Before coming to Israel, if you asked me what it meant to be a part of Am Israel I would have probably mentioned the earliest Jews wandering in the desert for many years. However, being in Israel for these past three and a half months has given me so much new insight on not only what it means to be Jewish, but what it means to be a part of Am Yisrael.
Part of me wants to say that all Jews are a part of Am Yisrael, however, it depends who you ask. In my personal opinion, I think that if you identify as Jewish, then you are a part of Am Yisrael. On the other hand, if you ask a member of the ultra-orthodox community they may not consider many people as a part of Am Yisrael because they do not see any other sect of Judaism as legitimate. As history has showed us, there are also many complications that come along with being a part of Am Yisrael. As these Jewish people, we have been persecuted for thousands of years. We always seem to have a target on our backs, but I think that is what has made us so much stronger. To me, someone who is a part of Am Yisrael is someone with Jewish values, who supports Israel, and is a part of the Jewish community.
I like how you described jews- the metaphore that we have a target on our backs; it's so true. Although this target has proven very difficult and caused the death of most of our Jewish population, this target is incredibly unifying. Am Yisrsel has been able to stick together all of these years, through the persecution and the several targets on our backs, because of our united hope and determination.
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