Just like in ancient days when there were the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel, today there are two major centers of Jewry in the world, in Israel and the Diaspora. Again, after a century of solidarity and mutual aid, political differences, geographic distance, and religious and cultural divergence have had a splintering effect on the relationship. Many are complacent, saying sociological and cultural trends will run their course and there is nothing we can do. This week’s parashah and haftarah, however, constitute a warning not to repeat the errors of the past. We need to mount a major effort to link Israel and Diaspora Jews in a new consciousness of deeper unity and learning with and from each other.

Download or listen to the full Dvar Torah below.