Jews love to think.
These days, many of us are thinking about the alarming rise in antisemitism.
Why us? we wonder.
Why the Jews?
Why Israel?
Countless nations are committing humanitarian crimes that dwarf anything Israel is doing, and yet, it’s always the Jews, it’s always Israel, it’s always the world’s only Jewish state that gets maximum attention and condemnation.
If only the world would satisfy itself with heated criticism of the Israeli government, we would breathe a sigh of relief.
But they don’t.
They condemn not Israel’s policies but its existence.
It’s the only country on the planet whose existence is up for grabs.
And since the great majority of Jews have a deep, visceral connection to the Jewish state, it follows that attacks on Israel’s existence are attacks on the Jews’ very existence.
So we’re always thinking of our existence, of our survival.
That itself presents a dilemma because Jews don’t like to settle for survival.
Surviving is not a life worth living.
Thriving is.
Our enemies have set up a trap: By trying to eliminate us, they’re leading us into survival mode.
We need more security in our synagogues!
We need more security everywhere!
What does security mean? It means survival, which, obviously, is essential and fundamental. But it comes with a price: surviving tends to make us forget about thriving.
Now we come to Thanksgiving, that one day of the year when we can share our gratitude for big stuff. What’s the big stuff Jews can be thankful for?
My friend Peter Himmelman wrote a piece recently where he reflects on the unique animus against Israel and the Jews. Near the end, he writes:
“We’ve been here before—many times. It started early, about 4,000 years ago. The world on one side, Abraham, the first Jew, on the other. It is the lonely stance of insisting on the legitimacy of Jewish peoplehood and the Jewish state, even as the social cost soars.”
Yes, there’s a price to being Jewish, but there’s also a value.
Peter reflects on what Jews and Judaism have brought to the world:
“The infinite worth of the human being; the sanctity of time and rest; the insistence on meaning over convenience; justice tethered to mercy; humility before God and the mystery of existence; memory as a moral arbiter; resistance to idols—political ones, cultural ones, and those who hold the reins of power.”
These are not the simple values of survival; they are sophisticated values to help us thrive, morally and otherwise.
They are also demanding values; they require effort and sacrifice and faith and commitment. Throughout our history, much of the world has felt threatened by these values. Instead of embracing their worth, they frowned on the effort and sacrifice.
It’s so much easier to embrace values that require minimal effort.
Jews, however, like to aim higher. That hasn’t made us very popular.
So, when we see today the rise in animosity toward Jews, let’s remember all those demanding values that may turn some people off but bring out our best.
Let’s remember they are the values of a persecuted people that has always aimed not just to survive but to thrive with faith in our destiny.
This year, being able to thrive despite the rising hate of our enemies may be the single greatest thing to be thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving.
