Members of the Tribe

This past July, I spent a whole month in the amazing city of Jerusalem. I spent my days learning in classes on Judaism. I spent my evenings walking around the streets, meeting friends for dinner, shopping and observing the difference in cultures from my own. People watching is one of my favorite things to do in foreign environments. In short, it was of course phenomenal. I am often amazed when I find how quickly I adapt to new situations. This time was no exception. Every time I am in Israel, I get used to the many symbols that a Jewish state exists. It's comforting and familiar to see mezuzah's on office doorways, restaurants and households. The blessing for safe travel is above the exit door on every bus traveling from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. There are hand washing stations set up at falafel stands so customers can wash before eating bread. And mostly, I notice the kippa's drifting, darting and dashing past me on the street. Women wearing skirts, sandals and scarves in their hair. The reason this is so interesting to me is that in Israel and Jerusalem specifically, you see such diversity in our people just from walking down the street. In America, in Diaspora, it's much more segregated. Your ideology tends to match the shul you frequent and most everything that goes along with that including laws on kashrut, shabbat keeping and how the prayers in synagogue will operate. Not so in Jerusalem. There is the inevitable celebration of diversity within religiousity and I find it to be exhilarating. Why? Because it's celebrating the gray. It's easy to see that being a person who is committed to a religious life comes in many shapes and forms. And that's a lesson for all of us who wander there. It's not about the rules you follow within the boundaries of your selected space. It's about what you bring to the table once you're there. And that permeates Jewish living in Jerusalem, evident in lay led prayer groups, regular Torah learning and practice of Kashrut. This is not to say the country does not face challenges among people or have a hard time meeting the needs of observant Jews. Like any other group, there are problems. Living in Israel is not perfect or meant to be looked at through rose colored glasses. But what excited me about interacting with those who live there is the freedom of individuals to be committed honestly and engaged in the process of living a Jewish life. The labels fall away. The boxes become less important. And your neighbor becomes a fellow human being and less a member with a pass to the same local center where you belong.