Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
In every community I visited in the United States over the past few days, in every school presentation or other forum, when I asked the rabbis and educators about the challenges they face, one word kept coming up: assimilation.
Today marks two years since the passing of Rabbi Professor Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and one of the most eminent Jewish voices of our generation.
When I recalled my many meetings with him, I was reminded of a much different word: greatness. Rabbi Sacks never shouted: “Don’t assimilate!” He understood that the process of imparting a strong sense of Jewish identity starts at the very beginning, with a quality Jewish education from birth, and he devoted monumental efforts to publicizing this message.
He enlightened people about their Jewish identity with such enthusiasm and positivity that his message continues to resonate with them as they pass it along to the next generation.
He chose to inspire us with Jewish pride. He did this by regaling us with the wonderful legacy we inherited from previous generations while urging us to add to it. “When we make Judaism our top priority, we never lose. The world respects Jews who respect their Judaism,” he was accustomed to say. “I am a Jew — in order that the voice of the hundreds of previous generations will continue to be heard. I appreciate other cultures, but I am inextricably attached only to my people, to my heritage, and to my God.”
This is a blueprint for life in general: not only to articulate what’s wrong, but also to emphasize the positive in order to instill meaning and motivation.
In the memory of Rabbi Ya’akov Tzvi ben David Aryeh.
