Dwell in harmony

הִנֵּ֣ה מַה־טּ֭וֹב וּמַה־נָּעִ֑ים שֶׁ֖בֶת אַחִ֣ים גַּם־יָֽחַד׃

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is:
brethren dwelling together in unity.

כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם  צִוָּ֣ה יי אֶת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה חַ֝יִּ֗ים עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃

There the LORD ordained blessing,
everlasting life.

Psalm 133:1, 3

Unity must go beyond cultural differences (Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Falasha), national origin (Spain, Portugal, Turkia, Germany, Russia, Ethiopia), religious traditions (liberal or traditional), political views (Likud, Avodah, Mapam, Republican, Libertarian, Democrat, Comunist, Socialist, Social-Democrat), theological interpretations, and denominational affiliations (Orthodox, Conservative/Masorti, Reform/Progressive, Reconstructionist, Hasidic with all its branches, Karaite, Samaritan). To be a People, One People, in unity does not require to dress the same way, speak the same language (Ladino/Spanish, Yiddish/German, Hebrew, Judaeo-Arabic, Judaeo-Farsi, Aramaic), or attend the same synagogue/temple.

When an act of antisemitism is experienced by one group, the cultural or religious differences are forgotten (there is always a few that will hold to those differences even if it cost the destruction of the Nation). Why a tragedy must happen to be inclusive of Jews who otherwise are not consider to be Jews? Jews in the ethnic sense, children of Israel, or Jewish in the religious sense.

Others make emphasis on Jewishness as a religious status. Yes, there are Jewish people who identify themselves as such due to their affiliation with the Jewish faith regardless of denomination. Some were born within a Jewish family (observants or not) while others joined by conversion (gerut) and conviction.  However, there are those who are secular, but identify themselves as culturally Jewish or as ethnic Jews. The old question, who is a Jew? In the religious sense no everyone who claim to be Jewish is a Jew, but he/she is still part of the People.

Let’s set aside that question. The question is who is a human? The unity of the Jewish people depends on the unity of humanity. In our faith we recognize every human being to be a creation of the Almighty. We, Jews and non-Jews, belong to the same humanity. To strive for the unity of the Children of Israel is to work toward the unity of humanity.

The presence of God is where there is unity and unity brings the blessings of the Almighty. Contrary to it, “do not look, it is so ugly and unpleasant when brethren and sisters live in disunity; there, is a curse and death.” God is not present at all.

The Unity of humanity is the hope for the Jewish people and the whole world. It is the hope of peace. The unity of the jewish people is the Light of the World.