I generally know, or at least recognize, basically every Jew in my community. It happens very rarely that I'll pass by a family who I don't at least know of or who doesn't even look familiar. Today, however, as I was walking to a friend's house, I passed by three older adults who I completely did not recognize walking towards me. Still, they smiled at me and said "good Shabbos" and I, of course, responded with a friendly "good Shabbos" of my own. As they passed me and I walked on ahead, it got me thinking. How many people in the secular world say "hello" or "good morning" to the people they pass on the street? How many people acknowledge that we are, all of us, part of the same human race and that we ought to treat each other as such? Now, I know I'm talking about something that would occur in a utopia, but not in the real world. I mean, we're taught as young children not to talk to strangers. Still, though. When the adults I did not know and I exchanged a good-natured "good shabbos," it really made me appreciate being Jewish. It was a clear indication of how we're all one family. No matter where you are in the world, no matter what language you speak or what your political opinions are, or even religious opinions, a Jew is a Jew is a Jew and one Jew will (or ought to) wish another Jew a good shabbos.
When my grandfather was here from Israel for Pesach, he told me a story of one time when he was in...I don't even remember what country it was, but somewhere where there were not necessarily a ton of Jews, and he was walking in the street and an old, poor man sitting on the side of the road saw them and asked excitedly, "lanzmen???" (I actually don't know how to spell it, but that's how it sounds) which basically means, "are you like me? are you Jewish?" (If anyone knows the actual translation, I might be just a bit off, but that's the general gist). He was so happy to see another Jew.
I'm an idealist. I am. But I truly believe that, at the end of the day, whether you're right-winged, a leftist, whether you're modern or yeshivish or...or anything, if you're Jewish, you're my brother, my sister, my family.
I just wish all Jews would see it like that.
1 comment:
So, I totally agree with you here. There are definitely people who need to learn that a Jew is a Jew, no matter what. Do I get annoyed at the observances of others sometimes? Yes, but that doesn't mean that I have no connection to those people and I look down on them.
On a similar vein, one branch of my family recently had a family get-together commemorating the 40th yahrtzeit of my great-great-grandfather and the 100th anniversary of our family being in America. Now, this branch of the family (as with most branches of my family) were chassidim way back when (and many of them still are), but I also have cousins on that side who are Conservative. At the bottom of the invitation to this event, it said, "the diversity of our family will make everyone feel at home" or something to that effect. That's what more people should feel like-- yes, there are many different types of Jews, but we're all family.
(wow, I'm in a very long-winded mood)
Post a Comment