Deciding who you are is hard work. Deciding who you’re not is easy, and that ease is exactly the trap.

We may not always know what we believe, or what kind of future we’re building. But we know, with total confidence, that we are not like those people. Not that political party. Not that denomination. Not that kind of Jew. Tribalism sells identity at a discount: skip the self-examination, skip the hard work of naming what you actually stand for, and just point at whoever irritates you. Stand somewhere else. Done.

But here’s what tribalism gets wrong: tribes themselves are not the problem. They’re not even optional. Human beings need people who know our stories, carry our memories, and show up when everything falls apart. A tribe hands us a language we didn’t invent and obligations we didn’t choose – and that’s a gift, not a limitation.

Jews should know this better than anyone. We are, in the truest sense, a tribe. We call strangers family because they carry the same ancient memory. And especially now, with antisemitism rising in plain sight, we owe no one an apology for seeking each other out and protecting what we have.

The danger isn’t the tribe. The danger is the moment belonging inside starts to require that someone else stay outside.

That’s the real weight........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)