there is a story of the one photo he did not take. As the state was declared on May 14, 1948, Rudi could be seen capturing the key moments from throughout the momentous occasion. But as David Ben-Gurion struck the final gavel and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra played the new anthem of the new state, Hatikvah, Rudi was overcome by his love of country and people, putting down his camera to cry and sing with the crowd. In all the photos of the momentous occasion, there is not a single picture of the crowd as they sang Hatikvah.

I share Rudi’s deep love and responsibility for Israel and its people. And I find this moment of celebrating 75 years overwhelming as we reflect on the many years of struggles, resiliency, and hope. I hope you will join me for one – or all – of the following opportunities to celebrate Israel at 75.

The grand Community-Wide Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration will take place this Sunday on the UJCVP Campus and will feature activities for all ages including Israeli music, falafel with all the fixings, Petting Zoo, Blow-Ups and a special Butterfly House that will release 75 butterflies in commemoration of Israel’s 75th year. We’re going to party like it is 1948! Join us!

The National Library of Israel has developed a curated collection of treasures titled Crossroads & Connections that will be displayed at the UJCVP. The selected items speak to the diversity of the region and represent the land of Israel as a crossroads for exploration and connectivity. This land – a destination, a homeland, an inspiration – has given rise to art, music, poetry, and writings that bind the stories of great civilizations past and present. The collection will be showcased at the community wide Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration and displayed throughout the week at the UJCVP.

And we are thrilled to welcome Ben Peter, the grandson of Rudi Weissenstein, who will join us in-person for a screening of the documentary Life in Stills on Thursday, April 27th at 7:00pm at the Gaines Theater on the CNU campus. The film tells the heart-wrenching, humorous and touching story of how Ben and his grandmother worked to save his grandfather’s shop and its nearly one million negatives that document Israel’s defining moments, absent of course the one photo that was never taken.

I hope to celebrate with you at one – or all – of these occasions and for us to find the opportunity to put down the camera and relish in the moment we are experiencing, 75 years later.

Am Yisrael Chai,

Eric Maurer
Executive Director
emaurer@ujcvp.org