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Do You Feel Judged?

Parshat Bo: Exodus 10:1-13:16;
Jeremiah 46:13-46:28.

G

rowing
i up in
i Thornhill,
T h hi
hillll
J Judaism,
d i
and d since
i
I’m
I’ not t O
Orthodox,
th d
north of Toronto, in a very
you don’t consider me to be Jewish.”
religious family of 10, in an
I went home feeling sick. Here are
extremely “Conservadox” community,
these wonderful Jewish students being
I was completely ignorant of the per-
told by their rabbi that Orthodox Jews
ception that Orthodox Jews look down don’t consider them to be Jewish. How
upon less-Orthodox Jews.
crazy!
My family was always
And so I began to think that
interacting with our non-
maybe we are not doing enough
Orthodox neighbors.
to show the non-Orthodox Jews
Whether they joined us
that they are special. Maybe we
for meals in our sukkah,
need to be kinder and friendlier
received our handmade
when we’re in line at Zeman’s
shmurah matzah before
bakery on Friday afternoon.
Pesach or waved back at us
Maybe when we are wishing
from their cars as we greeted
everyone a good Shabbos, we
Rabbi Rafael
them on our way walking to
should be wishing it even to the
Eisenberger
shul on Shabbos, there was a
women wearing slacks. Maybe
mutual respect and love for
when someone who doesn’t
one another.
appear Orthodox walks into our
Never for a moment did I feel supe-
shul, we should run to grab them a
rior to them, and I believe that they,
siddur and welcome them inside.
thus, never felt judged or looked down
The JRC has brought hundreds and
upon for being less observant than we
hundreds of students for Shabbos to
were.
the Oak Park-Southfield community,
That all changed when nine
to spend the full 26 hours staying at
years ago I came to work at the
the homes of random Orthodox fami-
Jewish Resource Center (JRC) at the
lies. It gives these students the oppor-
University of Michigan as an Orthodox tunity to experience what a traditional
rabbi for primarily non-Orthodox
Shabbos is all about. There is nothing
students. Over the years, the one com- more powerful than that experience —
mon theme that kept coming up was,
it blows these students away.
“Rabbi, why do Orthodox people look
Every year, so many bright young
down on us?” “Rabbi, I feel judged by
students become more and more
religious people.”
distant from the Jewish community
In the beginning, I assumed that
because they feel that they are not
this was the perception of a few stu-
accepted. I believe that if the Jewish
dents. But as the years passed, I real-
educators don’t misrepresent the
ized that this is the perception of many beliefs of Orthodox Judaism and, like-
non-Orthodox Jews.
wise, if Orthodox Jews make an effort
In my position at the JRC, I meet
to be more welcoming and inclusive to
so many kids who, due to past experi-
less-observant Jews, then there will be
ences, have extremely negative feel-
greater Jewish unity.
ings toward Judaism. Many of those
In this week’s parshat Bo, the Jews
kids have parents who have invested
finally escape slavery in Egypt. What a
thousands and thousands of dollars in
shame to escape our external enemies
providing a Jewish education for their
only to fight amongst ourselves. We
children, only to have their children
stand stronger when we stand united.
turn away from the religion.
The Jewish people, until this very
At the JRC, I do my best to start
day, have always faced adversity. But
all over again and teach them what it
let us never face adversity amongst
means to be a Jew. I help to connect
ourselves. Let us always be kind, wel-
these young adults to their roots, to
coming, understanding, respectful
the Jewish way in which their grand-
and loving to our Jewish brothers and
parents used to live.
sisters.
I’ll never forget the wake-up call I
had when a girl from West Bloomfield Rafael ”Fully“ Eisenberger is director of the
Jewish Resource Center at the University of
stated, “My rabbi said that Orthodox
Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Jews don’t validate other sects of

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January 14 • 2016

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