Jillian Rubin

What is (or should be) the role of Israel in American Jewish identity? Should all Jews emigrate to Israel, as David- Ben-Gurion (first prime minister of Israel) argued they should?

Israel should have an important role in American Jewish identity. However all Jews should not emigrate to Israel because then there would not be any Jews here in America. It is therefore important for Jews in America to fully support Israel and help support Israel in any way that they can. However, I do not think that it is necessary for everyone here to go immigrate to Israel. However, I do think that every American Jew definitely should at some point in their lives go to Israel. I think it is very important for Jews to see the homeland. It should also be necessary that all Jewish Americans have a background and knowledge of Israel and how it became a country however again it is not necessary for all Jews to emigrate to Israel.