What makes Sunday’s “Israel in the Gardens” so important this year is that it’s a celebration of the Jewish homeland and its culture.
Instead of focusing on the Mideast crisis, Sunday’s event at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens will serve as a respite from the suicide bombings and dire news reports. It will be a chance to think about Israel in better days, when tourists abounded, discovering Israel’s ancient history and modern miracles.
We can do that again from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, coming together with other Bay Area Jews — possibly as many as 7,000 — to enjoy Israel’s art, entertainment and antiquities.
Although “Israel in the Gardens” is a non-political event, our presence sends a signal to the media that Bay Area Jews deeply support the Jewish homeland. We hope the San Francisco Chronicle, under attack for what some have called its anti-Israel coverage, will send a reporter to cover the event.
There will certainly be Israelis in attendance, including artisans and musicians. Undoubtedly they will be telling their friends and family in Israel how many local Jews came out to celebrate Israel’s 54th birthday. Israelis badly need to hear that American Jews, who have stopped visiting them, still care about them.
For those who are concerned about security at such a large gathering, organizers have taken extra precautions. Judging by past experiences, the police will ring Yerba Buena Gardens keeping any anti-Israel demonstrators or other trouble makers at arms distance.
As we report in our special Celebrating Israel supplement this week, the festivities are geared to people of all ages.
For the children, there will be puppet shows, storytellers and magic as well as educational programs. An Israeli rock band will perform along with other entertainers. For adults there will be demonstrations of Israel’s advancements in health, science and archaeology. And there will be hands-on exhibits for all ages, with a representative from the Israel Antiquities Authority on hand.
Come to the gardens on Sunday. Have fun and demonstrate your love for Israel.