You probably think from the title that this message will focus on the debate between former President Trump and Vice President Harris that took place earlier this week. I’m sorry to disappoint you.
No, the great debate I had in mind is the distinction between sweet and savory. In most places, the New Year brings images of crown-shaped raisin challah symbolizing a sweet year. As well it should, much like the honey and apples we eat, or the symbolism of the head of a fish for being at the head not the tail of events, or even the seeds of the pomegranate symbolizing abundance.
Nonetheless, throughout the rest of the year there is a large minority who prefer a water challah to an egg challah, or who abhor raisins in either. The same sweet/savory debate holds true for gefilte fish (Litvak salt & pepper vs. Galitzianer sweet) and kugel (again, Litvak salt & pepper vs. everyone else’s sweet raisin).
Of course I am only citing examples from my own heritage. I am sure Sefardic,Mizrachi, and other Jewish traditions have their own examples of this ‘disagreement’.
I believe that this apparent split comes from the same tradition as the old adage of ‘two Jews, three opinions’, or perhaps as attributed to Bernard Baruch, “The Jews as a people have a discomfort with the status quo.”
Think about it. Spinoza was a scholar of the Enlightenment, Marx was a polemicist against exploitation at the early stages of the industrial revolution, and Sam Harris has been a cautionary voice about the siren song of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its perceived advantages for our future. What do they share? Their connection to Jewish heritage and their unconventional approaches.
When we choose sweet or savory, I don’t think we’re making an earth-shattering judgment on the quality of our lives (or our food), but I do think we look for opportunities to be distinct from our environment or our peers. In short, we like to be unconventional.
So, getting back to the debate. I suggest that those who have the privilege of voting in the upcoming election do something unconventional. Of course, you should register and you should vote. Of course, you should be guided by Jewish ethics and the needs of the Jewish people within whatever interpretation of those ethics and that need holds truest for you. Of course, if you have a well founded ideological position, you should feel comfortable being guided by it. And of course, you should take time to study and understand the policies put forward by the candidates that will inform the next several years. What seems to have become unconventional is the proposition that every one of these elements can and should inform your choice.
The electoral franchise that all citizens over 18 have is a right guaranteed in our founding documents. It is also a privilege. Think how many generations of our ancestors had no such agency. It is also a great responsibility. Think of those in Gaza who were so angry at the Palestinian Authority in 2006 that they elected Hamas. See what that choice has delivered to them.
All choices are consequential, be it made by a 6 year old child refusing to play safely and being given a time out, or by a 75 year old deciding to leave a legacy gift to support the community her children and grandchildren are a part of. Take your choices seriously.
I may be a water challah, salt and pepper kugel, sweet gefilte fish eating Jew, but I know that we do stand out from the crowd. We are collectively unconventional. But to our sorrow, we are too often the nail being hit by the hammer again and again. We are unconventionally a collective. And our adversaries don’t see our distinctions, only our identity - which they hate, in their malice. Nonetheless, we gather together, with love and solidarity. With unity.
On October 7th, at 7pm, at Clover Stadium, we gather to remember. One year. One people. One heart. One Community.
If you’ve read this, you should be there.