Rosh Hashana

I grew up in a society that had people from many different backgrounds. People with different customs and different ways of life. People who celebrated X-mas, people who celebrated Ramadan, people who celebrated the Chinese New Year. People with different norms.

It was always interesting when people thought they had it right. Their society was obviously better because they were born into it. So many people I knew never asked the question why is my upbringing better then that persons? Instead I was around people who mocked other cultures and laughed at their differences. If you aren't like me, you must be doing something wrong. It didn't matter how you grew up. What we had in common was we all thought our way was right. The blacks thought they had it right. So did the Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Chinese.

In my high school there were blacks, whites, chaldeans, asians, indians, jews, christians, muslims, buddhists, etc. At lunch we all sat separately. By choice. We found solace in finding other people like us. Our upbringing was the best.

As I grew up I met some people that were different then me. Living lives my family might not have approved of. I went to Jiu-Jitsu seminars hours away from home with Duane Dreasky; someone I never dreamed I would be friends with. He wasn't like me. He didn't grow up like me. I was better then him. I grew up my way and he didn't, he grew up his.

He gave his life in Iraq, a war he volunteered for, for the freedom of Americans. I didn't. He is a hero.

In college I met someone who didn't live the way he was raised. He asked the question why is my upbringing better then that persons? His answer was to rebel against society. That wasn't what I was looking for. I was looking for a society that I chose. A society that I would like to live in. I looked in many places. Many religions. Sometimes I laugh that I chose my upbringing.

When I went to yeshiva I met people from many different backgrounds. People with different customs and different ways of life. The first year I lived with people from America, Canada, England, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Ghana, France, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia. Some born Jewish. Some not. All with different customs. They all came to join together in one community.

Jerusalem is an interesting place. It's a place where people from everywhere in the world comes. People who speak different languages and weren't raised the way I was. We have nothing in common. But we have everything in common. We are Jews.

Judaism is an interesting nation. A people bonded together by their beliefs. A people who have been to hell and back many times and are still standing proud. A people that will never die. It doesn't matter where you are from, it doesn't matter how different you seem, you are my brothers. We are a family.

I hope everyone uses this Rosh Hashana wisely. I hope we take the time to reflect on our lives. We should realize that we have been given a gift. We are part of something global. We are part of something bigger than our upbringing and the countries we live in. We should use this upcoming year to reflect on life and try to become better people. More understanding people.

ktiva v'chatima tova

Mommy's big helpers