Is it wrong of being a Jew?

By Syukurlah Selalu

When I was born in the world, I did not choose in which family I should be born. Moreover, I did not choose to which religious, racial, ethnicity, class of the family I should be born. Everything was experienced by me not due to my own choice. It was destiny which makes me to have such a kind of thing. Similarly is with one who was born as a Jew or whatever. It was not due to ones choice, but it was destiny that make one to have such a kind of experience. Therefore, it is really not fair to prejudice someone because one is a Jew which then follows the system of life Jew religiously, culturally, socially etc. Since this kind of understanding is very significant in our life which always involves various aspects, it is really interesting to explore about. If one has chance to choose before one was born , one will probably choose everything based on ones best choice. For example, one will choose to be born in rich and wealthy family, with healthy and perfect body etc. Yet, since one just accepts of what has happened, one has to accept according to what has got in ones life. After growing up, one may have chance to improve ones economic, health, and social condition, but one will never be able to change ones race or ethnicity. Being Jews or being any other race is not the exception either. I do not know why some people prejudice to those who are Jews. It may be because Jews have close relation to a country called Israel. As we know, Israel is a country which has political problem with Palestine. Those two countries have been struggling to win political and territorial power for very long time. Each of them claims

as the right nation to own certain territory. Regardless to say, I do not want to discuss about which is the right one between the two, but as a person who has a conscience, I would prefer peace solution as the best way to solve the problem between them. War or any form of violence will never be the best solution to solve human or world problem. Therefore, it is expected that the two countries will solve the problem in more mature and wise way, otherwise people will always prejudice to someone who is a Jew.

Irrespective of religious, racial, cultural or ethnic identity one belongs, one wants to have peaceful and happy life. Being a Jew, once again, is not the exception. Probably, if one understands the situation of Jewish history in the early time, one may be going to change ones perception about Jewish people. It is said that for thousand years Jews who were formerly known as Hebrew people, were colonized by early Egypt people. They were under suppression and agony not just for hundred years, but thousand years. They were made as slaves and other unfavorable conditions. Yet, finally after a very long struggle, finally the could gather all of their strength to gain independence. Not only that, they could unite all Jewish who were scattered around the world, and they were asked to go home to their mother land, which is now known as Israel. To strengthen their unity among them, finally a book called Torah was compiled. In later period, the book is regarded as a holy book. Such a kind of method, however, really succeeds to change the paradigm among those people. It is because of the book which make Jewish people not only be able to unite, but also follow certain standard of life based moral and ethical value which they believe. In spite of the differences of the moral and ethical value which they follow with ours, there is always a reason to respect their existence and dignity.

The reason which should always be understood here is that, like us, they are human beings. As human beings, they are part of interconnectedness which exists in the world. They are part of chain of life. Actually, there is no any separation at all with every aspect of life in this world. It is because of egoism or individual selfishness that makes one to be separated from others. Like us too, they are still in the process of learning, because basically everyone is still learning and still need to learn in order to be better person. Like us to, they are not free from mistake.

As final remark, being a Jew or not, it was not due to ones choice. It was more to destiny which leads one to have experience of the kind of thing. We cannot always prejudice because of ones race, religious, ethnic or racial identity. To create a better place to live in, we must go beyond the search for identity, and we must understand about the interconnectedness of everything in this world.