Yesterday at 1:05pm, along with 309 other people from 64 different countries, I took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and formally became a citizen of the United States of America. It was an exciting moment and a milestone I am very grateful to have reached and accomplished. During the two hour wait to take the oath, I spent time chatting with the people to my left and right and learned about stories of survival from a Vietnam Boat refugee and chatted with people just seeking a better and freer life in a free and democratic USA.
At the ceremony, the officiating Judge spoke about what being a civilian of the USA means in terms of actions and values. The Judge encouraged everyone to have their voice heard at the polls and to make informed decisions, to be active in their communities, to look out for their neighbors, and to stand up for freedoms of others around the world.
At one particularly poignant moment of the ceremony, the presiding Judge listed out the names of the 64 countries that were represented in the room and asked us each to rise as our country of origin was announced. I took my turn in standing up when Great Britain was announced, and watched people stand up from Syria, Egypt, all over Africa, all over Europe, Israel and so many more places.
As the ceremony concluded with the playing of the National Anthem and G-d Save America, I stood there grateful to be part of a country that exemplifies a society that provides equality and respect for all of its inhabitants. As the music played, I stood there thinking about America’s history and its journey of constant improvement and betterment for the protection of human rights, equality and religion, it is truly amazing to see what a great and free country it has become for all of its inhabitants. Of course there is work to be done, but nevertheless as I stood there and watched the hundreds of people from around the world who had chosen to become Americans and thought about what some of them were leaving behind, I was grateful and proud to be part of a nation that lives up to such wonderful values of freedom, respect and value for human rights.
Interestingly, in this week’s Torah portion, Moses addresses the Jews on the very last day of his life and he discusses with them a mutual Oath of allegiance that G-d and the Jewish people have made to each other. The Oath was different than any previous oath that the Jews and G-d had made about their relationship, in that it moved beyond the personal element of G-d and each person, and it now included mutual responsibility for one another as an additional and new component.
Moses proceeds to list the many segments that society is made up of and tells them that collectively they form one entity and while there may be leaders and followers, and judges and civilians, together they all form a whole body, which is comprised of many parts. Moses is telling them, just like in a body each and every part plays a critical role in creating a wholesome and healthy body and no part is extra or redundant, so too, each and every one of them plays a unique and distinct role and purpose in creating the wholesome body that we are, by adding their unique touch to G-d’s world. Moses is telling them, that recognizing this reality and attempting to make it part of our society, is critical to our ability to succeed in accomplishing our goals, mission and spiritual destiny in this world.
As we stand here on the threshold of the final Shabbat of the year and prepare to read about the mutual Oath of Allegiance of the Jewish People and G-d, I am grateful for the opportunity to live and practice freely as a Jew and in the Land of the Free.
G-d Bless America!
PS Please stop by the Kiddush 12:15pm and on (and / or earlier service) this Saturday at the Chabad Center of Sudbury to join me in a celebratory L'chaim!