Miriam Itzkowitz – Year 12

Shabbat Shekalim

This week is Shabbat Shekalim, which tells the story of the first “Jewish” census – but there is a catch. Just for some context, the Israelites were wondering in the desert with Moshe, and in order to count them, each Israelite was commanded to contribute half a shekel which was going to be used to construct and upkeep the Mishkan (Tabernacle), instead of counting each individual person. Consequently, the belief arose that we’re not supposed to count people in Judaism.

So, who were the Israelites? When we think of the Israelites, we think of our ancestors who were slaves in Egypt and wondering in the desert. Here’s the catch. Each Israelite counted was a male over the age of twenty who had a Jewish father. But why? Were the women and children not a part of the “chosen people”? Were the women not also slaves? Were the children not at constant risk of death and hardship whilst in Egypt? So why was it only men who counted as Israelites, despite the common ancestry?

Unfortunately, this kind of attitude hasn’t changed in parts of the Jewish community today. There are many people who aren’t considered to be “Jews” because of the way they practice or because they don’t have a Jewish mother or because they didn’t have an Orthodox conversion. But who gets to decide this? It seems like it’s been happening since biblical times, but evidently the definition has broadened. Why should a girl who has been raised Orthodox be made to convert, because she discovered she had a non-Jewish mother? Why should a boy be denied tefillin at the Western Wall because his mother didn’t have an Orthodox conversion? Why should someone be discounted as Jewish because they don’t have a Jewish mother? Judaism used to be patrilineal, after all. Were all the offspring of Jewish mothers but non-Jewish fathers suddenly Jewish and vice-versa. Why should we have the power to decide and invalidate each other’s identities?

We “all” stood at Sinai.

Luckily for us, at Emanuel, we have an extraordinarily inclusive and open community, regardless of level of observance, Jewish ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality – we embrace individuality. We all have equal opportunity and are able to express our Jewishness and Judaism (or lack thereof, in some cases), in our own unique and individual ways. Frankly, whether or not you’re Jewish – according to the conventional definition, or traditional practice, or you just have a cousin or step-parent who is – that’s irrelevant to your being included in Emanuel. Here, the focus isn’t about defining who a Jew is, but rather, living Jewishly. Engaging in Tikkun Olam, giving tzedakah, working hard in being the best versions of ourselves we can be. Let’s not count Jews but make our Judaism count.