Big Rallies In Support of Israel
by Shoshana Glatzer

Level: 4th grade and up.

Have you participated in any rallies in support of Israel?

Do you know people — both Jews and non-Jews — who attended a rally in your community or the big rally in Washington, DC on April 15, 2002?

More than 100,000 people arrived in Washington for an Israel Solidarity Rally on April 15. The participants came from all across the country. From Los Angeles to New York, from Maine to Florida, they came to express their solidarity with Israel and to support the war against terrorism. They came in about 2500 chartered buses, on trains, and on planes. They held signs in support of Israel and against terrorism. There were many speakers from the United States Congress, as well as both Israeli and American Jewish leaders.

A few weeks later, more than 50,000 demonstrators from all over Britain also traveled to London, the capitol city, to show their support for Israel.

What are some of the reasons and some of the goals for these solidarity rallies?

Here are some answers people shared with us. Please read them and then summarize each of the reasons and goals, as you understand them, in one sentence.

We are here to let the people of the State of Israel know that they are not alone.
-Participant in Washington Rally
April 15, 2002

We in Israel saw you, read your signs, heard your support. Even though the media didn’t cover the rally in Washington as it should have, and made the numbers smaller, that doesn’t matter. If what you wanted to do was tell your brothers and sisters in the land of Israel that we are one people, then the message came through loud and clear.
-by e-mail from Israel

As I was standing at the rally in Washington with thousands of other Jews, I had tears coming down my eyes. I had goose bumps. You know why? I was overjoyed at seeing all these thousands of people with one heart, united, in a mission. It warmed my heart to see how wrong those people were who said that Jews in the United States don’t care about Israel, that they are too comfortable. We really are one! How good it is to realize it. We in the United States need Israel as much as Jews in Israel need it.
-Participant in Washington Rally
April 15, 2002

You are asking me why I came here to this rally? Look at the friends we have in the American administration. We have to show them that when they speak up for Israel, we are here just behind them, that we support them. We also need to let the Bush administration know that they must support Israel in its fight against terrorism. America and Israel are fighting the same war and we must let our representatives know that we support them in this war, and that Israel, America, and the world need them.
Participant in Washington Rally
April 15, 2002

1.      What are the three reasons/goals for participating in a rally in support of Israel that were offered? Can you think of another reason?

a.___________________________________________________________________________________________
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b. __________________________________________________________________________________________
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c. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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your reason ________________________________________________________________________________
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2.      Is participating in a rally enough to show support for Israel? What else can you do to show support for Israel, its soldiers, and its citizens? You can:

a.      Write letters to elected officials, Israeli soldiers, terrorist victims and their families.

b.     Find out about fundraising campaigns in your community to help Israel and join in the efforts.

c.      Strengthen your knowledge of the Jewish connection to Israel by reading and studying about Jewish history and the Jewish holidays.

Shoshana Glatzer, founder and director of the Teacher Center of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater NY for 26 years and the BJE Academy for Jewish Educators for 6 years, is now an educational consultant at the New York BJE.