There dwells inside of me a growing sense of unease about the fate of the Jewish people. This is, of course, not a unique sensation. In fact, it is something of a cliché. Countless individuals have expressed similar sentiment in the past, and (unfortunately) countless more will do so in the future. The causes of such concerns are specific to the individuals inside whom they arise. Although a valid source of concern, my unease about our people's future does not stem from the rising level of anti-semitism around the world. The swastika-branded gravestones in France or the torched-synagogues in Tunisia are but modern manifestations of an age-old "tradition." The Jewish people can manage such cowardly acts, as they have done for more than five thousand years. Nor does my unease stem from the world-wide effort to delegitimize the State of Israel. The Jewish State is resilient, and I am optimistic that it will remain the bright light for the Jewish people notwithstanding its imperfections. Rather, I am uneasy about our people's future because I am afraid that many Jews (particularly young Jews) do not do enough to emphasize and defend their Jewish identity. For me, "Jewish identity" encompasses religious identity, social identity, political identity, economic identity, etc. To this end, I am convinced that all external threats to the Jewish people pale in comparison to the threat that our own silence poses.
I intend for this blog to start a dialogue. No topic about Jewish identity is off limits. Let's remind ourselves (and the world) of who we are!
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