Campaign for Judaism gets our vote

If you were running for office, which type of campaign do you think would bring you more votes, a campaign that lays out your bold vision for the future, or a smear campaign that undermines your opponent?

Should you focus the campaign on what people would gain by voting for you, or would it be better to highlight why they shouldn’t vote for your opponent?

The Bible introduces us to Abraham at the age of 75. Abraham is commanded to leave his homeland and travel towards an unknown destination.

It’s a curiosity that we are introduced to Avraham so late in his life, especially because there are extraordinary stories told about him in the Midrash from his younger years.

Most readers are probably familiar with the story of Abraham smashing his father, Terach’s, idols.

Yet, this is a story we discover only in the Midrash, not explicitly in the Bible. Why?

Perhaps the Torah is teaching us that what makes Abraham’s odyssey a story for all time isn’t so much his showing the world how not to live, in other words smashing the idols.

Rather, Abraham’s legacy as the first Jew is cemented when he shares his positive, life affirming vision to the world: “And he proclaimed there, the name of Hashem, G-d of the universe”. (Genesis, 21:33).

There’s something so appealing and uplifting about a positive vision for life and the future that captures the hearts and minds of the human spirit.

This message couldn’t be more meaningful today.

A lot has been written about the deep impact of 7 October on the Jewish psyche – how it has created a great awakening among a great many Jews around the world.

Yet, as parents and leaders, we need to think carefully about how the tragic events of 7 October shape the discourse and Jewish identity of our children.

I cannot imagine a vibrant Jewish identity defined by the negativity of hatred and antisemitism.

Highlighting the evils of antisemitism – or in Avraham’s case, smashing the idols – might be necessary, but it can’t be the focus and driving force behind creating a sustainable Jewish future.

We need to teach a Judaism that celebrates the grandeur of our history, values, and traditions. A Judaism that cherishes our divine, eternal, and unchanging gift of the Torah and the blessing that comes from being part of our special Jewish nation.

The painful and tragic stories of our history need to be told and remembered. But they are events that happened to us, they aren’t what defines us.

This week, I head to Australia to launch the opening of Gardens Global in Sydney, following previous events in London. This initiative, driven by the Gardens Shul in Cape Town, hopes to unite Jewish South Africans around the globe, unleashing the incredible power of our special community worldwide. You can find out more by sending an email to info@gardensglobal.com

One of the important motivations for the Gardens Global initiative is to reach out to the South African Jewish community locally and abroad with a positive, relatable, uplifting Jewish vision for the future.

Because if we want our children to vote Jewish, we need to give them a Judaism worth voting for.

And a Judaism worth voting for isn’t a Judaism of fear but a Judaism of pride. It isn’t a Judaism of despair, but a Judaism of love and hope. It isn’t a Judaism that tells us why we don’t live like those who attack us, but a Judaism that explains why we do live the way our ancestors did, and why their ancestors lived the same way before them.

It isn’t always easy. Yet, may we always choose a positive Judaism and a positive Jewish identity.

In this way, please G-d, our children will vote for a Judaism that will continue the ancient story of Abraham well into the future.