As Rabbi Wein puts it, “What makes this series so unique is that it puts the Jewish history of the 20th century into perspective. We can see ourselves in the “big picture”, how we fit into nearly 4,100 years of Jewish survival. Who we are as Jews? How, and why, we have survived so long? What is our purpose? And what is our Jewish Destiny? It tells our children, and our grandchildren, that despite the tragedies, there are triumphs and that knowing where we come from will help us understand where we are going.”

“Tighten your seatbelt. A remarkable ride through Jewish History…”
- Eric Mahr, Mahrwood Press

“…Phenomenal in its depth and real-life drama…”
- Susan Schiller, Media Consultant

A Berel Wein/ Destiny Series

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With original footage and Rabbi Berel Wein’s expert narration, the depth and detail in “Faith & Fate 6: The Miracle of Israel” is sure to inform and move you!

The Miracle of Israel Synopsis

When the American soldiers discovered the “Jewish graveyard” left by the Nazis in Europe – as well as the survivors of the concentration camps, they were unprepared for what they saw and shocked by what they found. The surviving Jews had no homes to return to, little or no family remaining and were suffering in dire poverty. The Sephardic as well as the Ashkenazic Jewish communities of Europe were gone. Looking back, they and their communities were devastated, and looking forward, the challenges seemed insurmountable.

The film explores the remarkable determination that the survivors had to rebuild their lives. It also explores their faith during and after the Holocaust. For the many of survivors, the Zionist dream of a Jewish homeland was their anchor of hope. For others, it was their determination to rebuild their lives with material security and safety. And yet for others, the faith that had sustained them through their darkest days, became the building block of re-creating a Torah life – wherever they could. For example, the communities of the Chassidic dynasties such as Sanz, Bobov, Satmar and the Torah institutions and communities of Ponevich, Mir, Telze, just to name a few.

The antisemitism by local Europeans continued even after World War II, especially among the Poles. There were pogroms and Jews were killed, often by people they knew. Emigration to other non-European countries was often not an option, as the quota system instituted against Jews before World War II was still in effect, even after the Holocaust. Only 1500 Jews per month were allowed by the British to enter Palestine, as England did not want to antagonize the Muslim world. The vast majority of survivors were classified as Displaced Persons and were placed in DP camps. Once again, they were living under armed guard, in poverty and unwanted. When U.S. representatives saw the situation in the DP camps, they pressed the British to let in 100,000 Jews to Palestine, to no avail. The American JDC and British JRC led the way in supplying these people with food, medicine and schools.

The sympathy for the Jews in general and for Zionism in particular grew markedly as a result of what the Jews suffered under the Nazis. The British ignoring their legal obligation under the terms of The Mandate illegally restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The political situation was reaching a breaking point. The British “occupiers” were unpopular to both the Arabs and Jews. The Jews were split as to how to deal with the British in Palestine. Some, led by David Ben Gurion and Chaim Weizman believed in negotiations and political pressure, while others led by Menachem Begin believed the only way to create the State was to fight for it – and drive the British out.

The route through and from Europe was treacherous for the Jewish refugees seeking to enter Palestine. Thousands braved the elements and made it to the shores of Palestine, only to see 62 of 63 immigrant ships be turned away by the British blockade. The most famous of these ships, the Exodus, created a standoff between its 4,500 Jewish survivors and the British. Eventually the British sent the refugees back to France, and when the Jews refused to disembark they shipped back to the “death land” – Germany. The inhumanity of the action and the iron will of the survivors swayed world public opinion.

In 1946, the British attempted to defeat any Jewish opposition by arresting 5000 Jews in Palestine, including the leaders of the Hagannah and the Jewish Agency. The Irgun reacted by bombing the headquarters of the British forces at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

From 1945-1948, there was a groundswell of public support for the State of Israel by Jews world-wide, and in the United States in particular. Meanwhile, in Palestine, bombings and retaliatory murders are daily occurrences, as the British were unsuccessful at keeping the peace between Jew and Arabs. Eventually British Prime Minister Bevin decided that England would give up its rule over Palestine and handed the problem over to the United Nations to solve.

At the same time, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the Free World escalated. Stalin closed the doors on Soviet emigration which prevented 3 million Jews from leaving. Furthermore, with the official policy of atheism, being enforced, Jews were forbidden from practicing their religion.

UNSCOP, The United Nations Committee on Palestine, held hearings on September 1, 1947, to decide what course of action to recommend to the UN regarding Palestine. Remarkably it was 50 years to the day (September 1, 1897) that Herzl wrote in his diary, “in 50 years, a Jewish State would be created.”

UNSCOP recommended to partition Palestine into two states – one Jewish and one Arab. This Partition Plan was rejected by all the Arab states. The resolution was passed in the United Nations with a vote of 33-13. Amazingly, both the United States and the Soviet Union supported the resolution, at the height of the Cold War. Russia believed that a Jewish state with many Socialist and Communist ideals would lead it eventually become part of the Soviet sphere of influence. This passing of the Partition Plan negatively affected over 1 million Sephardic Jews living in Arab lands, where the Muslims began turning against their Jewish citizens.

Since there was no U.N. provision to implement the Partition Plan, the Jews and Arabs were let to resolve the conflict themselves. Arab violence escalated and war quickly became the norm. By May of 1948, 1256 Jews, mostly civilians, had been killed by Arabs. As the war for Jewish survival increased, thousands of local Palestinians fled to neighboring Arab countries – believing that when the Jews were defeated they would return home.

On May 14, 1948, the British officially left Palestine and on the same day, the State of Israel was immediately declared by David Ben Gurion, acting as its provisional Prime Minister.

America was the first country to officially recognize the new State of Israel – eleven minutes after it was declared. U.S. President Harry Truman signed the letter of recognition – despite the objections by The United States Secretary of State George Marshall and the entire State Department.

Immediately after the declaration an all-out war broke out between the Jews and Arabs. Seven Arab armies attacked the new Jewish State – but were not united both militarily and politically. For example, the Arab League was established in order to counter The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem’s ambition to secure domination of Arab Palestine. At the same time, King Abdullah of Jordan wanted to merge Palestine with his kingdom. Eventually, the Arab forces began to lose the war.

As the war was raging the Jewish leadership begged the local Palestinian Arabs not to abandon their homes but the Arab leadership forbade the Arabs to return or live in areas under Jewish rule.

Unfortunately, in one form or anther, the war and battles that began in 1948 have continue to this day.

How different the situation in the Middle East would have been today if the Arabs had opened their hearts to live in peace with their Jewish neighbors – and had accepted the UN Partition Plan, which so favorable to them.

Reviews – Faith & Fate Miracle of Israel Judy Siegel – Jerusalem Post (8/1/2008) wrote:

Faith & Fate: The Miracle of Israel 1945-1948, a set of DVD (English, with Hebrew and Russian subtitles) and interactive DVD-ROM resource guide in English by Rabbi Berel Wein and the Destiny Foundation for Windows and Mac- Ages 13 through adult. Rating: ***** (Five out of Five Stars) If there is any one thing that could counter intermarriage and assimilation in the Diaspora and promote Zionist fervor everywhere, it is watching this DVD on events leading to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. All Jewish schools and organizations, pro-Israel Christian groups and aliya institutions should disseminate this program as widely as possible, and Israeli TV stations and Web sites should show it to increase Israelis’ understanding of why they deserve theirhomeland.

Integrating rare archival film of the historic era between 1945 and 1948, contemporary interviews of witnesses and discussions by Israeli and American historians with narration by educator and Jerusalem Post columnist Rabbi Berel Wein, the DVD brings tears to the eyes of viewers. The resource guide fortifies the emotional reaction with its factual source material, while the teacher’s guide provides solid historical background about events and personalities, including lesson topics and questions for pupils.

World War II and the Holocaust are over, but survivors ­ Ashkenazim and Sephardim  who become displaced persons remain a target of pogroms; some in DP camps lose their belief in God and the future, while others are impelled by faith to risk everything to reach their homeland in Palestine. “The Jewish State gives them something to look forward to; it gave them hope,” says Israeli historian Prof. Anita Shapira.

The British use every means to prevent Jews from succeeding sending them to Cyprus or even back to Europe. The absolute refusal of British officials to allow entry to even a small number bolsters the survivors’ determination to go and fight for a Jewish state. “The Arabs wanted all or nothing,” notes Wein, who continues that if their leaders had been willing to live and let live with the Jews, history and today¹s reality would have been much different.

Beyond the historical details, the faces and personal stories of the Jews are imprinted on the hearts of viewers. Faith & Fate, whose multimedia series is due to cover the entire 20th century within three years, is a must for every Jewish and open-minded non-Jewish home.

Picking up where “Episode 6: The Miracle of Israel” left off, “A New Beginning” tells the behind-the-scene stories of the absorption of the 850,000 Jewish refugees from Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Egypt and more. Nobody, after seeing the chilling terrors they faced and the glorious scenes of their rescue, can fail to be moved.

The film takes us back fourteen centuries to the prophet Mohammed, citing the verses of the Koran that feed the present-day Arab/Israeli conflict. The film also captures the beginning of the Cold War, showing the power plays that culminated in the Suez crisis. It also shows the fate of Jews behind the Iron Curtain, contrasting it with the challenge of freedom in 1950′s suburban America.

The thread that runs throughout Faith and Fate: A New Beginning is the very human story of the impact of history on ordinary people.

Among the world experts interviewed are:
. Rafael Israeli, Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew University
. Dr. Jane Gerber, Director of the Institute of Sephardic Studies, City University of New York
. Zvi Gitelman , Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan
. Anita Shapira, Professor of Modern Jewish History, Tel Aviv University
. Geoffrey Gurock, Professor of Modern Jewish History Yeshiva University

“This period demonstrated a remarkable ascent from the ashes of the Holocaust to the establishment of a Jewish state and the beginning of a religious resurgence throughout the Jewish world. For the Jews in the Arab lands life was over and their ancient culture was under assault even in their new homeland. In America, Jews were facing the challenges of affluence, acceptance, and assimilation. In Russia, on the other hand, Jews were trapped behind the Iron Curtain. their religion banned and their status reduced to being second class citizens. While in Israel itself, a spirit of purpose, courage, tenacity and growing faith in the Divine dominated.” – Rabbi Berel Wein

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Set in the 11th Century France at the time of the Crusades, Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, is the story of a unique hero, a Torah commentator who defended his people’s rights to spiritual choice and freedom.

Till Today, Rashi’s commentary on the Chumash and the Talmud is the most studied and beloved commentary ever written.

To understand Rashi is to understand the story of the Jews. So come back in time – to a world that began with the belief in one G-d.

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Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, was born in Cordova Spain, early in the 12th century. Facing the terror of the fanatic Muslim Almohads, he and his family fled Cordova. For seven years they lived in the mountains and caves of Spain.

During that time, his remarkable Torah and Talmudic knowledge increased. His love of Torah combined with his avid study of healing and natural medicine, the sciences, mathematics, astronomy – as well as the works of the classical philosophers, began to shape the destiny of his life.

The legacy he left behind is astounding. He wrote Perush Ha-Mishnayot – his commentary on the Mishnah, which included the Thirteen Principles of Faith, before he was 30. He also penned Mishna Torah – over 14 volumes of the laws of the Torah. Amongst his numerous works he wrote and defined Sefer Ha-Mitzvot and the 613 mitzvahs – and The Guide to the Perplaxed – as spiritual and philosophical treatise.

Rambam was a holistic healer of body and soul. In an age of ignorance, he was a shining light of compassion and commitment toward his fellow human beings.

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Rabbi Berel Wein,the founder and director of The Destiny Foundation since 1996, has, for over 25 years, been identified with the popularization of Jewish history through world-wide lectures, his more than 1,000 audiotapes, books, seminars, educational tours and, most recently, dramatic and documentary films.

Rabbi Wein has authored four Jewish history books – Triumph of Survival, The Story of the Jews in the Modern Era; Herald of Destiny, the Medieval Era; Echoes of Glory, the Classical Era and Faith and Fate, the story of the Jews in the Twentieth Century – all of which have received popular and critical acclaim.

Rabbi Wein also authors and edits a monthly newsletter – The Wein Press– a source of information and inspiration on topics of Jewish interest. He also pens a weekly column for The Jerusalem Post.

Rabbi Wein, a member of the Illinois Bar Association, is the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award from The Covenant Foundation in 1993. Most recently, Rabbi Wein received the Torah Prize Award from Machon Harav Frank in Jerusalem for his achievements in teaching Torah and spreading Judaism throughout the world. Rabbi Wein makes his home in Jerusalem.

Berel Wein,the founder and director of The Destiny Foundation since 1996, has, for over 25 years, been identified with the popularization of Jewish history through world-wide lectures, his more than 1,000 audiotapes, books, seminars, educational tours and, most recently, dramatic and documentary films.

Berel Wein has authored four Jewish history books – Triumph of Survival, The Story of the Jews in the Modern Era; Herald of Destiny, the Medieval Era; Echoes of Glory, the Classical Era and Faith and Fate, the story of the Jews in the Twentieth Century – all of which have received popular and critical acclaim.

Berel Wein also authors and edits a monthly newsletter – The Wein Press– a source of information and inspiration on topics of Jewish interest. He also pens a weekly column for The Jerusalem Post.

Berel Wein, a member of the Illinois Bar Association, is the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award from The Covenant Foundation in 1993. Most recently, he received the Torah Prize Award from Machon Harav Frank in Jerusalem for his achievements in teaching Torah and spreading Judaism throughout the world. Berel Wein makes his home in Jerusalem.