Navajo and Jews

I was listening to a CD collection put out by KCRW this weekend lent to me by a friend called "Jewish Stories: From the Old World to the New" on my way to visit my Mother for Mother's Day this weekend. A specific story regarding Native American Navajo and Jews really caught my interest and imagination because it spoke about the inherent Christian-ish of America and that essentially like Navajo, Jews, although born here in America were also displaced. Having heard a story, strangely enough, also on KCRW early last week regarding the recent popular trend of Christian Law Schools being established in America, I was struck by the how much this jibbed with my overall sense of dispossession. It was an interesting piece to listen to since it put forth the tenet that America was founded on Christian ideals. That our forefather who created the Constitution were Christian men who believed in the ten commandments and were looking to instill those beliefs in people who were a part of this country.

Now it is true that we swear to G-d when we are in court and that Judaism is founded on the ten commandments (in fact, we had them before Christianity did, if you really want to get technical about it), but there seemed to be a bit of moral supremacy at play with many of commentary in the piece I was listening to. Perhaps I was reading into it, being that my brother is a lawyer and a Jew, who knows, maybe he can be superior too. I'm not certain, but I digress. The point I wanted to make before I got all tangential was that maybe my constant sense of not belonging and not fitting in (that is often over pronounced during especially "Christian" or what some would now call "American" holiday times of the year like Christmas) is due to this Country leaning more and more towards exclusionary ideals instead of inclusive ones.

On the other hand (because playing Devil's advocate runs high on my list of exciting pastimes), would I fit in if I really were to return to Israel and spend my next Hanukkah there? Would being granted the right of the "return" as all Jews are entitled give me a sense of belonging that I do not feel in the Country of my birth? This is a musing that I am unable to answer since I have not been there and it is doubtful that I will visit there anytime soon with all the violence. However, my brother visited a Kibbutz there when he was 13 and my Mother's roommate from college lives there with her husband and 4 children, who have all served in the military. Someday I would like to go and see Israel, to pray at the wailing wall and see where the great temple stood. To float in the Dead Sea and eat wonderful fresh food grown from in what used to be desert land, haggle at the bazaar with vendors and dance at the discos in Tel Aviv.