Unity, not Uniformity

There's a line used to illustrate the judgment and self-centered attitude of Jews from every corner of the nation: "Whoever does more than me (religiously) is a fanatic, and whoever does less than me is a heretic." When that sunk in, I decided I didn't want any part of that thinking.

Someone else pointed out to me that the one thing the Jewish nation has not managed to accomplish among all the great accomplishments is unity! How is that possible?

Perhaps it will be in our generation that we can make the effort to reach out to each other with love in place of criticism. How can we begin this process?

One place to begin is by something I heard Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller teach:

Assume that the woman who thinks differently than you wants good.

Giving the benefit of the doubt that she is good--even if you think she may be misguided--is a place to begin to understand.

Another idea came from a video on Aish HaTorah:

"Reach out to a Jew who is different from you."

Just take one small step toward another. Give her a blessing, whisper a prayer, invite her to share her hopes and dreams for her self and her family. Listen.

Listen deeply.

This is a place to begin. Let's begin. Together.

Please "Like" and share. And take one action step toward unity right now.
Photo by Becca Tapert from Unsplash