Recently I was honored to be a speaker at a memorial service for a beloved and important community member who recently passed away. Several of us spoke about her impact on our lives. There were multiple heart-warming and powerful stories of her positive and profound impact on us.
Here is my story. I attended Sunday School at the Congregational Church in my hometown. When I was about 10 or 11 in the late 1950’s, we had a guest speaker. She stood in front of the class and explained the customs and practices of her Jewish faith. I remember hearing about the major holidays, how they were celebrated and their meaning. She brought items to share with us. I imagine they were a Menorah, a dreidel, perhaps a shawl. My memory of these details is a bit fuzzy at this point!
What I remember vividly is my interest, and the lovely presence of the presenter. She was warm, loving, and humble. She did not condescend to us children, but spoke from her heart, explaining simply to us about the meaning of her faith. And there we were, sitting in our faith building hearing about another faith.
The impact of this experience on me has been profound and life-long. Deeper than the interest of hearing about something the seemed different and new to me, I also heard the similarity and the universal in the meanings of the practices and rituals. I could relate those meanings to customs, rituals, and meanings I already knew and practiced.
As I grew older and learned about the persecution of Jews, I was horrified, and appalled. I thought of that moment when I learned about the meaning of Jewish customs and faith and my appreciation of our similarities and shared humanity. And as an adult this lesson expanded to include an openness to learning and understanding about other faiths, religions, and cultures.
In essence, I learned to be open to hear about what seemed like difference. In listening, I learned to understand that deeper than any difference is our shared universal humanity. There is no reason for anyone to be ‘other.’