SEPTEMBER 19 • 2024 | 39 RENEWING OUR IDENTITY When we tell the story of our peo- ple’s past, we renew our identity. We have a context in which we can understand who we are in the pres- ent and what we must do to hand on our identity to the future. It is difficult to grasp how sig- nificant this was and is. Western modernity has been marked by two quite different attempts to escape from identity. The first, in the 18th century, was the European Enlightenment. This focused on two universalisms: science and philosophy. Science aims at discov- ering laws that are universally true. Philosophy aims at disclosing uni- versal structures of thought. Identity is about groups, about us and them. But groups conflict. Therefore, the Enlightenment sought a world without identities, in which we are all just human beings. But people can’t live with- out identities, and identity is never universal. It is always and essen- tially particular. What makes us the unique person we are is what makes us different from people in general. Therefore, no intellectual discipline that aims at universality will ever fully grasp the meaning and significance of identity. This was the Enlightenment’s blind spot. Identity came roaring back in the 19th century, based on one of three factors: nation, race or class. In the 20th century, national- ism led to two World Wars. Racism led to the Holocaust. Marxist class warfare led eventually to Stalin, the Gulag and the KGB. Since the 1960s, the West has been embarked on a second attempt to escape from identity, in favor not of the universal but the individual, in the belief that iden- tity is something each of us freely creates for him- or herself. But identity is never created this way. It is always about membership in a group. Identity, like language, is essentially social. Just as happened after the Enlightenment, identity has come roaring back to the West, this time in the form of identity pol- itics (based on gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation). This will, if allowed to flourish, lead to yet more historical disasters. It is a major threat to the future of liberal democracy. What was happening in Jerusalem when people brought their first-fruits was of immense consequence. It meant that that they regularly told the story of who they were and why. No nation has ever given greater significance to retelling its collective story than Judaism, which is why Jewish identity is the strongest the world has ever known, the only one to have survived for 20 centuries with none of the normal bases of identi- ty: political power, shared territory or a shared language of everyday speech. Clearly, not all identities are the same. Characteristic of Jewish identities and others inspired by the Hebrew Bible are what Dan McAdams calls “the redemptive self.” People with this kind of iden- tity, he says, “shape their lives into a narrative about how a gifted hero encounters the suffering of others as a child, develops strong moral convictions as an adolescent, and moves steadily upward and onward in the adult years, confident that negative experiences will ultimate- ly be redeemed.” More than other kinds of life story, the redemptive self embodies the “belief that bad things can be overcome and affirms the narrator’s commitment to building a better world.” What made the biblical story unique was its focus on redemp- tion. In partnership with God, we can change the world. This story is our heritage as Jews and our con- tribution to the moral horizons of humankind. Hence the life-chang- ing idea: Our lives are shaped by the story we tell about ourselves, so make sure the story you tell is one that speaks to your highest aspira- tions and tell it regularly. W e are just about halfway through my favorite month of the year, Elul. It is my favorite, not only because it is the month my first child was born, but also because it represents the start of something new. A new school year, new season, new activities. It prepares us for a new year as we get ready physically and spiritually to celebrate the High Holidays. This year, as my children began new schools or new grades, I thought a lot about new beginnings and how we mark those starts. We might celebrate with new shoes or ice cream; new backpacks or first playdates. Or we might celebrate with blessings, offering our thanks to God for allowing us to get to these special moments. In our Torah portion this week, we read from the book of Deuteronomy, near the end of the Torah. As Moses speaks to the Israelites, giving instructions about commandments, he also reminds them that they are a part of a sacred covenant with God. This mutual promise requires loyalty to God in return for blessings and reward. The Torah portion begins by telling us that when the Israelites first settle into the Promised Land, they should take some of the first fruits of the land they harvest and bring them to the priest as an offering to God with this message, “I acknowledge this day before your God that I have entered the land that Adonai swore to our ancestors to assign us. ” (Deut. 26:3). These ancient Israelites also marked their new beginnings with a prayer and a blessing, a recognition that this was a moment to be acknowledged and celebrated. A moment to offer a thanks to God for allowing them to reach this new place and new time. The prayer the Israelites offered was a simple one: a story about who they are, what their journey looked like and why they are there. After that story, the prayer was recited and Moses reminded them, “ And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your God has bestowed upon you and your household. ” (Deut. 26:11). These verses present a four-point plan for the Israelites as they enter a new place. First, bring offerings, remembering there is something beyond us. Then, recite a blessing, remembering where we came from. Share with others, remembering we have obligations to others. Finally, celebrate and enjoy life! What a perfect way to honor a new beginning. A story, a connection and joy. After all, with each new grade that my children begin, I am certainly sharing their stories, connecting with friends and teachers and parents, reveling in the joy of their growing and doing and learning. As we look forward to the month of Elul giving way to the month of Tishrei and our new year beginning, may we all find moments to mark, beginnings to celebrate and stories to share. Rabbi Arianna Gordon is the director of Education and Lifelong Learning at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Marking New Beginnings SPIRIT TORAH PORTION Rabbi Arianna Gordon Parshat Ki Tavo: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8; Isaiah 60:1- 22.