By Maya Hannon
Creative Writing Editor
To be a Jew cannot simply have one meaning. To be a Jew is one of the most intricate,
indescribable feelings. A few years ago in Florida, my friend L, being from an isolated town in
Virginia wanted me to explain what being a Jew meant. When she asked this question, it seemed as though she was asking me to pop open up a bottle of Cherry Coke, but the answer was not as simple as that. Since that day, I have often pondered over how to describe the answer of what it feels like to be a Jew. How could I describe the sense of unity I feel when I listen to the harmonious prayers that are chanted on the eve of Yom Kippur, surrounded by friends and family all about to endure a grueling fast the following day? How could I describe the warm, palpable smells that permeate my grandmother’s house every Friday night? How could I describe the stream of painful tears that emerge on our faces when we sit remembering the Jews that have passed on Yom Hashoah? How could I begin to describe the sense of ease that I feel when I notice a Mezuzah on a door of a stranger’s house? However, it is now that I realize that Judaism is centered around connection, not only to customary traditions but to the community at large.
Central to the belief of Judaism is the comfort in the practice of tradition. Whether one strictly observes the laws outlined in the Torah or goes as far as only occasionally lighting candles on Shabbat, each Jew adds a unique hue to the kaleidoscopic interpretation of Judaism. No one is less or more a Jew because they decide to refrain from eating pork or not. No one is less or more a Jew because they pray every morning to God. No one is less or more of a Jew because they are knowledgeable on the subject of the Jews’ exile from Egypt. Judaism does not discriminate on the basis if one is draped from head to toe in a black hasidic attire or coloured by the values of Reform. It is through this diverse manner of practicing the different traditions that Judaism can thrive. Everyone is entitled to their own ideological stance on the religious practices of Judaism, and rather than this wide range of beliefs pulling us apart, it actually brings us together knowing that despite these fundamental differences we share the same eternal flame of hope that burns deep within all of us.
Not only are Jews connected by common customs, but more importantly through an
unwavering sense of community. This sense of belonging is palpable and profound. It resembles the feeling of belonging to a large extended family, one which shares a common history, faith and tradition. It is the idea of standing together in times of celebration and in times of anguish. Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, the Jewish community has only strengthened their ties to one another. Feeling ostracized and misunderstood from the world at large, there has been a deep level of comfort experienced among fellow Jews. Knowing that when you post on your Instagram story, “I stand with Israel” that no one is going to write you a negative, hurtful comment. Knowing that when you wear your Magen David necklace over to your friend’s house, that they accept your religion as they share the same core values, and would never judge you for what you identify with. Knowing that when you meet someone new who says, “I am also Jewish,” that you feel an instant sense of mutual understanding. As the outside hatred has recently grown towards us, our eternal love for each other has only become that much stronger. This type of connection transcends geographical boundaries, linking Jews around the world in a common understanding. This type of connection, uplifting and intimate, like a friend who shares the same inside jokes as you, strengthens the fabric of the Jewish people as a whole.
The next time someone asks me what it means to be a Jew, I will not sit there silently saying, “I do not really know.” Instead, I will preach the undying sense of community felt at the Shabbat dinner table as laughter echoes in the hallways, the sense of familiarity of meeting a new Jewish person which conjures up feelings similar to that of an old, true friend and the knowledge that our sorrowful history has been overcame through powerful resilience that continues to prevail. To be Jewish is not determined by being well versed in history or well read in the bible, but rather to recognize that the question that I was asked a few years ago in Florida, should contain a different answer than what I had originally provided. An answer that captures the idea that being Jewish resembles wearing a hidden badge of honour, one that other Jews see and greet with a warm, familiar hug.
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