by Herbert Munshine (Great Neck, NY)
It’s been my experience
that various congregations
often feel they are the true Jews
and look down upon other divisions
of Judaism as not being holy enough.
I find this disappointing, given
the abundance of non-Jews
throughout history — Romans,
Egyptians, Russians, and so many
Europeans (from the Inquisition to
the Holocaust) who have unjustifiably
hated Jews of any and of all
denominations.
What I am saying is that
we have had enough enemies
without attacking each other’s version
of our faith and the practices
we share in our altered ways.
Why can’t we respect and cherish
each other’s version of Judaism
instead of tearing it down
and learn to live with the varieties
of Judaism, not just one?
Isn’t G-d’s synagogue large enough
for all of us?
Herbert Munshine grew up in the Bronx and graduated from C.C.N.Y. with both a B.S. in Education and a Master’s Degree in English. You can find his baseball poetry on Baseball Bard where he has had more than 100 poems published, and where he was recently inducted into that site’s Hall of Fame. He lives with his wife in Great Neck, NY.
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