Sixty years! There has been an independent Jewish State in the land of Israel for sixty years! Some of you remember the birth of the State, and some of you cannot remember a time when there wasn’t a Jewish State of Israel. But all of us rejoice at this milestone and celebrate this special birthday. I want to share with you ten Hebrew words to contemplate as we celebrate Israel at 60 (with thanks to ARZA and their wonderful educational materials for this occasion).

Shalom. We know it means hello and good-bye, but this simple word comes from the root sh-l-m, shalem, meaning “whole” or “complete.” When we translate shalom as “peace,” we understand that real peace is not just an absence of war, but a sense of wholeness for us and the world.

Mizrach. The word means “east,” and is the direction we face for prayer, as we orient ourselves toward Jerusalem. Even though we know that God is everywhere, our spiritual compass turns to the Land of Israel.

Yisrael. The name “Israel” was first given to the biblical Jacob after he wrestled with the angel. Yisrael means ‘one who wrestles with God.’ The Jewish people are called b’nei Yisrael, the children of Israel, the ones who say Sh’ma Yisrael. It is our legacy to wrestle with God and with humans as we strive to proclaim the unity of God and our shared destiny with the Jewish people.

Eretz. Eretz means land, any land. When we use the word, we think of Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people, from Abraham all the way to the present day.

Makom. A makom is a place. Any place. In the Bible the word was associated with Mount Moriah which became the Temple Mount. Hamakom is also another way the Rabbis referred to God. Can God be a place, or can there be a place that can contain God? What did they mean?

Aliyah. The word means “ascent” or “going up.” There are three main meanings for Jews. Aliyah l’regel, the ascent for the pilgrimage, was what our ancestors did for the three major festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, when they went up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple. Aliyah to the Torah means being called up to say the blessings before and after the public reading of the Torah scroll in the synagogue. And “making aliyah” means immigrating to the State of Israel.

K’nesset. K’nesset means “assembly,” a gathering. The most common Hebrew term for a synagogue is Beit K’nesset – a house of assembly or community, rather than Beit T’filah, a house of prayer. Just showing up has value. And of course, the Israeli parliament is called the K’nesset.

Atzma’ut. This modern Hebrew word meaning “independence” comes from the root etzem, which literally means “bone.” It signifies the core, the essence of something. Atzma’ut – independence – is the state of being able to rely on one’s own inner essence.

Zikaron. Zikaron means “memory,” something terribly important in Jewish life. Memory is sacred, and connects us to our past. The State of Israel observes Yom HaZikaron, memorial day for its fallen defenders, every year just before Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, to remind everyone of the price of independence.

Tikvah. Tikvah means “hope.” Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah – “The Hope” – doesn’t celebrate military victories like some anthems, but expresses the hope of the Jewish people to “be a free people in our land.”

The way we use words tells a great deal about who we are and who we wish to be. I hope that you will think about these ten words as you reflect on the meaning of Israel at 60.

                                Rabbi Ellen W. Dreyfus