In honor of the upcoming 4th of July holiday, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald, Director of Jewish Treats parent organization, the National Jewish Outreach Program, remembers a great US patriot by the name of James Forrestal.
In May of 1949, James Forrestal died. You may be asking yourself, who was James Forrestal? He was the last Cabinet level Secretary of the Navy and the first Cabinet level Secretary of Defense for the United States. In fact, the United States Navy's first Supercarrier was named for him because he was a great patriot and very devoted to the American people.
In May of 1949 when Forresetal died, Rabbi Buchwald was 4-years-old. When he heard that a great patriot died and saw that people were putting out there flags. He ran and grabbed one of the flags in their home, an Israeli flag, and put it outside. When his father came home and saw the flag outside, he wasn't happy. He knew if he said that James Forrestal the Secretary of Defense died, his father wouldn't understand. So he told his father, Dr. Theodore Hertzl, the founder of Zionism died. Hertzl had died 50 years earlier. Rabbi Buchwald father was an immigrant to the United States and always felt beholden to the US and it's government because it was kind and benevolent. They used to hang the flags often. We learn in Pirket Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) "that Jewish people should pray for the security of the government." Without government we'd eat each other alive. The US government is a "Malchut Shel Chesed" a kingdom of loving kindness. It has been a gracious and benevolent kingdom for the Jewish people and therefore we should pray for it. Pray for the security of the government. Pray for the security of the President. Pray for the people of America. Pray for peace.
We at Jewish Treats and the National Jewish Outreach Program wish you and all of our fellow Americans a happy, healthy and safe Fourth of July!
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