KADDISHEL
A Life Reborn
accommodation with our Arab neighbors and try to live with them in peace. However, while we have the conflict with our neighbors, Israel has to be militarily strong. Unquestionably, our military might is superior to that of the Arabs, but we are about five million people surrounded by over a hundred million Arabs. Egypt alone has over seventy million people. Perhaps, as the Bible says, we must be a “light unto the nations.” The push for learning and creative use of knowledge is very import- ant in Israel. Israel is advanced in science and medicine, pioneering in such fields as laser surgery, and second only to the United States in electronics, Internet, and communications. Numerous inven- tions come from Israel. Its immigrants from all over the world have contributed their trades and talents. What motivates the country is a combination of the drive for knowledge and education and the need to be accepted as an equal partner in the region. I do not think we Jews are special people, or that we are excep- tionally bright or smarter than others. We are equal to everyone else, but we have certain priorities, including the deeply held belief in the importance of education. This desire, this thirst for knowl- edge, is a major trait of the Jewish people. Parents may go without food, but they will still send their children to the best schools they can. In the long run, it adds up. I do not know if other religions or cultures share this passion to the extent we do, or whether it is an obsession with them as much as it is with the Jewish people, who push their children to excel and learn at all costs. Where does all this interest in education lead to? We are decent people who have brought a great deal of goodness into this world in varied areas, such as the arts, theater, music, medicine, and philos- ophy. I think that this obsession with knowledge and education has been a good thing for our people and for the world — witness the many scientific and technological advances that have come from Israel. If all the people in the world were well educated, it would be a better place to live.
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