Judaism is the Path, Not the Luggage

Question:
My family are typical disappearing Jews. Each generation drifts a little further away from Judaism.

My grandparents were strictly religious; my parents were not, but were still quite traditional.

But my generation is Jewish by name only, they are not involved with anything Jewish.

At this rate, what will my kids look like? Is there any way to stop this trend?
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Answer:
Have you seen the new regulations about taking luggage onto a plane? Some airlines don't allow you on the plane, with any hand-luggage.

There's a spiritual message in that: If you have too much baggage, you can't get on the flight.
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Many of us see Jewishness, as a big bag of treasure, handed down from one generation to another. This bag is very precious, full of wise advice, rich tradition and meaningful insight. But it can be a burden. It's heavy to carry three thousand years of baggage, as you travel along the road of life.


As valuable as the treasure may be, it will sometimes seem impractical to carry it all. Each generation will try to lighten the baggage, by choosing what seem to be the most important things, and discard the excess baggage.
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But there is another way to look at it. Judaism is not the luggage we carry through the journey of life; it itself is, the journey of life.

It is not something we take on our travels, it is the path that we travel. Jewishness is not static: you don't carry it, you live it.
It is not a treasure, that belonged to your parents; it is a journey, that belongs to you.

Judaism is no something that you do, it is something that you are!
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Jewish commitment, is not measured by how much we do, but rather by how far we have traveled. It is not about how religious I am today; it is about how much I have grown.

If we are growing in our spiritual connection, if we are learning more about our tradition, if we are deepening our commitment to G-d, then we are on the road.Then this message will seep down to the next generation.

Our children will make their own choices, and there are no guarantees, but one thing is clear: our children's view of Judaism is shaped, by the way we live it.

If we carry Judaism as a burden, then that's what it will be to them - and the burden may seem too heavy.

But if we embrace our own Jewishness as a soul journey, then our children will more likely, want to come along for the ride.

Tell your children, that even without luggage, you can still fly.