WAYNE STATE
UNIVERSITY
only one way: through uniquely
Jewish actions. Simply stated, Jewish
identity is fostered through the
active performance of mitzvot:
observance of Shabbat and Jewish
holidays, adherence to the dietary
laws, giving tzedaka, ongoing study,
the avoidance of loshon hora (evil
speech), and the practice of a host of
other commandments. Without
mitzvot there is no Jewish identity.
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, an
Orthodox rabbi in New York, tells
the story of an intermarried Jewish
woman who brought up her children
neutrally as Americans.
At a Christmas party, a friend
gave the woman a gift. When she
opened the gift, she found a piece of
jewelry: a crucifix with a diamond in
it. The woman was furious. "Doesn't
she know I'm Jewish?" she asked
rhetorically.
The woman sought the advice of
her therapist who helped her under-
stand how such a thing could hap-
pen to a woman who identified as a
Jew. The therapist explained that the
answer to this woman's rage had to
do with her confusion of two terms:
Jewish identification and Jewish
identity.
Many of us may identify with
sports teams. We may identify with
the Detroit Pistons, but we don't
have a Pistons identity. We read
about them. We root for them. We
may even say, "We won" or "We
lost" as if we were playing. We iden-
tify- with the team, but we're not one
of the Pistons. We don't wear the
uniform or run down court or shoot
the ball.
This woman who saw the psy-
chologist identified with the Jews.
When she picked up the newspaper,
she probably looked at the front
page to see if there was anything
about Jews. She probably got upset
when something terrible happened
to Jews. But that doesn't give her a
Jewish identity.
A Jewish identity comes from
action. It is inspired by what we do
and shaped by uniquely Jewish
actions, mitzvot. It doesn't just
descend upon us from heaven or
come from our genes. It's not some-
thing that we inherit. As the Jewish
philanthropist Edgar Bronfman once
wrote, "A Jewish identity comes
from doing Jewish." It comes from
immersing ourselves in the texts and
rituals and culture of our tradition.
For deeds are what shape the heart
and mitzvot are what shape the
Jewish heart. El
81
THE 001111-tlilbbOW
CrliTEK FOR
AMC STUDIES
cordially invites you to two lectures by
Jacob Lassner
Phillip and Ethel Klutznick Professor of Jewish Civilization
and Director of Jewish Studies, Northwestern University
The Sigmund and Sophie Rohlik Foundation Lecture
Can Muslims Be Antisemites?
The Historical Background
of Muslim-Jewish Relations
Sunday, January 23, 7:30 p.m.
Temple Kol Ami
5085 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield
Followed by a dessert reception
Co-sponsored with Temple Kol Ami
The Historic Background
of the Islamic State
Monday, January 24, Noon.
Roumanian Room, 408 Manoogian Hall
Wayne State University
A brown-bag lunch and learn session
co-sponsored with the Department of
Near Eastern and Asian Studies
Both lectures are free and open to the public. For reservations,
please call the Cohn-Haddow Center (313) 577-2679 by Thursday, January 20.
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Feel the excitement and spark when Dr. Isaiah McKinnon shares his
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