What does it mean to be a Jew? Have you ever posed that question to yourself? Has anyone casually asked you what that means? Chances are you haven’t.

Our very first night in Santiago Chile we piled together and watched footage of a Jewish man casually asking people, Jews and non Jews, what is means to be a Jew. It seems like a simple enough question, however it left many people perplexed and tongue tied.

There were a few funny moments where he would go up to bondage wearing Londoners who seemed a bit out of it and said quirky comments. Many non Jews said Jews are people who don’t eat pork or wear certain attire. No one could seem to embrace the core of the meaning.

At the end of the video the interviewer finds a spry little old woman, and asks her the question. She thinks for a minute, and says, “You know, I’ve never really thought about.” She goes on and tries to string together what it really means but isn’t able to truly formulate a cohesive answer.

This was the Aha! moment. This one seemingly insignificant part of this film was the main focus of the discussion that followed.

After the film aired Rabbi Markowitz explained to us why it was such a poignant part of the movie. Here is this old woman, in her 80s at least. Who doesn’t seem to have the first clue of what it means to be a Jew. A simple question; something we as a nation should all be able to proudly assert when asked.

As a group we were asked to brainstorm about what we think connects us as Jews and thus shapes us a religion, a nation, as one. We started shouting out answers as quick as the Rabbi could write them down. At the end of a few minutes we had over 60 items. We were then asked to condense the list done to ten items.

Next, we assemble into groups and were told to think about what the top 3 connective factors are that define us as Jews. Although our lists varied, one thing remained on top and that was the Torah. Without it, we wouldn’t exist and everything else would have melted away. It is our system of rules, our unifier, and our word. Whether you are a strict follower or a lax one you follow some aspect of the Torah on a daily basis. The next time someone poses this question to anyone of the 42 of us, we will be readily prepared with what to say and won’t end up like the little old lady.

While my group was discovering the wilds of Chile and learning about our heritage, a powerful earthquake struck the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haiti and released its destruction onto thousands upon thousands of innocent victims.

The news of the quake trickled into our group via calling home, the net and watching the BBC in Spanish. The magnitude of the quake did not hit me until I arrived in the U.S. and was able to read about the ghastly devastation.

Several times throughout our trip, Rabbi Shalom Yona stated that we, the Jews, are responsible for the earthquake and the loss of life. We are the purveyors of the land, the Kings and Queens; the Chosen People. G-d selected us to help right the wrongs of the world and act as an example whenever possible.

Upon hearing this, I thought the Rabbi might have hit his head too hard while we went white water rafting. Yet, after coming home and hearing the news his statements truly resonated with me.

I met my Israeli mother for lunch right after we landed. She asked about the trip but abruptly changed the topic to the earthquake. She began to tell me about how the Israeli’s are the driving force in the relief effort. They were able to mobilize 200 doctors, nurses, soldiers and volunteers in a matter of hours and set up a hospital amongst the rubble. As she spoke she had tears in her eyes and pride in her voice.

After our lunch date I began to research just how much the Israeli’s have been helping the destructed nation. I found that as soon as news hit about the earthquake, they mobilized troops, organized supplies and filled 2 jumbo jets with a vast amount of medical and rescue equipment.

Mati Goldstein, head of the ZAKA rescue delegation stated, “We built a hospital, are treating 300 to 400 people a day and rescued 19 people from the rubble, more than any other delegation.”

CNN even aired coverage that revealed how much better the Israeli hospital was than the U.S. field hospital. The results were shocking.

There are plenty of naysayers who freely voice their opinion that the Israeli efforts should merely be looked at as a public relations tactic and nothing more; it is a way for the world to forget about the nightmare surrounding the Gaza strip. However, Israel has always helped countries in need. In 1999, Turkey suffered a powerful earthquake. Israel was one of the first nations on the scene to search for victims and save lives. When a bomb struck the U.S. embassy building in Kenya in 2006, they assisted in aid and rescue.

This type of anti-Semitic sentiment was also touched upon during one of our lectures by Rabbi Feldheim. He advised us that anti-Semitism has followed the Jews throughout history and will continue to follow us. He stated that we have to consistently prove to the world that we will not be threatened by annihilation; we will prevail.

Earlier this year, the Organization of American States (OAS) concluded that Haiti had no building codes. If proper codes were set in place, the country would have been saved. The same severity of quake hit San Francisco in 1989. 63 people died and 12,000 people were homeless as a result. Fast forward 20 years, 200,000 people are presumed dead and 1.5 million are homeless.

Rabbi Yona was right. As Jews, we have a responsibility to take care of those in need. Jew or non Jew, poor or rich. We have to realize that it is up to us to right the wrongs and fight injustice. If we let the world continue to starve and live in poverty, we aren’t acting as examples. We are ignoring the problems.

* I urge everyone to contribute whatever they can to the Haitian relief effort. *

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