How do we define Jewish identity? How do we use our voices, individually and collectively, to be agents of change? These were just two of the questions I contemplated throughout the day following our morning Q&A with David Kostelancik, Deputy Chief of Mission with the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. Lauder Javne high school students concerned about the political and social issues plaguing both of our countries posed thoughtful questions that demonstrated their understanding of their responsibility as social activists. As we approached Election Day in the States, I felt the intensity of the weight and opportunity we are passing on to our children – a moral duty to use their voices to right wrongs, to explore and examine what has meaning for them, and the commitment to take action based on those beliefs. When we talk about tzedek (justice) as a Jewish value with our children, how are we preparing them to seek justice in a world that grows more complex and uncertain? As the high school students are speaking, I can see the younger students outside in the school’s play area, laughing with abandon, self-assured, spirited, free from worry – just as they should be. I feel this emotional tension again later this evening following our reflective time at the Shoe Memorial; the anguish imprinted on my heart. We had the privilege of spending time with the young adults at Moishe Haz; women and men who are reconnecting or connecting for the first time with their Jewish identity. Their commitment to their journey, openness to others’ expressions of Jewish identity, investment in their Jewish community, and the hope they feel for their futures is palpable and inspiring. The day, in some ways, felt like its own journey, entrenched throughout in rich and complicated Jewish heritage, coming full circle and presenting a possible solution to the morning’s questions – it is through hope; courage; solidarity; compassion; and the unbreakable bonds of a community that transcends generations.
