A Nation of Opposites II
Jews. The people of the Book. The Mother religion. The Ancient Tribe. We’ve been around for a long time and we’ve been doing the same things for thousands of years. Some of them, to an outsider, might seem a little meshugenah (crazy).
Yes, we are steeped in tradition (see: Fiddler on the Roof). And in many ways we live in the past. Each year, we don’t just celebrate holidays, we actually relive them. For example:
We don’t eat bread for eight days (Passover) to remember when we left Egypt 3300 years ago.
We live outside in a hut for a week (Succoth) to remember how we travelled through the desert for 40 years.
We sit on the floor mourning the Temple that was destroyed two thousand years ago (The Ninth of Av)
We blow a ram’s horn?! (Rosh Hashanah)
Come on. Get into the 21st Century. At least use a trumpet!
As we have noted elsewhere (see: A Nation of Opposites - Part I) not only do we live in the past, we also live in the future. And not only do we have a modern side to us, when you look closely, we actually help to develop the future.
Consider the following:
- Jewish researchers lead the world in the development of new medical patents.
- Altogether, Jews represent less than 1/5 of one percent of the world’s population and we’ve received more than one out of every five Nobel prizes ever awarded.
- Jews have given the world – the Bible, bagels, junk bonds, guilt and Jerry Seinfeld.
- Israel is number two in space exploration behind just the United States and Russia (and they’ve had a few year’s head start).
- Israel is ranked number one in the use of solar water heaters.
- Through the generosity of Jews around the world, Israel is the only nation in the world that planted more trees than they knocked down.
When it comes to protecting the environment, helping others, developing new innovative technological products or protecting the world from it’s enemies, the Jews continue to be at the forefront.
Now how’s that for tooting our (ram’s) horn?
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Posted in:
Jewish Beliefs & Philosophy
by
Max Anteby
October 21, 2010
