Every1Counts: Days 28 and 29 (a double portion because it will soon be Shabbat)

April 27, 2018   12 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS, WHICH IS FOUR WEEKS, OF THE OMER

As my country struggles to preserve its moral center and maintain its democratic values, I am able to find comfort and solace in my Judaism. For me, being a Jew means to not stay silent; to speak out in the face of injustice, bigotry, racism, and misogyny to name a few. Social justice is a core tenet for a Reform Jew. Passover is one of my very favorite holidays in large part because it affords us, as Jews, to reflect on our own journey from slavery to freedom and in so doing we are faced with our own reality of how people in our country and in the world remain “enslaved “ for a multitude of reasons and unjust practices. I honor my Judaism and thereby myself, my family and those who came before me, when we raise our voices for justice and challenge ourselves around our Seder table to reflect on these issues and ask ourselves what are we going to do to make this world a better place?

Liza K.

April 28, 2018    13 Iyar, 5778

TONIGHT IS TWENTY-NINE DAYS, WHICH IS FOUR WEEKS AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER

*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.

In this melting pot of a country people frequently ask, “What are you?” Most people answer that question with, “I’m Irish,” or “I’m Italian” or whatever nation is associated with their ancestry. My answer is always, “I’m Jewish.”

Judaism is an identity, a culture, a heritage and a way of life just as much as being Irish or Italian. The words, “I’m Jewish” communicate a world for people. They paint a picture of my culture, my heritage, my traditions as much just as much as the picture that is painted by being Italian or Irish.

Many people when they communicate the words, “I’m Jewish” don’t associate Judaism with the Jewish homeland of Israel. For me, Israel is there in the foreground, and any conversation about what it means to be Jewish must contain a connection to Israel. I may not possess an Israeli passport, but I am connected to the Jewish homeland, like Ireland or Italy is connected to the ancestors of those lands, no matter where they live or what their passport documents. It is this connection and the need for a country where Jews from all nations can go to be at home and at peace that informs my Jewish identity.

So while I wouldn’t answer the question “What are you?” with, “I’m Israeli,” I do hope for the day when the answer, “I’m Jewish” is associated with a background in Israel just as much as being Italian is associated with a background in Italy.

Erica Newman