Yom Ha-Atzmaut 5768: Give the gift of your presence

Israel will be 60 years old on May 8. That is the day on which we mark Yom Ha-Atzmaut- Israel Independence Day. Israel was born in 1948, and so was I, which means it's easy for me to remember Israel's age. But Yom Ha- Atzmaut comes in May, and my birthday is in August, so I have never lived at a time when there was no Israel. I am part of the first generation in 2000 years to be able to say that, and that is a blessing. Israel is a blessing to all of us.

One year, some Israeli friends organized a birthday party to celebrate Israel Independence Day, and they asked the guests to bring birthday presents for the state. What would you have brought?

One friend brought an unusual model in the shape of the map of Israel. It had a second level, sort of a second story, because Israel, particularly in the area of Tel Aviv, is becoming over crowded.

An equally creative person prepared a home video of the Hadashot- the evening news. But this was a projection of what it would be like if there were only good news.

The best present came from a couple that lives on a kibbutz. They brought crates of yonim- doves or pigeons. These were actually homing birds, so here's what they did at the party- all of the children wrote prayers, attached them to the clips on the birds' legs and sent them off. The doves returned to the kibbutz and the plan was to get together the next year, read the prayers, and see if they had been answered.

You can guess the most frequent and fervent prayer. And this year, as we mark Israel Independence Day, we might well echo their prayers with our own:

"Avinu She-bashamayim, Rock and Redeemer of the people Israel: Bless the State of Israel, with its promise of redemption. Shield it with Your love; spread over it the shelter of Your peace. Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth. Help them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our Holy Land. Deliver them; crown their efforts with triumph. Bless the Land with peace, and its inhabitants with lasting joy. And let us say: Amen. (Siddur Sim Shalom)"

The fulfillment of this prayer would surely be a gift. Would that it were ours to give.

But we can give more than prayers and presents- we can give presence. This Yom Ha- Atzmaut, plan a trip for the year ahead. Make it a birthday present to yourself and to Israel. .