By: Bethany Friedlander
PJ Library Manager
Things change: We learn, move, get new jobs, try new hobbies…
Professor Jonathan Sarna recently announced his retirement from teaching duties at Brandeis University. I, along with friends and a niece, had the privilege to take classes and interact with this positive, insightful, thoughtful educator. I even had the opportunity to have him as my thesis advisor (more about that later). At that time, I had no idea who he was except a professor who could engage his students with historical facts, figures, and stories and give us the insight to see what it means to us, as Jews, to shape our own community. He made me feel counted. He made many people see that they counted – not just as students or scholars, but as integral pieces to the ups and down of Jewish life in America.
This week’s parsha, Pinchas, presents us with a counting of our “mishpacha” – the ancestral clans that make up the tribes of Israel. The word “mishpacha” – family, is repeated over 90 times in this parsha. We are not just given a count, but actual names of our mishpacha and how they are connected from generation to generation. This is not a military counting like we see at the beginning of Numbers. Instead, we are presented with family history.
Now try not to laugh. I wrote my undergraduate thesis under the advisory of Professor Sarna on Jewish American sports heroes. Yes, it was more than a pamphlet (for all you Airplane movie fans) and, in fact, it was nearly 100 pages. I researched disappointing realities like how Jewish athletes did not always choose to be “heroes” – plenty of them wished they hadn’t been singled out as Jews. I saw that other athletes embraced their Judaism and proudly fought for the welfare of all underdogs. I learned that our American Jewish community has often grabbed on to whatever we can to highlight how far we have come from the Ellis Island immigrants to the Hollywood stars.
I live in a community that counts its people for who they are and how they contribute their unique skills to the betterment of the Jewish community. Our Colorado community counts our people not by number but by name. As my family needs to make a change and will be moving to a new adventure, I can confidently say that we were seen and counted here in Colorado. I proudly look around the entire state of Colorado and see parents who have stood up, not with bats and balls and jerseys, but with pride and joy as they take on leadership roles in their communities, making space for families to connect and share Jewish joy, together.
Change can be tough. Whether wandering the desert, traveling to a new land, or retiring, being part of a community allows us to be connected, heard, supported, and counted. Let us continually find ways to see the true Jewish heroes all around us who create our wide mishpacha. Let us support each other and be proud of being counted as Jewish history makers.
Please email Bethany Friedlander at bfriedlander@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.