Unlike the public schools, most yeshivas are opened on Veterans Day. This, according Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman and Rabbi Yotav Eliach, the Rosh HaMesivta and Principal, respectively, of the Rambam Mesivta High School in Lawrence, presents an opportunity to teach yeshiva students an important Torah principle.

“Hakoras haTov - saying ‘thank you’, showing appreciation to one who has been good to you - is a fundamental Jewish value,” says Rabbi Friedman. “And that includes saying thank you to countries and governments that have been good to us as Jews. I think it’s fair to say that outside of situations of Jewish self-government, like the situation in Eretz Yisroel today, there has been no country throughout our long and troubled Diaspora that has treated Jews as well as America. Veterans Day is, to our minds, the perfect moment to say ‘thank you’ to the country, its leaders and defenders. In fact, as Jews, I would expect us to be the first to seize the opportunity to show hakoras haTov to America.”

Rabbi Eliach agrees. “As an ancient people, it’s not surprising that we should have a long institutional memory. So we remember very clearly the many governments and countries that persecuted Jews in the past. And persecution of Jews is not only a thing of the past; look at what is happening today in Europe, particularly in France, where attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions is, at best, being treated with “benign neglect” by the European governments. But that is all the more reason for us to recognize and appreciate a remarkable country like America - a true medinat tzedek - and to demonstrate our hakarat haTov.

At Rambam, Veterans Day is marked with a variety of school activities. This year, a school-wide assembly was treated to a sparkling presentation by Lt. Yoni Zagdanski, an Orthodox Jew from Far Rockaway, who is now a member of America’s fighting forces in Iraq. He showed pictures from the fighting in Iraq and the capture of Baghdad, and peppered his comments with references to Iraq as Biblical “Bavel”. He spoke about the unique experience being back in Bavel and how he was conscious of the strange turn of history that had brought him back as a soldier to a place that his forefathers had likely seen as captives. The students roared at his jokes about Saddam Hussein and the opulence of his palaces while showing pictures of him and his comrades lounging on Saddam’s palatial sofas.

Leading up to Veteran’s Day, Rambam was visited by Sgt. Curtis Whiteway, who was part of the American forces that liberated the Dachau concentration camp at the end of World War II. Sgt. Whiteway was honored by the Five Towns community three years ago at the community’s annual Yom HaShoah commemoration and was the subject of a recent story on NBC. (Click here to view.) Sgt. Whiteway’s description of the concentration camps was gripping, and he received a standing ovation from the students.

“It was really awe-inspiring to see these great people,” says Yitzie Klein, a senior. “They risked their lives so we can live peacefully. We owe them much gratitude.” Referring to the presentation by Sgt. Whiteway, Josh Faizzadeh, a freshman, noted, that “the events of the Holocaust should make every Jewish-American appreciate living in America. Six million Jews were persecuted under Nazi rule; in America, we are living a life of freedom, free to practice our religion.”

Rambam’s Veterans Day observance has been an annual event since the school was founded. Other programs have included a presentation to the school from a World War II honor guard as well as presentations from veterans of the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars, all of whom were greeted with a standing ovation and presented with commemorative plaques from the students. At last year’s Veteran’s Day observance, the veterans presented the school with a flag flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Rambam participated in a “support our troops” rally in Mineola earlier this year. The Mesivta has also “adopted” an American unit in Afghanistan, raising money to provide them with musical equipment and other personal items.

“Showing hakoras haTov to America goes far beyond a one-day observance,” says Rabbi Friedman. “It means showing respect to America’s leaders, its institutions, its laws. Obeying the laws of the land is, moreover, consistent with the halakhic notion of dina diMalkhusa dina - the obligation to scrupulously observe the laws of the country in which we reside.”

“Hakarat haTov to America also calls upon us to be politically aware and active,” says Rabbi Eliach. If we care about America, then we should be involved in helping to uphold its values, its institutions, making it an even better place to live. When it comes to American politics, we shouldn’t be shrinking violets. We should be leaders, not only looking out for our own narrow interests, but also looking out for the interests of all American citizens. After all,” he smiles, “they’re our neighbors. And among the best that we’ve ever known.”

Veteran's Day 2003
by Freshman Avi Bernstein

November 11, 2003 – “Freedom is not free…but it comes as a price,” Rabbi Yotav Eliach, Principal of Rambam stated when introducing Lieutenant Yoni Zagdanski to the assembly of Rambam students. Lieutenant Zagdanski is Jewish, and served in the American army during the Iraqi War.

Lieutenant Zagdanski began his presentation with the story of his childhood which, he said, was filled with foolishness and ego. This is why he joined the American army. He felt that the army would shape him up, and it did.

In 1996, he went for basic training, and then proceeded with ranger training. After all this training, he sensed a yearning to lead other soldiers, and therefore became a lieutenant. He was assigned to the third infantry division.

When the attack on September 11 occurred, he knew he was going to be called up to go to war some time soon. About one year later, sure enough, he was called to go out to war. He was deployed and 'very motivated' to fight for his country.

However, many soldiers began to think differently when they arrived at the desert for training, Lt. Zagdanski said. Training in the desert was very difficult. In fact, many men complained and even cried during the desert training.

Despite the hardships, Lieutenant Zagdanski was motivated as a Jew. Iraqis are descendants of the Babylonians. Moreover, Sadam Hussein claims to be Nebuchadnezzar II! This helped motivate him to progress.

On April 10, Lt. Zagdanski and his men breached Baghdad, and proceeded to liberate it from Hussein. While passing through the city, he saw engraved writing on an archway that was on the way towards the mosque. His interpreter translated the writing as follows, “The mosque is built in celebration of the future Jew-free Jerusalem.” It was clear why Lt. Zagdanski was so motivated to fight.