Israel Is My Grandfather Kissing Asphalt

Key Findings:

The author speaks about his grandfather, Yamine Bitton, who upon landing in Israel, kissed the ground and promised he would never leave. (This is a tradition performed by many Jews who have made Aliyah to Israel, symbolizing the yearning to return to the Promised Land).

The author states that this image of his grandfather, who left everything behind in Casablanca, including a certain financial and social status, is at the forefront of what keeps him connected to the Zionist project. Through sharing his personal experience, the author speaks to an even larger idea that can be related to by the entire Jewish nation: 

“The image of our ancestors holding hands in a long chain through the centuries, praying to return to their biblical homeland, is larger than any of us.”

The author points to what ultimately upholds the Zionist dream— as individuals connected to the land, tapping into a larger picture is essential to staying connected to it. There must be a solid, overarching reason to hold on, one that goes beyond both positive and disheartening news, one that cannot be swayed by the seemingly ever changing landscape of the state of the country itself. For the author, it is the image of his grandfather kissing asphalt.