A Message to My Fellow Jews – We are Family

I do not know everything. I know that learning and growing will be a lifelong journey. What I do know, is Jewish brothers and sisters are family. Sometimes families fight, disagree and live different lives. We are still family. We are a tribe, and we are a nation with long histories that have taken diverse paths. Why do I say histories and not history? Because Jews were thrown all over this world, each of our stories is very different. Sometimes when we live in a bubble, we really believe that there is one way to understand ourselves.

Let’s break it down like a relationship. My brilliant mother says that when you are looking for a partner, there need to be four aspects. Even if one of them do not match, it will be harder.

• MENTALLY  Some of us are bookworms, while others are more creative, or maybe it is a mix of both. Introverts, extroverts and you can intertwine the two to make a unique you. They say opposites attract, and there is some truth to that. How you communicate, makes life great, or challenging, if it is not your thing.
• PHYSICALLY  The chemistry, the soul connection, it is something you feel and know.
• EMOTIONALLY  This is a deep one, and is something that morphs day by day. I love the five love languages, that is a good start, which one is yours? My parents are the best model, Thank God!
• SPIRITUALLY  This is so personal. I always felt that single and married were two different states of being. I am good at changing course completely and diving head first into anything and everything. Get to know yourself, love yourself and be fascinated with yourself. It is not selfish, it is self care. When you know you, you are ready to share you, and be open to let someone else fully in. This could be a partner in every sense of the word, not only marriage, but friendship and business. One of my favorite phrases is “a reason, a season or a lifetime.” It is a great perspective to understand how life flows.

How we express ourselves is so important to our mental health. It is unique to every person. My wish before I met my husband, was to find someone that gets me. Someone that is not intimidated by my loud outside, and my mysterious inner world. Thank God I found the perfect fit. It is not easy, but it is not supposed to be easy, nothing is easy. For me personally, easy is boring. On one hand we should all get along and respect each other’s path, yet on the other hand boxes cannot contain each aspect of our being. We are here in this world to keep creating, spreading light and kindness, while being humble as we refine our own character.

Enough about me! I want to know about you. Jewish allies, you have a special place in my heart. The message today is specifically for my Jewish brothers and sisters who feel uneasy choosing sides, or are adamantly still posting about Gaza and spreading misinformation and lies. Yes, they are lies.

THERE IS NO GENOCIDE IN GAZA

THERE IS NO APARTHEID IN ISRAEL

ISRAEL AND JEWISH PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME

ISRAEL IS THE ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

QUEERS FOR PALESTINE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE

PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAN TO BE FREE OF THEIR REGIME

The most important truth deserves a paragraph. Judaism is an ethno-religion. Not every Jewish person is religious, and there are many different ways to express your Judaism. The ethno part is what makes us unique, no matter what country we ended up in. I have to laugh when I battle with people that only know history from 1948. They will advocate for Native Americans, but argue that Jewish history has an expiration date. Not to mention all the crazy theories of Israelites, Hebrews and the Jews of today. The funny part is my ancestors ended up in the former Soviet Union, where religion was illegal, and on our passport my nationality was listed as Hebrew. My great grandmother Yehudit, who I am named after, used to bring separate utensils because of Kosher laws wherever she went. My Hebrew name is Yehudit, but it was illegal to have Jewish names before the fall of the Soviet Union. Yulia is one of many names that you hear from that era, there was a list of names that were allowed. It makes me laugh when people say they have never heard the name Yulia, now with social media it is more out there. If they would go to any Russian community they would find at least 100 Yulias.

But I digress, Jews are a tribe, one big family. Now more than ever you see it in Israel, where we feel this, especially in modern times and after October 7. No matter what percentage Jewish you are, you would be a target. Even if you identify differently, it is who you are, my brothers and sisters, and I love you. I am waiting for you, even if there has been a family feud, there is a way back.

TELL ME ABOUT YOU, I AM LISTENING.