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December 24, 1999/15 Tevet 5760, Vol. 52, No.17
L'chaim!EditorialWhat difference does a thousand years make? A lot. Regardless of the differences between "our" calendar and "theirs," Dec. 31, 1999, inspires celebration and reflection. It's an occasion to look back over the past and ahead to the future, which can be particularly meaningful if we do so gathered around the Shabbat table.From the beginning of the Christian era through the ensuing 2,000 years, the Jewish propensity for self-preservation, despite suffering and strife, has been matched only by our appetite for learning. We have struggled not only to survive, but to endure, reconciling the world around us with the structures of our unique Jewish community. This has not been easy in a century that has seen the near-destruction of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, followed by its miraculous rebirth in Israel. Now, as the century comes to a close, we American Jews are living in unprecedented freedom and prosperity, and searching for new meaning in Judaism's ancient truths. We seek balance between our identity as Jews and our identity as U.S. and global citizens, striving to make each allegiance meaningful and mutually beneficial. The advances of the information age free us from notions of community rooted to time and place. While these advances present the risk of marginalizing local communal institutions, they offer concomitant opportunities for interpersonal connection through the mushrooming Jewish cyber-community, which includes Jewish News' own Web site, www.jewishaz.com, a nearly launched Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Web site, and a plethora of others. What difference will the next thousand years make? We hope and pray for peace in Israel and around the globe. A vibrant Jewish community in the Valley, replete with opportunities to learn and to grow. Less hate, less intolerance, less divisiveness. More freedom from want and repression, and more shared blessings and a continued commitment to all that is good. It's an aspiration that we all can drink to. Happy New Year! |
