On the first night of Rosh Hashanah we went around the table and asked people to share what their wish was for the world for this new year. People shared very poignant ideas. My wish for the world was that we should start to seek/value truth. We are at a point where anyone can say anything without having to back it up with facts. This has had a detrimental effect on many levels, not the least of which in regard to the war in Gaza. Claims are made and stated as truth. But then “don’t confuse me with the facts.” As the lie is repeated over and over again, it becomes accepted as truth.
This week I had two conversations that really drove this home for me. One was with a person who has been critical of Israel. In the course of the conversation, they shared that initially they weren’t all that knowledgeable about the details, but they felt they needed to be supportive of “innocent people” being killed at that rate. Often people speak first and explore facts later, without thinking about the ramifications of those decisions.
The second conversation was with someone who was feeling assaulted by the plethora of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments that are so prevalent on social media and in the world at large. He was asking how he could fortify himself against this. We talked about various strategies, including becoming more informed and listening to sources of information that would reinforce his own commitment, as well as providing information to address the specific falsehoods that are being propagated. More importantly, I encouraged him to fortify himself Jewishly. This is the message I would like to share more widely.
The best way to feel good about your Jewish identity, is to do more Jewish. “Just Jew It.” The more we incorporate Jewish practices and Jewish learning into our daily lives, the stronger our Jewish identity becomes, and the more assured we are that protecting Jewish life is a good and G-dly ideal. The more we do Jewishly, the more we will feel Jewishly. This is a powerful defense against an assault on the Jewish identity.
I hope Nike won’t mind us borrowing their slogan and encouraging us all to “Just Jew It.”
Shabbat Shalom and may we be sealed in the book of life, prosperity, and meaningful spiritual growth.
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin
AJRCA Programs wrote...