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Recently, I was at Etz Ahaim for a special presentation of a cartoon movie about the life of Rashi. Rashi is a Hebrew acronym for the name Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (the son of Yitzchak). Rashi is the most famous Jewish Bible commentator. He lived most of his life in the 11th century C.E.

Rashi was born at a point in history when Jews lived comfortably, but by the time Rashi died, the Crusades, with their wanton slaughter of Jews throughout Europe, had begun and it was no longer safe and comfortable for European Jews.

Despite the ups and downs of Rashi's life, what Rashi is remembered for today is his commentary on the Torah and the Talmud. Rashi's legacy to the world is his simple analysis (which is anything but simple without his commentary) of the bible and his lexicon of old French -- when Rashi was stumped on how to explain a specific word in Hebrew, he would resort, as most of us do, to his mother tongue. In his case, this was the French of his generation. (Noto bene: because of my small knowledge of French, his French definitions of words sometimes help me understand.)

As I was watching this enjoyable and informative movie, I was wondering what our generation's legacy would be. Will we be remembered for good or evil? Will we be remembered as the generation that started the movement back to observance of Torah law, or will we be remembered as the generation of Bernie Madoff? Will we be remembered as the generation that cared about people, Jew and gentile, or will we be remembered as the generation during which Jewish celebrities cared more about the enemies of Jews and the free world than they did about their fellow Jews? Will we be remembered as the generation that helped to build Israel, or will we be remembered as the generation that lost Israel?

The survival of Israel is important for the survival of the world as we know it here in the 21st century. It is vital that Jews be at the forefront of battles for freedom and civil rights, as we were in the 1960s in the U.S., fighting for civil rights. It is vital that Jews be above reproach in the business world. But it is equally important that the legacy of the pre-Holocaust, Holocaust, and post-Holocaust generations be the continued survival and flourishing of our homeland, of Israel.

No matter what your domestic political leanings are, whether liberal, conservative, radical, reactionary, or anything in between, Israel, her endurance, and her good name need to be paramount in our thoughts and deeds. We need to fight anti-Jewish misinformation, particularly in the guise of "anti-Israel" propaganda, wherever it rears its ugly head. We need to call it what it is, a double standard, lies, hatred, prejudice, negative stereotyping. When we see someone call Israel's defensive battles and stands "racism" or when they compare Israel's protection of her citizens and guests to the Nazi annihilation of millions of Jews, political prisoners, Gypsies, gays, etc., we need to challenge them and show the deceit and hatred in their words.

It is our responsibility to ensure our legacy. It is essential that this legacy include Israel's continued existence. It is essential that we as a generation contribute to Israel's thriving and development as a civilized country. And it is essential that we contest the demoralization of our people by continued anti-Israel fabrications and unjust comparisons.

Debbie Israel is a graphic artist (see cafepress.com/compugraphd2 for some of her work) and tutor living in Highland Park.