Foreign Passport Arrives, But Home Remains in Israel
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
The author received a foreign passport, prompting reflection on his Holocaust-survivor grandfather's choice to immigrate to Israel rather than seek refuge elsewhere. He contrasts the desire for a vacation abroad with the idea of finding a new home, emphasizing that Israel is the Jewish people's national home. While acknowledging the practical benefits of a foreign passport, he asserts it cannot replace the existential security found in one's homeland.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A foreign passport prompted reflection on a Holocaust survivor's choice to build a home in Israel.
- The author contrasts a desire for vacation with the idea of finding a new home abroad.
- Israel is presented as the Jewish people's national home, not just another place of exile.
- A foreign passport offers practical benefits but not existential security.
- The author intends to use his foreign passport for travel but will always return home to Israel.
The author received a foreign passport, but it evoked no excitement, only memories of his grandfather, Rabbi Eliyahu Gleichman, a Holocaust survivor who refused to exchange one exile for another. In a time of Israeli despair and a search for security abroad, the author reflects on the difference between a vacation and finding a new home.
While the author desires a trip to London for a break from the constant Israeli noise, the new passport prompted thoughts of his grandfather. After losing his wife and two children in the Holocaust, Rabbi Gleichman rebuilt his life. When urged to emigrate to the United States, he famously stated, "I am not leaving one exile to move to another exile." He and his wife, Leah, left a comfortable life in Hungary for Israel, arriving in Netanya, a place then characterized by sand and faith.
The author imagines his grandfather's reaction to his foreign passport, believing he would offer a smile and wish him a good trip to London. However, he also believes his grandfather would impart a sober message: Israel was not built for its citizens to view a foreign passport as a last resort, nor should Jews seek security in another country after millennia of exile.
Receiving the passport coincided with familiar political debates on the radio, reinforcing the desire for a temporary escape. The author distinguishes between needing a rest from Israel and wanting to flee it. He acknowledges the right to be frustrated with the government and the country but stresses that this frustration does not mean home is elsewhere.
While a foreign passport offers practical benefits like easier travel and a sense of choice in an uncertain world, it does not provide existential security. The author's grandfather learned this harsh lesson, understanding that even seemingly stable lives can vanish quickly. His choice to come to Israel was not for comfort but to rebuild his home.
The author will keep his foreign passport in the glove compartment, intending to use it for travel to London for a peaceful break. However, he will return home not out of necessity but because he knows where his home is. A foreign passport can open doors globally, but it cannot replace the understanding that for the Jewish people, there is only one national home, and it is in Israel.
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