What are you proud of? I will begin. I am proud of……

At this fractious time in our country and lives, can we all stop and breathe and think of what we are proud of and hold onto for comfort, inspiration and hope? It is a most appropriate process in the Jewish community with the beginning of our year coming up and with the school year beginning for all - So here goes… I will begin…

I am proud of being a Jew.

I am proud of the values and foundational teachings of my faith that teach us to care for each other because we are created in the image of God, that is ALL OF US, regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, race, nationality, etc.

I am proud that my faith values humility and concern for others above so much else, even eclipsing so many of the observable rituals that define my life daily, when needed.

I am proud that a disproportionately high number of Jewish adherents are involved in social justice causes and trying through use of all of their resources to truly make this a better world.

I am proud that our ritual observances DO NOT in any way preclude our concern for those around us, contrary to what may unfortunately be observed in too many venues.

I am SO proud that our children who grew up in our home continue to understand all of this and exemplify it in the lives they live.

This is not to say that there are not those who do not see the inextricable connection I live and am expressing here. That makes me sad, but in no way does this minimize my pride in being a Jew, living as carefully as I can according to its teachings.

I am proud of being a person of faith in a world of people of faiths. I LOVE my work in Interfaith and Intrafaith relations and dialogue and understanding.

I am proud to stand with other peoples of faith together in time of pain, and in time of joy, with our respective words of prayer and healing and celebrtion.

I am proud of the shared principles of humility, caring for others, understanding that there is a force larger than ourselves (for me, that is G-d), and the value of accountability to that greater force in my life and in that of so many of the group that I find in these circles.

I am proud of the very strong bonds of friendship and love that are forged while we each maintain the specific practices of our respective belief systems.

I am proud of how we can celebrate with joy what we share and respect and have regard for where we differ.

That is not to say that I am not aware that there are many who cannot do so, but I am so proud and humbled by the many who can and do just this.

I am proud of my identity with Israel which truly tries to exemplify the best of being a country guided by faith principles, while not being choked by them.

I am proud of the hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens and Palestinian citizens who are able to gracefully and successfully look beyond lines of belief, nationality and ethnicity and work for the betterment of the environment, in creating strong and important bonds of friendship and try collectively to keep this world a place we can all live in together in spite of forces that would work against that reality as well as ideal.

I am proud that Israel is often the first responder in too many world catastrophes and gets no credit for being so, in spite of its relatively small size.

I am proud that Israel accepts the challenge of how to be a democracy and a Jewish state simultaneously, though the inherent compromises in doing so are often not understood or misunderstood as well as overwhelmingly complex.

I am proud of the many citizens and people in the region working together in the creative arts, in sports, in healing arts, in scientific research and in so many initiatives to make this a better world for ALL of us.

This is not to say I am always a fan of its government or of every single practice that is associated with Israel, but neither do these differences of approach and opinion, when rightfully applied, detract from my pride in this country and what it has been able to accomplish in spite of world opinion. There is a lesson for us all here.

I am proud of being an American.

I love that the foundational principles are so rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of respect for humanity and compassion for all of its members, as shared by our Muslim siblings in faith and so many others as well.

I am proud of the many ways the United States has led the way in bettering our world for so many, in science, technology, arts, and so many fields or endeavor.

I am proud that my grandparents and their children (in the case of my mom’s and my father-in-law’s families) were able to come to these shores to find a life in which they could live and hope as Jews and as citizens of the world, while making meaningful contributions to that world.

I am proud of the many Americans who have similar family histories and memories and are working to right the wrongs presently inflicted on those who are seeking similar sanctuary in our fractured world today in this same United States of America.

This is not to say that I am not so very sad, disappointed and frustrated that too many people have forgotten these lessons and their past. In the Jewish community, we are constantly reminded to treat the other kindly and have empathy for them for we were once in their situation.

Yes, there are many reasons to be proud and hopeful regarding who we are as people of the world with our various loyalties, but in showing and feeling that pride, it MUST COME WITH HUMILITY, for if the people who gave us a chance and took us in did not do so, we would not be in the position we are presently in. Let us all remember this as we move into the year of 5780 in the Jewish calendar and into the coming 2019 – 2020 year of activity and initiatives.