“A nation that forgets its past has no future.” That’s the mantra that Siggy Flicker lives by. The matchmaker-turned-reality-TV-celebrity was the guest speaker at this year’s JNF “Women for Israel” lunch earlier this week.
The saying sounds like the catchphrase of the Jewish people, and the key to Jewish continuity, an argument that Flicker passionately made in her unique Israeli-tinged New Jersey accent.
When I Googled Flicker’s phrase all hits seemed to point to Winston Churchill as the origin for the phrase. As I dug deeper, though, I could not find a source for Churchill having said this, only people stating that Churchill had said it. Then I landed on the website of Churchill historian Richard M. Langworth who maintains a page called “Things Churchill never said.” Guess which saying clocks in at four?
Back to Flicker: Call me a pop culture Philistine but I hadn’t heard of her. I don’t watch much reality TV and can say with gratitude that I am not in need of a matchmaker. One would be making a big mistake to discount her simply because she appeared on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” The Israeli-born, Cherry Hills, NJ-raised woman is a passionate advocate for Israel and Jewish continuity. Indeed, she’s used her platform as a reality TV actress to discuss issues like anti-Semitism.
One could that say Flicker’s birth, during the Six Day War, predetermined her destiny. But Flicker’s commitment to advocacy seems to come from deep within herself — and her desire to see future generations of Jews, including her own children, equally committed to Israel.
She does this not only by speaking about Israel, and confronting those who deny Israel’s right to existence, but she also by taking people there to see the vibrancy of the land.
Israel is lucky to have her in its corner.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
Copyright © 2019 by the Intermountain Jewish News
