David Ben-Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel.

Erev Rosh HaShanah, while I cleaned out email and files, I came across this message from last year and wanted to share it again. Worldwide media doesn’t showcase Jews celebrating holdidays and family traditions. So let us celebrate and follow the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov – “Be Happy.”

Written by an Israeli named Dan Sporn

Our condition in Israel has never been better. Only the media declares that the world is coming to an end. Just a little over six decades ago, Jews were brutally murdered. No country to run for haven, no army to fight for their lives. Then, just five years afterwards, multiple Arab countries declared war on the newly-established Jewish State of Israel.

We were 650,000 Jews against the rest of the Arab world. No IDF or Air Force – just a group of stubborn people with nowhere to go. Keep in mind: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt all attacked in unison.

The state that the United Nations “gave” us was 65% desert, and we started it from nothing. In 1967 we fought three of the strongest countries in the Middle East and crushed them in The Six-Day War. Over the years we fought interchanging coalitions comprised of 20 Arab countries with modern armies and  huge amounts of Soviet ammunition, and, still, we won. Today, we have a beautiful country, a powerful military force on the ground, air, and sea, and a thriving high-tech society. Intel, Microsoft and IBM all developed their businesses here in Israel. Our doctors have won important prizes in the field of medical development. We turned the desert into a prosperous land.

We sell oranges, flowers, and vegetables around the world. We launched our own satellite – actually, three at once. We are in good company; together with the USA (280 million residents), Russia (220 million residents), China (1.3 billion residents) and Europe (France, England and Germany – 35 million residents), we are one of the only countries in the world that launched a satellite into space.

Israel today is among the few powerful countries that has nuclear technology and capabilities. (We will never admit it, but everyone knows.) To think that only 65 years ago the world abased us and left us homeless. We crawled out the ashes to become a strong nation and won all our wars. We built an empire out nothing. Who are Khaled Meshaal (leader of Hamas) and Hassan Nasrallah (leader of Hezbollah) trying to frighten?

As we celebrate, let’s not forget what this holy day is all about; we overcame all our enemies: the Greeks;Romans; the Spanish Inquisition; Russian pogroms. We survived the collapse of the Third Reich. We vanquished the armies of seven countries.

Relax, chaverai (my friends). So, too, shall we overcome our current enemies.

So let’s lift our heads up and remember: Never mind which country or culture tries to harm us or erase us from the world. We still exist. On the other hand, does anyone know what happened to Pharaoh’s Egyptian Empire? Alexander Macedon’s Greece? Where is the Holy Roman Empire? Does anyone speak Latin today?

Look at us, the Biblical nation, that escaped the bonds of Egyptian slavery, and we still speak our own language. Perhaps the Arabs aren’t aware of it, but we are an eternal nation. As long as we adhere to our identity, we will remain eternal..

So, sorry that we don’t worry, complain, cry, or fear here in the Jewish state. Business is b’seder (fine). Sure it could improve, but it is still fine. Don’t pay attention to the media nonsense. They won’t tell you about our festivals here in Israel or the people that continue living, going out, meeting friends, and celebrating holidays together.

Sometimes morale is down. So what? This is only because we mourn our dead while they exult in spilled Jewish blood. This is the reason we will win after all.

Please forward this to all your Jewish friends throughout the world. You are all part of the force of our existence. This message may help some of us life our heads and say with pride, “I am a Jew!”

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, 1 of the 25 largest US PR Firms.