NYC is home to the largest Jewish population, other than Israel. (“World Jewish Population”, SimpleToRemember.com – Judaism Online. Retrieved May 12, 2011)

Given our numbers, the knockout game should not continue for even one more moment. But could differences within our religion be pulling us apart, instead of bringing us together?

There are so many ways to affiliate: Secular; Orthodox; Hasidic; Progressive; Believe in G-d; don’t believe in a higher power; Republican; Democrat; no affiliation at all; belong to one Shul vs. another; don’t belong to a Temple at all; support one political party in Israel vs. another; bad taste in your mouth from a negative experience…anything is possible.

We show our support in many different ways, and disagree on endless subjects along the way. But we are all Jewish, right? What that actually means might be completely different from one individual to the next, but the bottom line remains the same. If we had more Jewish unity and put our differences of opinion aside, we would all be much better off. Rabbi Yonah of Jewlicious has the right idea!

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Here is a proposal: take the initiative and organize a volunteer schedule all over the city. Volunteers will be in groups, monitoring the streets, announcing their presence, preventing knockouts from occurring.

What about police, you say? Police officers are busy and not able to always be everywhere – but we can be. If anyone dares to attack Jews on the streets, we should be ready to send out hundreds of volunteers within a few hours. This way we make sure to knockout the knockout game. Because we should. Because we can. Because if we are unified, nothing and no one can stop us.  

This is one example of how Jewish unity can be extremely powerful and liberating. What about supporting Israel and putting political preferences aside? Or focusing on the bigger picture, and not on the details that could tear us apart? Power in numbers can only work if we let it.

What other ways can we encourage Jews to unite?

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About the author

Dr. Mishmish

MBA, MA. Have more fun. Worry less. Laugh more. Be good to yourselves & others. Grow, learn, and develop.

The greatest risk in life is not taking one.

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