This Sunday I flew to New York to pay a shiva call to my uncle and cousin.
Traveling can bring out the best and worst in people. There's the thrill of
connecting with so many new people, even just in passing. There's also the
vulnerability of being out of your comfort zone... When I travel, the added
dimension of being distinctively Jewish (that yarmulka has a way of giving me
away) also adds to the interesting flow of adrenalin. I have a habit of
smiling and greeting the people that I meet, even in passing. The airplane is
no exception. Walking down the aisle on the plane, I felt proud to be a
friendly ambassador for the Jewish people!
Then in row 12, I passed by a young couple. She was dressed in the traditional
Muslim headgear, and they were speaking to each other in Arabic. Our eyes met
briefly, and I saw and felt the animosity. It was palpable. We landed in La
Guardia, and at the luggage carousel, there were other distinctively Jewish
people gathered. "We" clearly had the home court advantage here. I spotted my
Mideastern cousins again. They were waiting for their luggage to come around
when our eyes connected again. For a fleeting moment, I sensed vulnerability,
and with it the animosity was replaced with a sense of warmth. I felt for that
moment the universal brotherhood and love that exists in the heart of every
human being. I felt that "Messiah moment." Is it really possible that we can
all exist under G-d's umbrella? Can this dream become a reality? What can we
do about it?
