APRIL 27 • 2023 | 11
I’m Only Human
I was inspired by “Which Side
Are You On: Jewish American
or American Jew,” in the
March 30, 2023, issue (page 8).
This identity-conundrum
article took me back to my
20s. My husband, Marty,
and I, now married 58 years,
attended a seminar for young
Jewish marrieds. We assem-
bled in a smallish room in a
Jewish organizational building
with about 15 couples. The
leader asked us to stand up
and to each select one cor-
ner of the room that most
closely described our primary
identity. He encouraged us to
choose for ourselves and not
go with our spouses unless the
choice was ours as well.
Then he designated the
corners, pointing to each as he
labeled them. The four iden-
tities were: Jew, American,
human, and woman or man.
When everyone had
crowded into one corner or
the other, we all paused to
acknowledge — and high-
five — our corner-mates, then
glanced around the room
to assess the others’ choices.
Approximately one-fourth of
the group was in each corner.
Most couples had separated.
After some amusement, we
were asked to retake our seats.
The leader proceeded to quote
the Talmud. I recall this para-
phrased message: Above all,
our primary responsibility is
to be human; to identify with
all other humans and to cel-
ebrate or at least tolerate our
differences. The ancient schol-
ars implied that no religion,
gender or nationality or race
prevails over humanity, shared
by the entire species, since-
labeled Homo sapiens.
The message affirmed my
personal choice that night and
has persisted with me all these
decades, guiding my perspec-
tives. My primary role and
responsibility is as a human,
all the rest compose a subset
of that identity.
— Sandra Rubin Tessler
Bloomfield Hills
letters
desperately need to aspire
to today — should give
everyone pause. And today,
we see a lack of respect
for one another that is
ominously reminiscent of
the students of Rabbi Akiva.
Sefirat ha-omer reminds
us of the dangers in this
transitional period leading
up to the giving of the law
— and what happens when
we demonize our opponents
and don’t engage with
dignity in society.
We must heed the
warning signs of the period
of sefirat ha-omer. Our
“startup nation” needs a new
Sinai moment to institute
a healthy system of law,
with checks and balances
to moderate the dangers
of unchecked passions and
interests, which we can all
endorse — our own na’aseh
v’nishma moment.
In the desert, it was the
leadership who shepherded
the people to Sinai. Today,
the tables are turned, and
we the people must demand
this of our leaders.
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