What does it mean to be a Jew in
America today? Is it just going to shul every Shabbat or at least 3 days a year? Is it keeping Kosher? Is being Bar or Bat Mitzvahed? The answer is yes. And no. To be a Jew today in
America, it is also important to never forget how Jews helped build this country, and for that matter the world. You hear people say how the Jews are involved in everything. And guess what, they are right. The Jewish people have historically been go getters and, to use a Disney term, Imagneiers.
Jews figured out how to build the Great Pyrimads. Jews figured out how to make the desert bloom. But did you know a Jew helped figure out the Physiology of Neurotransmitters? Or that Jew brought television to the masses? Does it surprise you that two Jews invented the technology for you to use your cell phone?
It is not important for life to know these facts. BUT it is important to being Jewish, Jewish in
America. If the stories and success (and failures) of our heritage are lost and forgotten, we won’t have anything to build on for the future. This class is not about filling your head with empty facts, but nourshing your mind with knowledge and respect for your heritage as an American Jew.
