I came across a news article today. It was about how Israel still ranks high on the Happiness Index, even with all the craziness and the war going on. And it makes no sense. Usually, I wouldn’t be surprised, but lately this just seems absurd. Facebook and the news sites abound with horrible news and analysis, ranging from complaining about the current war, to the previous wars and the potential future wars, to our politicians to our airlines. And in many cases, the complaints and the anger are absolutely justified. So how can we rank 8th in the world for happiness? It makes no sense. Unless, of course, you’re a Jew.

I think I speak for most people when I say we are tired. Of the sleepless nights interrupted by sirens, of the lack of routine, of miluim, of remote work while the kids are at home, of the fighting, of Zoom, of cooking all these meals and the endless food consumption that leads to endless shopping, of the rising prices of everything, of running to the shelter, of looking to see where the shelters are. Of the horrible sound of the alerts. Of the news. Of the political divide. Of the laundry. Of the sandstorms. Of Pesach cleaning. Of fearing for our lives and our loved ones. Of wondering where this is all going.

We are exhausted. And we are scared, and fed up, and at times pessimistic, at times hopeless, at times angry and skeptical.  So how can we have one of the happiest populations in the world? How can this be?

My guess is: we are, for the most part, still aware of our privilege. The privilege of having a country, and an army to defend it. The privilege of being able to walk in the street wearing a kippah, not afraid of being attacked. The privilege of having kosher food, of the possibility to perform a Bris on our baby boys, of celebrating our festivals without having to use vacation days or risk our jobs. The privilege of having your neighbor yelling at you because you let your kids play on the street at 2 p.m. on a Saturday while they’re trying to sleep, and having that same neighbor bring a cake for the kids when they see your husband leaving for another round in the army. The privilege of living amongst one big family.

My dad always says, קשה להיות יהודי. But these days, we have the privilege of being a יהודי in our land and in our country. No wonder we’re happy. With everything – we are privileged. Let’s not only speak badly about our country. Let’s not only complain about anything and everything. Let’s also do our part to make sure it is the country our people always dreamed of. Let’s, all of us, contribute where we can – in the army, in the public service, in community building, in constructive political discourse and projects. Even when it’s hard, when it demands courage, when it means losing comfort or even acceptance in certain circles. Let’s be worthy of this privilege.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)