Keeping the Faith

It was the running joke back at my high school that the Jews would ‘one day conquer the world, and enslave those who once enslaved them.' Unfortunately for us Jews, we represent a scant half of a percent of the population in the United States. There's about 1.5 million, and even fewer in the South. Yet the Jewish people have had an invaluable impact on American culture—from the foods we eat, to the jokes we tell, to the way we interact as a society.

This influence has even trickled into the Methodist affiliated shores of Hendrix College. Being Jewish at Hendrix means perpetually having a great conversation starter—and a comprehensive knowledge of all the stereotypes attached to a Jewish Identity.

Its a fascinating time in history to be Jewish. There are mixed sentiments circulating about Israel's existence, and military practices, active anti-Semitism, and growing resentment at the media, which is significantly  influenced by Jews. To some extent Judaism can be reduced to its stereotypes—it means lending money, eating bagels, loving the movie Schindler's List, and having a mother who busts your gut every Thanksgiving and Passover. It means justifying the size of your nose to each and every person you meet. It means we can sometimes check the "other" ethnicity box when filling out applications for jobs, and scholarships. It means having a vast knowledge of what last names qualify a person to be Jewish. It means being the odd kid on the block who doesn't celebrate Christmas. It means answering a lot of questions.

Some of you already know about the Jewish organization here on campus, our Hillel. Whether you come to escape the horrors of Friday night dinner each first of the month, or to learn about Judaism—you likely realize why we congregate.

Being Jewish in the South is almost a test—how much do you value the old traditions, and how much do you value your Judaism. Every Friday at sundown in orthodox communities across countries don't turn on lights, use electricity, pick up anything, write, drive, nor work. They have in their home two sets of dishes, one for meat, and another for all dairy products. Though you currently won't find students at Hendrix who choose to practice this way, Hillel's goal is to provide a bridge between practicing Jews, non-practicing Jews, and non-Jews interested in joining a vibrant community.

Hendrix is a very inviting and inclusive place, but with such a small Jewish community, your peers aren't going to so much as turn their heads should you choose to practice Judaism or not. In that sense religion serves its purpose in its most quintessential sense; it becomes primarily about the individual's relationship to his or her faith.

So why do we congregate, and what does it contribute to our faith? For each of Hillel's members the answer to this is different, but to me it affirms that others around me are also grappling with the basic existential questions Judaism both poses and seeks to answer—where did we come from, and what is our purpose on this earth.

Having a community around me that believes in striving to become as righteous as we can is comforting. For me, Jewish Culture at Hendrix isn't fueled by theism, but rather a childlike nostalgia surrounding Jewish traditions, like eating Latkes (potato pancakes), or participating in a Seder, or saying blessings before you eat. What Hillel seeks to create is a group of students who are excited about being Jewish, and want to share their experience with the rest of the community.