About a month ago on the internet, I was asked by a non-American friend what it's like to be a Jew in America, how it feels to be a minority in a "free" society which promises freedom of religion. It was a good question and it made me rethink what it means to be a minority. It wasn't easy, but I managed to write something and I would like to share my reply:
"First of all, yes, as a Jew I do feel like a minority in America. But that is true of all Jews everywhere in the world except for Israel. Two or three percent of the American population is Jewish while almost everyone else is Christian (except for a few Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, etc., etc., etc., whose numbers are so small they barely count). So many people in America assume everyone is a Christian and if you are not, your feelings don't matter since you are such a small percentage of the population. This can make me-and I think I speak for all Jews and other non-Christians-quite uncomfortable at times. And I am not only speaking of abstract matters of First Amendment and the theoretical principles of the "Separation of Church and State," or even of the countless crosses and other Christian symbols and messages that you see every where you go. I am also speaking of daily lifestyle. For example, only yesterday as I was teaching the story "The Lottery" and needed to give my class examples of religious rituals, all the Jewish rituals were at the top of my head, but I knew none of my students would understand, so I had to give examples of Christian rituals.
"Another thing is holidays. All banks and businesses are closed for Christian holidays-those days mean little to me and it is an inconvenience that I cannot get certain services at times I otherwise would. And the opposite is true for Jewish holidays. Schools and businesses are NOT closed, so if you want time off to go to synagogue and pray on the holiday, it is another inconvenience to ask for time-off and to cancel your class and you feel guilty for not giving your students that extra day of education they are paying for. And so many people don't understand and look at you suspiciously as if you are trying to get away with something. Also you constantly have to explain the basics again and again and again. I can't count the number of times a non-Jewish acquaintance has approached me and said, 'So what is this Yom Kipper thing?'
"And then, of course, there is the proselytizing. At best interpretation, it means they think that our religion is inferior to theirs, which is pretty insulting (at worst, it means they are hungry for more money and power and people to control).
"Then there is Christmas. Now I have nothing against Christmas, in the ideal, and celebrations can be fun, but the Christmas commercialism-in-your-face every December (and now starting in early November) can be really offensive. Sure, there are some religious Christians who also object to the constant parties, decorations, sales, silly TV specials, and the general fact that you cannot go anywhere in December without being loudly reminded that Christmas is a large part of our culture and economy; but to a Jew it is different because it helps to emphasize how much we are not included in this aspect of America.
"And I have not even begun to address the issue of anti-semitism. Sure, Jews have always been hated, since the very beginning, and you'd think that we'd be used to it and not mind it so much anymore. And compared to six million Jews being murdered in Europe in the Holocaust, a crazy guy going into a Jewish Community Center in California randomly shooting people pales by comparison; but because we are such a small minority, every act of anti-semitism strikes at the heart of the Jewish community and we are reminded just how vulnerable we are. That's when you really start to feel the pain of being a minority."
But why am I sharing all this with you, my fellow American Jews? You already know this; it's nothing new. But I think, because we are such a minority, we need to be more sensitive to other minorities with whom we share our "free" society. Look around: everywhere in America you'll see minorities. Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, homosexuals, Muslims, Wiccans, third parties, the homeless, those who are physically or mentally challenged, anyone who doesn't fit in with the majority for whatever reason. We know how they feel. The details may be different, but the sense of being alone, of being vastly outnumbered, is just as frightening as being Jewish in a "Christian" country.
Just as we are sensitive to an uncaring majority, we need to be sensitive to other minorities. So the next time you have a chance to make a member of a minority feel at home, do so. Don't just be tolerant, be respectful. Be understanding. Empathize. Go that extra mile. Give them that break. Become their friend. Remember, they are people inside, just like us, and have the same rights as we do. And perhaps they need more, for being outnumbered. It's the Jewish thing to do.