http://www.jerusalemdiaries.com/
Judy Lash Balint

January 10, 2003

Editors note: Moshe Kempinski, author of the piece below, 
owns Shorashim, a Judaica gift shop, together with his 
brother, in Jerusalem's Old City.  The Kempinskis are 
renowned for their helpfulness and hospitality to groups 
visiting the Old City.
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The Large Magen David (star of david)

by Moshe Kempinski, Old City, Jerusalem

About two years ago a young man walked into our shop in the 
Old City of  Jerusalem. He had come with the Birthright Israel 
program on his first trip to Israel. 

The Birthright Israel  program was created by its founders as 
a project  to  send thousands of young Jewish young people 
from from across the  Diaspora, for a visit ,home, to Israel.
Their purpose was to strengthen the  bond between the Jewish 
people and their ancestral home, and to cultivate in these 
young people a spark and linkage with their people. The results  
have been very encouraging. A spark that was kindled on these 
trips has become a flame strong enough to warm others. 

This young man had never been to Israel before and his eyes 
reflected the wonderment of discovery. He was amazed at how 
with one glance he was able to glimpse past present and future, 
together, in this incredible land. He explained that he was 
returning to his studies in the University and that he was 
looking for a silver star of david. He wanted the biggest one 
I could find for him.

He put it on , almost ceremoniously, smiled and walked into 
his future.

Two weeks ago he came back for another visit to Israel. He looked 
at me held his Magen David in his hand and said "do you remember me?" 
I told him that I was very happy to see him and asked how his 
university years had been. He responded that it was getting tougher 
and tougher to be a Jew in some of these campuses. 
"But", he said " this magen david remained outside of my 
shirt..proudly !"

He then told me that he was in Israel for two months to study 
Judaism in one of the outreach programs in the Old City.
The Magen David that had been hanging so proudly on his chest 
had penetrated into his heart.The Jewish heart he had been 
wearing externally became the enflamed Jewish soul that was 
burning within.

But he is not alone. The jewish people are seeing a rennaissance 
of Jewish commitment and passion that rivals the years following 
the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967. The Jewish people are 
coming home, both physically and spiritually and that return 
seems to be spearheaded by the young.

Last week Birthright was back again with thousands of young 
people. One group from the midwest of the United States spent 
a long time in the shop. In the midst of the discussion I asked 
one of the young women what this trip to Israel "did for her".
She responded, 'that I walk through these streets, I stand 
in front of the kotel, and even when I am sitting outside 
here drinking coffee ..I am overwhelmed with a desire to want 
to just get up and scream that I am a Jewish Woman and I am 
damn proud of it."

When she finished her words, the room became silent. Everyone 
then broke into a smile and one of the guys raised a thumbs up,
while one of the girls gave her a long  hug.

I wiped a tear.

I remembered our Patriarch, Jacob's blessing to his son Judah.
(Genesis 49:9) "Yehuda is a lion's cub, from the prey ,my son, 
you have come up; he stooped down, he crouched as a lion and 
a lioness;..who shall rouse him up"

The young lions of Judah are arising from their crouch and 
they are coming home. Some of them with a prayerbook in their 
hand and some with a large star of david on their chest.

But they are coming home.