“This example will help you in your addition quiz,” the math teacher tells his students: “one apple plus another apple, equals two apples.”
The students nod in understanding.
Satisfied, the teacher turns to the principal: “My class is ready for the quiz.”
“If I have one orange on this table and another orange on another table, how many oranges do I have in total?” the principal asks the class.
The brightest student raises his hand: “Sir, we only learned about apples, we have not learned about oranges…”
It’s time we see beneath the apples. One plus one equals two. Period. That fact will exist in any place or time. It’s reality.
Living in the USA, we grew up with respect and tolerance. We have a hard time realizing that hate is real. Unfortunately, history has taught us that hatred towards the Jewish people is a hard reality. Yes, there are people out there who act out of hate. Hatred has to be addressed, not excused.
There is one more piece to this saga: history has also taught us that Am Yisrael Chai! Storms don’t stop us, they awaken us. We come out of storms feeling fiercely Jewish.
As we celebrated our identity this past Monday – the day G-d gave the Jewish people the Torah – let’s focus on unleashing our drive and passion for caring to be Jewish. Being Jewish is not a job, nor a consciousness – it’s our very life.
May the Jewish people see an end to all of this pain. Amen!
Wishing you and your family a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendy
