Gerson: Abraham established a pioneering spirit in Jews that saved them time and again

In this early part of the Jewish year, we Jews in the synagogue are reading the beautiful Book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah.

In one of the most important passages of Jewish history, Genesis 12, Abraham is called by God, to leave his home in Babylonia (now Iraq) and to go to the untamed land of Israel.

"Now the Lord said unto Abraham, go forth from your country and from your father's home, unto the land that I will show you ... and I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you..."(Genesis 12:1-2)

Of course, the theological significance of  this passage is profound; Abraham, from idolatrous Babylonia, was to begin a new monotheistic faith, Judaism.

But, there is something else happening here, upon which I would like to focus.  This was the beginning of something very crucial to Jewish history and that is a pioneering spirit.  Abraham, with his wife Sarah, was the first Jewish pioneer, going into a new, uncharted land.

In that mold, as history unfolded, Jews were always able to seek out new places, often due to persecution, and this was a key to Jewish survival.  To stay in one place would have meant our demise.

There are so many examples.  In 1492, Sephardic Jews were forced to leave Inquisitorial Spain; but went forward, as pioneers, to other European countries and to the West, including America, to form new communities.

But one example of this pioneering spirit hits very home to me in two ways.  In the 19th century, Jews in Germany were in great stress, with antisemitism and political disenfranchisement.  But they, as pioneers, went to new places.  And I would mention two in particular with a personal connection.

Some German Jews came to the midwest and south of the United States.  And this is the origin of our own Congregation Children of Israel in Athens, founded by German Jews, who became part of Athens' business and religious life.

And others from Germany actually came to the West Coast, including my own hometown of San Diego. I wrote a whole dissertation on this in Rabbinic school.  At that time San Diego was under the control of Mexico (until 1848).  With great effort, these pioneering German Jews built a Jewish life there.  And they were only a handful.

Yes, Abraham, with his wife Sarah, set the ground work for Jewish history.  That pioneering spirit was a large key to Jewish existence.  "Go forth unto the new land that I will show you."  Powerful words that lived on.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Rabbi Ronald Gerson and the pioneering spirit of Jews