Written by Aaron Spiro
I can't believe that my semester in Israel as part of the Nachshon project is almost halfway done. It feels like just yesterday when I got on a flight to Israel, not really sure of what I was going to be doing. While there have been a lot of ups and downs, there has also been a lot of new knowledge gained from these experiences. Of all the programs that we have done thus far, one definitely stuck out the most: our meeting with Avraham Infeld.
It started just as any other introduction would, with remarks about all of the amazing things Infeld has accomplished. During the introduction, I kept my eye on Infeld, and he showed no pride or happiness to hear about himself. After the remarks were completed, he sat up straight, and yelled one single word: PASSION!
We were all startled and amazed. The first word out of the former director of Hillel and Birthright was passion? I didn't even know what to make of it. It came out of left field. And he really did yell it. After our hearts slowed back to a somewhat normal pace, we started hearing about his experiences. The whole time he talked, the same theme kept reoccurring: Jews. Not as a religious entity, but as a people. He had a very good point. Judaism has become a religion with such a variety of sects: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform etc. But back to its roots, it is about the Jewish People. I fell in love with this idea, because lately I have felt as if I am surrounded by people in Jerusalem that don't even believe in crediting Reform or Conservative Judaism. As a reform Jew myself, I feel as if I am in 1947, fighting not just for recognition, but acceptance. According to Infeld, we are all Jews, and the sect is irrelevant. So how can I call myself a Jew, when others of my kind are still dividing men and women during service, and not even accepting all people?
In the few short months that I've been here, Israel has shown me that there are many different types of people in this World, and it is imperative to remember that wherever you come from, know that you should not judge someone based off of race or religion, but who they are as a person. It is true, some Arabs have done bad things, but so have Israelis, and so have Americans. No one is perfect, no one is even close, and for sure everyone has his or her flaws, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. If you keep an open mind, you will find amazing people from all over the World, regardless of the things you may not agree on.
