Wear It

One of the only things I know for sure

Wear your star, your chai, your tiny scroll, your hamsa, perhaps your Hebrew name. The one your parents gave you, or the one that was a b’nei mitzvah gift, or the one you bought for yourself on Birthright or Etsy then tucked away when the protests started, when the pressure grew, when the questions became too many and too much.

Wear it and remember who you are, who you belong to, who holds you, who anchors you in a line of light that stretches backwards in time for over five thousand years and forwards in time because you and I are here and we don’t owe anyone an explanation or an apology for existing.

Wear it and feel pride in a people whose love of family, creativity, storytelling, teaching, learning, contributing, justice, and memory are like cave drawings etched into the insides of your bones, maps that detail your past and will guide and steady you through even the roughest waters and least hospitable conditions, maps that also point to the most delicious places, hidden springs and mountaintops, trails of song where you can laugh and cry at the same time.

Wear it and know that it doesn’t demand perfection but rather expects your missteps, your questions, your confusion, even your failures.

Wear it as a reminder to be curious about what else is possible, a reminder not to let others define you, a reminder that everything changes except for this, this lineage, this gift that can sometimes feel heavy around your neck.

Wear it as a signal of wholeness, so the light in your purest, innermost heart, your beautiful, brave heart, can seep out and sparkle through all the tired, splintered places.

Wear it because it claims you and in return, you can claim it back. Let it open door after door for you of learning, layers, and connections that bring depth and joy and meaning into your days. And if a door should close before you because of its appearance, let that too be of use. Let it close.

Loving your Jewishness doesn’t require you to pledge political allegiances. It requires you to inquire about them and make decisions and choices based on your values. This is not a one-and-done process but an evolving one, a life-long one. That may present its own hardships but ultimately it’s a gift of our tradition to open slowly.

Let these visible symbols offer you the time, space, and company you need and deserve. Seek out relationships that not only tolerate but value your struggles and care for you through and not despite them, where you can bring your whole self, not just the parts that make other people most comfortable.

This is one of the only things I know for sure, and I offer it to you without attachment but with hope, respect, and the biggest love. Wear the thing. We’ve got your back.

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