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I settled in to watch the movie "Miracle" with the campers of Sportstar Academy where I work in the summers, expecting to see a typical sports movie.
One scene in this movie, which tells the true story about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, grabbed my attention.
Herb Brooks was charged with coaching this team. He faces the daunting task of preparing college-aged players to play against experienced, professional teams from other countries.
Throughout the early practices with his team, Brooks asks players to introduce themselves to the rest of the team. The dialogue always follows the same pattern of the first introduction sequence.
The coach turns to a player and says, "What's your name?"
"Mark Johnson."
"Where you from, Mark?"
"Madison, Wisconsin"
"Who do you play for?"
"University of Wisconsin, Coach."
Every player introduces himself the same way. Name, hometown, and in response to the question of what team they play for, they answer with their college name.
Five months before the Olympics, the team plays a practice game against Norway. The final score is 3-3 and Coach Brooks feels his team has not put forth their maximum effort.
The drill continues even after the arena manager turns off the arena lights and the medical trainer issues his warning. But the coach again barks out, "Again."
Hours pass with the team being forced to skate back and forth, over and over again. Players collapse, coughing and spitting up, but the coach insists, "Again!"
Suddenly, a voice from the line of players near the goal line calls out:
"Mike Eruzione!"
The hockey player is gasping for breaths and barely gathers the strength to continue…. "Winthrop, Massachusetts!"
Coach Brooks immediately asks: "Who do you play for?"
The player, eventual team captain, Mike Eruzione, struggles and says: "I play for….the United States of America!"
Coach Brooks softly replies, "That's all gentlemen." They could go back to the locker room.
He succeeded in making them identify as a unified team and not as individuals coming from their separate backgrounds and universities.
This sets them on their way to eventually beat the unbeatable Soviets in the Olympic semi-finals and ultimately win the gold medal.
This conveys a critical message to us as Jews, especially during this time of year as we lead up to Tisha B'Av.
The Jewish people have been persecuted for thousands of years. After each round of murder and torture, all we have wanted is a respite and the knowledge that it is over. But then, just like the coach barking out "Again!" we are forced to go through our next round of suffering. We survive, assume it is over, and then we hear the pounding "Again."
The ninth of Av is a date in the Jewish calendar in which we reflect on all of our suffering through the past 2,000 years. We attempt to correct our flaws and pray for salvation. In our time, this includes a respite for our brothers and sisters in bombarded Sderot and other Negev towns, for people who live daily with the threat of terrorist attacks, for soldiers who risk their lives for us daily, and for Jews around the world who live with the fear of anti-Semitism and what could come next.
As we experience Tisha B'Av and reflect on what it will take to get us out of this cycle of persecution called "exile," perhaps we should take Mike Eruzione's insight to heart.
Our Sages of the Talmud teach us that we are in exile because of the hatred of one Jew to another. The only way to correct that flaw is to repair ourselves in that realm.
Perhaps the answer to our suffering and long exile is to see other Jews as members of the same team and family.
Perhaps each time God puts us through another round of suffering, His proclamation of "Again," He is waiting for us to stop identifying ourselves as an individual Jew coming from his separate background and upbringing. "I'm modern Orthodox." "I'm Reform." "I'm a Hasid." "I'm secular." "I'm Conservative." "I'm yeshivishe."
Those characterizations polarize the nation and make it impossible for us to function together as one team. As individual groups, we cannot accomplish what we can accomplish as one team. We are held back by that same baseless hatred which creeps in when we are not one unit.
Perhaps God is waiting for all of us to proclaim in unison, "I am a Jew." Plain and simple.
Even more importantly, perhaps God is waiting for us to stop seeing others as "He's modern Orthodox." "He's Reform." "He's a Hasid." "He's secular." "He's Conservative." "He's yeshivishe."
Perhaps the answer to our suffering and long exile is reaching the point where we see other Jews as members of the same team and family. Jews and nothing else.
(35) Daniela , August 15, 2008
re: yes...and no?
I just want to say that the analysis and comments from Anonymous, 10/8/2008, are so dead on and well written, they are most appreciated and are my own sentiments to the last letter. Thank you.
(34) Mriiam , August 11, 2008
Because we are..
We are the chosen ones. G-d chose us due to the covenant he made with Avraham and Yacov. Chosen doesn't mean necessarily "better". It means chosen. People can be different, do different things, live different lives and still be unified under one G-d. It doesn't mean we all have to look, dress, be the same or have the same occupation. That's where real unity comes in! Bonding together based on differences, not melding all into one and loosing what makes us different. True Unity comes when people are themselves and when they are able to be themselves and bond with others based on similarities, not by suppressing what makes us different!
(33) Anonymous , August 11, 2008
It is a shame that all of us are not on the same team. We, the Jews of the world seem to think that whatever we are....we are the "chosen" ones.
(32) Anonymous , August 11, 2008
Excellent article! My mother used to say the Nazis didn't ask who is frum and who is not, all they wanted were Jews.
(31) Anonymous , August 10, 2008
yes...and no?
Wonderful article, wonderful concept. I'm all for ahavas chinam.
As for the "same team" anaology, however, there's a bit of a glitch. In order for a declaration of unity to be worth anything, we can't just say "we're on the same team, rah rah rah" and go around giving each other hugs and patts. If it were that simple, well, it would much much simpler!
The problem is that we can't seem to agree on the RULES OF THE GAME. If we're all on the ice wearing our hockey gear, and we all agree to "being on the same team," but once the puck hits the ground only a few players stay on the ice while the rest scatter (and/or start playing according to the rules of other games - basketball, cricket, baseball...), what good is the declaration of "teamship?" We can't get too far by simply acknowledging our common bloodline, our common ancestry, our "differentness" among the nations - we can't work as a team when most the team members don't believe there are any rules and/or have no interest whatsoever in playing by them.
When the laws of the Torah are the rules of the game, then there's room for respecting and understanding the need for different roles in the game - i.e., goalie, defense, offense, etc. All different roles, but all playing by the same rules, with the same goal, for the same team in the same game (i.e. Yeshivish, chasidic, Sefardic, Ashkenazik - all united in the service of G-d and living according to the Torah).
Problem is when we're all wearing the team jersey - which to the outside world, all Jews are - and the vast majority of us are trying to cover it up with another teams jersey, playing on the other team's side altogether, sitting in the bleachers with the fans, out in the hall buying food and souvineers, and/or simply making up their own rules as they go along, creating chaos and undermining the game (and those trying to play it properly) in the process. When the Torah says certain things are forbidden, but a Jew (or group of Jews) says, either in thought or deed, "but that doesn't apply to ME," or, "Well, THEY may observe that but I don't have to." as if it were optional, then what does our "feeling" of unity mean?
Now, don't get me wrong, I go to great pains to "judge favorably," and to find love in my heart for every Jew regardless of stripe, level of observance, etc, even as he leads me down the path of destruction (G-d forbid!) because that is my chiyuv (no different than keeping Shabbos, Kashrut, Taharas HaMishpacha, Tzniut, etc) and because I genuinely love people and want the best for them.
I came from a reform background and am now Torah observant, so i know full well what it's like to be on both sides of the fence - so to speak. And I can tell you that there was a great deal more ignorance, arrogance and patronizing of observant Jews over there than I've experienced of the reverse over here (of course the sentiment for the ideology is horror, because it flies in the face of the Torah itself. But the lack of warm sentiment does not extend to the people who are alligned with it, and that's a big difference.)
Until we can agree that there ARE rules of the game, learn what those rules are, and put them into practice to the best of our ability, we can't possibly hope to win the game. And, quite frankly, sometimes it takes a lot of effort to find love for people who are happily and willingly - even if sometimes utterly obliviously - drilling holes in the boat that we are all sitting in, self and family included.
I'm the first person to admit that I'm not even close to perfect, and my failings are significant in quantity and quality. But I will say that I do not rest in trying to make myself into a Torah personality to the best of my limited ability(a goal I will likely never acheive), and that I work hard and expend great effort to do my part. I am fortunate to be part of a community of people who take their Judaism very seriously, and for whom living as a Jew it is a full-time job (that is the job description, for anyone who's seen the Torah!). But sometimes it's very very hard to be working so hard, and knowing so many others who work tirelessly - to be the best Jews they can be in all facets (again, not without some failure) -while 80% (more?) of our "team mates" are partying - and making fun of us at the same time. We are trying to carry the weight - the yoke of Torah - for the entire Jewish people, and it's not easy when 80% aren't pulling their weight.
Halavai we were truly on the same team, not just willing to wear the same jersey and claim the same team name. When I imagine the thought of EVERY JEW on the planet fully owning their Judaism, embracing and living the Torah and it's dictates, fully united with all other Jews in the shared purpose for which Ha-shem enjoined us - united as at Har Sinai in our wholehearted acceptance of the yoke (the gift) of Heaven and in so doing stepping up to our responsibility - to be a conduit for G-d's presence in this world, to be a light unto the nations...It's like going from one person carrying a 200 lb. weight up a steep mountain to taking off in the Concord jet! It positively gives me chills!
This is the way in which we "join" with the family of humanity, not by disowning our unique and neccessary role and trying to be like them - that doesn't serve us or them. Not only do we invite destruction upon our nation, but we don't do the non-Jews any favors either when we marry them, try to be like them, try to blend in with them.If we really cared about them, let alone us, we'd do our job and not try to second guess G-d.)
Unless Ha-shem in his mercy redeems us very soon, it seems that we will instead have no choice but to "love each other" as we are lead to the next wholesale Jew-slaughter, G-d forbid, G-d forbid. It's the same old story, and it astounds me that we still can't "get it," but the warnings of the Torah and the prophets have been chillingly, horifically proved out again, and again, and again. It seems that, at the moment, we sit once again in the chapter just before the tables turn, and the unfathomable ("It can't happen HERE!") horror begins - Halila, lo aleynu, Ha-shem yirahem!!!
I pray that Ha-shem finally put an end to the broken record, and intercept before the next otherwise inevitable chapter of mass destruction begins. May Ha-shem shower US with ahavat chinam and bring moshiach soon, in peace and compassion.