"Pride creates a noise within us which makes the quiet voice of the Spirit hard to hear. And soon, in our vanity, we no longer even listen for it. We can come quickly to think we don't need it." - Henry B. Eyring
A couple weeks ago (yes I am just getting to this post now), I went with an American friend named Rachel to an Israeli Rosh Hashanah to bring in the sweet new year. I was in the Jewish capital of the world, so being in an Israeli home for the holiday was an amazing experience. The food was absolutely amazing, and even more so, the people. They welcomed me, a stranger, into their home for their small family holiday, so that I would not be alone on this exciting night in the Israeli calendar. This seems to be the norm in the Israeli culture, they are extremely warm and passionate people, who are extremely loving and caring, sometimes with a tougher outer shell. That outer shell can make it even more satisfying when you see what's underneath.
We spent the first hour of our visit watching the Israel-Italy basketball game, extremely local, I know. When the 94 year old grandmother walked in with her walker and beautiful wrinkled smile, I felt even more at home. At dinner, her numbers tattooed from Auschwitz prominently on display, in broken english she asked us about our relationship with Judaism, where we were from, where our families were from and why we were here. She had an air of pride and power about her, for her country, for Poland (where she grew up) and for Jews all over.
A quality that seems to be present in all Israelis is their sense of pride. They have this overwhelming tribe feeling. It is a small country based on the culture of a minority group; so it would make sense that the community would be proud of their home and also be wary of people who don’t appreciate it. Although I can recognize and appreciate the tribe feel, I am still finding where I belong on the spectrum. Stay tuned for my Israel instigated self-discovery process :) But for now, the sun will continue to rise and set in the most beautiful colors I ever did see.