One of my relatives wrote the following, in a personal email to me, which inspired me to define Jewish Unity. I welcome your feedback on this very timely issue.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Jewish Unity" and wouldn't mind knowing more about it.
I think that Jewish Unity consists of a number of factors, but primarily the following two:

  • Listening - Yes, we want to do this. :-)
    If we don't communicate with each other (of which listening is the most important component of communication), then we will become estranged from each other. Furthermore, if we do not listen to each others' concerns, then we cannot work to resolve those concerns. Furthermore, not listening to each other can lead to the second Jewish Unity factor:
  • Lashon Harah (Evil Speech) - No, we don't want to do this. :-(
    Talking bad about each other. If we do not understand or respect each others' individuality, then we are liable to talk bad about each other. Evil speech hurts three people:

  • the person who said it
  • the person about whom it is said
  • the person who hears it.

    Example: Some Jews bad-mouthed Yitzchak Rabin about his land-for-peace policies. This hurt:

  • Yitzchak Rabin (the person about whom it was said),
  • Yigal Amir (the person who hears it and believes it and acts on it), and
  • those who are indirectly (and partially) responsible for the damage that was done by that incident (the person who said it).

    • In an attempt to practice what I preach, I make an attempt to dialog and learn more about what divides the Jewish people and what can be done to bring the Jewish people together. (At the bottom of this page, you can click to mail me with your own comments on Jewish unity. I will not use your name publicly without your consent.) Click here for some feedback that I have received. Feedback section updated September 24, 1997.

    I could go on about Jewish Unity, but I think I summed it up with my two points regarding factors which promote or detract from/to Jewish Unity, namely listening and speaking, i.e. listening to each other and not speaking bad about each other.

    For more information on Loshon Hora, please check out The complete Loshon Hora archives of an online class on the subject, or check out The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation home page.

    Please write me with constructive comment on these (hopefully) constructive thoughts.

    Send email to schubach.1@osu.edu

    After sending me email (hint, hint), you can return to Bernard Schubach's Jewish unity page or you can return to Bernard Schubach's main home page, or you can click on the icon below for Agudath Israel's position on the murder of Yitzchak Rabin, straight from the horse's mouth for the Sake of Truth: the Orthodox Jewish Position on the Assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.

    Click on the icon to the left for an offical view, as opposed to my ad-hoc view.

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