Blog

• The Jewish Birthday - and JDMM

  One of the themes of a birthday is the idea that each and every person in the world has an unique and individual mission - a mission that no other person can accomplish.

  If this is true, why then should we all unify as one group? Why should Jewish deaf people identify themselves as part of the one Jewish nation? After all, don't we each have our various life-missions that set us apart from every other person?

  The answer (in short): though we all have different missions, we all are working towards the same thing.

  A baseball team has a pitcher, a catcher, a first-baseman, and so on. Each person has his role in the game. The pitcher throws the ball, while the catcher catches it. The first-baseman is appointed over first base. The same goes for the rest of the team, each in his individual position.

  But they all work towards the same goal: winning the game. If you asked any one of the players, the answer would be the same - no matter who you ask.

  So too it is with us. We were sent to this world, one as a "Joe," another as a "Shelly", a third as a "Bob", and so on. Each one of us has an unique identity, both physically and spiritually.

  (The Lubavitcher Rebbe would often emphasize that the physicality of our world is based on its spiritual source. When something exists in our world, it is because of something found in the spiritual realms.

  So if we all are different physically (as reflected in even just one small part of our body - our fingerprints!), it is surely because of the fact that our spiritual sources are likewise varied.)

  But there is no doubt that we all were put into the world with the same ultimate goal in mind: to transform the world into a better place. To turn the world into a place for G-d to dwell in.

  And it is for this very reason that we should all unite together - despite our essential differences. 

  And this is especially true for the Jewish deaf community. Since we all have something more in common over the wider Jewish community (and even the general deaf community) - i.e., the fact that we are both Jewish and deaf - we should take advantage of our unity to help us in accomplishing the missions for which we were put into this world. 

  As Jewish Deaf Multimedia celebrates its first birthday, reflect on how you can make a difference in the Jewish deaf community.