We have much to be proud of as Jews
Last month, our Jewish Federation brought together the Jewish professionals in our community (our Rabbis, Cantors, Educators, Executive Directors, and Administrators) to discuss our community and vision for the future. One of the many comments shared during our conversation that stood out to me pertained to the power of Jewish pride. In essence, with the challenges that we are facing as a community, with the rise of antisemitism and hate, although it might feel counterintuitive, it is imperative that we lean into our Jewish identity and pride in these moments. Not only can this give us strength in knowing we are part of an incredible people, but it also helps us fight against the helpless feeling many of us feel with the hate and vitriol the Jewish community has been targeted with these past few years.
As I was sitting in the meeting, I remembered a column I wrote for JLife two years ago that I thought would be good to revisit. In the column, I shared that I was inspired to create my own Almost 100 Things I Love Most About Being Jewish. I remember it being a lot of fun to think about and compile, and I wanted to revisit it together. So here is my list, in no particular order:
Playing Jewish geography; Rick Recht; Shabbat Oneg (a more festive dessert party); Radio Hanukkah on Sirius XM radio; “Where ever you go, there’s always someone Jewish”; Havdallah; Camp Song Sessions; Mel Brooks; Jewish comedy; Fiddler on the Roof; Torah; Pirkei Avot; Steven Windmueller’s insight; Israel; Passover seders with family and friends; Feeling an instant connection when finding out someone else is Jewish; Chocolate Babka; Matzah Ball Soup; Matzah brei; Kugel; Latkes (with sour cream and sugar); Jelly doughnuts; Spinning a dreidel upside down on Hanukkah; Vehavta (to me it embodies all we are supposed to do as Jews); Nigguns (wordless melodies); Doug Cotler’s Listen; Bim Bam; PJ Library; PJ Library; PJ Library (I think this program is revolutionizing the Jewish community); Jewish Federations; Youth groups; Shabbaton/shabbat retreats; Camp style of Birkat Hamazon (blessings after the meal); Our history; Jewish debates; Debbie Friedman; Maccabeats; Six13; “I have a little dreidel”; Wearing a kippah and being stopped by people with questions (including at the airport); The Shehecheyanu (the prayer that provides us the opportunity to appreciate and mark special moments); Hearing Yiddish words in everyday conversations; Going to the movies and eating Chinese food on December 25; Tikkun Olam; Apricot or cherry Hamantaschen; Purim; “May their name for ever be a blessing” (words offered to the family of those who have passed away); Kol Nidre (both the service and the prayer); The concept of Repentance/teshuvah; Those gummy Passover fruit candy slices; Jewish summer camp; Sunday School; Noah Ben Shea’s Jacob the Baker (if you have never read it, please do); Birthright Israel; Debbie Friedman’s Mi Sheberach melody (the special healing blessing); Seeing a counter or table full of menorahs on the 6th, 7th and 8th night of Hanukkah; The Frisco Kid (great movie with Gene Wilder as a rabbi and Harrison Ford as a bank robber who befriends him); The increased focus on greater inclusion within the Jewish community; Creating opportunities for people to see and feel the beauty of Judaism; Ga-Ga; Tzedakah; Mitzvot; Listening to a good sermon; My rabbis; High Holy Day services; Making Judaism relevant in my work; Jewish cooking; Memories of past holiday celebrations with family and friends; My family; The smell of freshly baked challah; Hearing Hebrew; The Jewish ideal that we are all B’ztelem Elohim(created in the image of G-d); Biting into a good brisket; Going outside to see if there are three stars in the sky (this signifies that a holiday is over); Prayer; Hillel (both the Rabbi and the college organization); Knowing that the Great American Songbook was primarily written by Jews; Broadway; Danny Kaye; Love that science and Torah are not mutually exclusive; Jews feel a moral obligation to stand with those who are suffering; Chopped liver on rye; Bar/Bat Mitzvahs; Seeing a Star of David and feeling an instant connection; Community; Rugrats Hanukkah and Passover; Purim carnivals and costume parades; The Priestly Benediction; Feeling a connection to something that is larger than me; Jewish Friends; Rugelach; Sam Glaser’s music; Joel Ben Izzy’s storytelling; Stories from Chelm; a perfectly toasted everything bagel with lox shmear.
Take some time to create your own list and recognize that you are part of an incredible community with much to be proud of. And if you would, please share your own list with me…. I would love to see what made your list.
Jason Moss is executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Greater
San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
