5 August 2005
Question
I was asked by a non-Jewish colleague at work the following question:
"Is it possible to be a loyal Australian and a proud Jew at the same time? It seems to me that there must be a conflict of interests there. Can you really be both?"
I know you can but I don't know how to explain it...
Answer
We don't live in Saudi Arabia. If we did there would be a problem - according to their law, you can't be Jewish and Saudi Arabian. There is only one way to be a Saudi Arabian, but there are many ways to be Australian. My way is by being proudly Jewish. Not only is there no conflict, but having a strong Jewish identity makes me a better Australian.
Australia is one of the greatest and strongest countries in the world today. Not because of its gorgeous beaches or first class cricket team, but because of its diversity. Unlike most Middle Eastern and even some European societies, Australia understands that welcoming people with different identities will not weaken Australia, but rather enrich it. Australia is a big conversation of cultures, and being Australian means bringing the unique voice of your own ethnicity to that conversation, by being who you are to the fullest.
In my case, that means living an active and proud Jewish life, studying the ideals and values of Judaism and living by them, and sharing them with the people around me. It is as an active Jew that I contribute my bit to Australia. To assimilate, to deny my Jewishness or bury it under some vague generic identity would be to rob Australia of what the Jewish voice has to offer. To lose my Jewishness would not only be going against my own inner self, it would be downright un-Australian. But to live Jewishly, true to my identity, is the most Australian thing I can do.
As a Jew, I thank G-d for placing me in a country as free and open as Australia. As an Australian, I thank G-d that I have Jewish values to guide me and shape my identity. I am proud to be a Jewish voice in the conversation that is Australia.
