“…Just as in the case of iron, when one implement sharpens
another, so too do two [Torah] scholars sharpen each other when they discuss
questions [of Halahkah] together..” -Talmud Bavli Ta'anit 7a
Can pluralism truly exist? This question is the topic of
Jewish debate on a daily basis. Is there a way a group of people from different
denominations can learn from one another without igniting another war? Can we
find a way to be united somehow? These questions commonly linger in the mind of
an interfaith-driven teenager like myself.
Only three months ago, I didn’t think that achieving such a
goal was remotely possible. This past summer, however, my rather pessimistic
expectations were exceeded. Only three months ago, I boarded an El-Al flight to
Israel alongside twenty-five Jewish incoming seniors from across the country.
Among the group, our beliefs and practices varied, but all of mindsets created
a constant for the program: we wanted to learn from one another this summer.
Throughout the first few days after our arrival, we all
attempted to be friendly, forcefully proposing casual cocktail chatter in order
to “test the waters.” However, by the first weekend, controversial conversation
topics began to seep out from mouths that could no longer conceal them. For the
duration of the summer, we spent countless hours stargazing and debating issues
that impact both the American Jewish community and the future of the state of
Israel. People did not hesitate before vehemently sharing their beliefs with
others, and they rocked my Jewish identity in ways that I never realized I
needed.
Perhaps the most significant lesson I gained from these
thought-provoking discussions was that my faith, like that of many other teens
I learned, needed sharpening. Surrounded by a tolerant and pluralistic
community, I felt compelled to strengthen and reexamine the beliefs that once
blindly carved a path for my life. Repeatedly this summer, we were all taught
that one must sharpen a knife with other knives, rather than with pillows, for
a tool of any kind would never be useful otherwise. This seemingly literal
concept gradually evolved into the foundation of our faith-based dialogue:
while sensitivity is pivotal for communication, we were a community driven to
grow. We were motivated to use the knives of our own faith to sharpen those of
our peers, even if that entailed crossing the borders and boundaries we never
fathomed to discover ourselves. Through the exhausting summer of spiritual
growth that ignited both laughter and tears, we became friends. Today, I now
have twenty-five new friends from different walks of Jewish life; we thrived in
the pluralistic sanctuary we’ve created for ourselves and are prepared to
expand it to our own homes.
As different as a group of Jewish teens may be, we all
associated ourselves to the broad umbrella of the same faith and could easily
have been united by title alone. However, in our respective communities which
aren’t structured like those in Jerusalem, no one faith is the majority—making
the need to create pluralism that much stronger.
Now more than ever we must face the irreligious intolerance
that amplifies on a daily basis. We are living in a world where our own
tribalism prevents us from seeing the faces of our neighbors. The stereotypes
of other faiths that exist in our minds reflect our fear in pursuing justice.
Even among parents and grandparents, thoughts of intermarriage traumatize them,
immediately inhibiting any support of interfaith friendships because of the
enigmatic future to which they could lead.
I, however, continue to remain hopeful, despite the many
obstacles that lay before a perfect world. For little had I known, the walls of
intolerance can be broken down over a circle of chairs and a breezy, star-lit
Jerusalem night sky. The sense of hope that glowed among the optimists sitting
in those seats, however, can travel to any zip code.
So can we achieve the same pluralism among different faiths?
Absolutely. We simply need to create the dialogue that allows us to learn from
one another. And perhaps, once we’ve created a safe circle of hope, we can
challenge and sharpen our faiths together.
