Before You Set The Table...

*Dedicated to mi madre*

Hola y Shalom,

As I write this passing by the awesome scenery that is Buenos Aires, the countdown to Shabbat begins. In 12 hours I will partake in an entirely new Shabbos experience with the Orthodox community of Buenos Aires. And the synagogue is conveniently located 20 footsteps across the street from our hotel! I have some things on my mind that I would love to share with you. Yesterday, we had the honor and privilege of visiting the LeDor VaDor Old Age Home. I can honestly say, without any exaggeration, that it is the nicest and most beautiful facility of its kind that I have ever seen. And the fact that it is serving the Jewish community, one that has been struggling in recent years, is both comforting and incredible. I encourage you all to become more familiar with JDC, with their mission, and with what they have accomplished. It is truly an incredible organization.

I have connected with Jewish communities in Budapest, Krakow, and in most major cities in Israel. They are all wonderful, of course. Anti-Semitism is unfortunately expressed here in Argentina more often than in other places around the world. The strength and pride of the Jewish people here is radiated with the love of the culture, necklaces with HaMagen David and Chai, and of course, ample amounts of delicious kosher cuisine. It’s a beautiful thing to see and experience and it only increases my love and pride for Judaism even more.
We have been having discussions every day about what it means for us to be here as Jews, performing mitzvoth, giving Tzedakah, and experiencing an unfamiliar culture. While helping at La Botallita (remember, boh-tah-zheeta), which was incredibly rewarding, we discussed an article by a Jewish man whose name I am currently forgetting, but perhaps you are familiar with this. He shared an opinion that I strongly disagree with, writing that the global Jewish community as one people-hood was coming to an end because of modern American culture. He gave offensive nicknames to modern American Jews such as “Frankenjews” and others. He blamed a modern progressive lifestyle in America for losing the idea of what it means to be Jewish, that we no longer care about the real religious aspects of Judaism. I would like to respond by saying this: One of the biggest, if not the biggest, responsibility of the Jewish people is to perform mitzvoth. How can this man say that Americans are losing their Jewish identity when young college students are willingly volunteering to travel over 4,000 miles to Argentina to help both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities here, through an American Jewish non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help struggling Jewish communities around the ENTIRE WORLD? Judaism can be expressed in multiple ways. We are expressing it in every way possible, and I assure this pessimistic writer that there are many, many more Jewish people in America like this. The people-hood certainly remains a very real thing, as I am seeing it with my own eyes at LeDor VaDor , the Hillels here, and the amazing service of our wonderfully diligent group. So the time for the sun to set comes nearer, and two completely different kinds of people will come together by two simple, yet very powerful words:
Shabbat Shalom.

I am so lucky and honored to be a part of this trip. I hope you all reflect on this and realize that the global Jewish community is stronger than ever, and start/continue to contribute to it through ways in which our group has performed here in Argentina.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Aviv Schor