I think I might have told you the story of Adonis.
He is a gentleman I met in Atlanta when he delivered some furniture. We spoke briefly when he finished the delivery and then he asked me where I had lived on the West Side.
I was literally flabbergasted. I asked how on earth he knew that I came from the West Side of Manhattan. He shared that he had previously been a beat cop in Manhattan and spent a great deal of time with the denizens. He met all kind of people and was able to discern the accents of those who were natives, it helped him recognize who was a resident.
Adonis was able to identify a West Sider just by an intonation.
Growing up on the West Side was an eye opening experience.
My family attended a synagogue there which was a magnet for Jews searching for their Jewish roots. The synagogue hosted a myriad of activities such as lectures and meals on Shabbat and holidays. There was also a concerted effort to bring Judaism to the streets of the West Side and make it accessible to any Jew who had interest in learning more about Jewish teachings.
One of my favorite activities as a young teen was joining a group of my friends on Sukkot to share the mitzva of Lulav and Etrog. We would literally stand near a mobile Sukka and offer passersby the opportunity to take the Lulav and Etrog. It was so fascinating to hear people’s reactions. Some were highly emotional, feeling a deep spiritual connection. Others waxed nostalgic, remembering taking the Lulav with beloved grandparents. A few were amused by the ritual and there were those who were deeply curious about the meaning of taking the four species and literally wanted to understand all the mystical aspects, while standing on one foot.
But all were united in their deep appreciation of having the opportunity to participate in this Mitzva.

The Four Species that we make a blessing on each day of Sukkot (except for Shabbat), actually represent different types of Jews, each with their own unique and distinct manner.
But the Mitzva is only complete when we take all the Four distinct species of the Etrog which is a citron, the Lulav, which is a palm frond, the Haddasim which are myrtle leaves and the Aravot willows, and bring them together.
We bless them when we hold them together as a unit.
This alludes to the idea that the Jewish people can only achieve their mission when we are united. That doesn’t mean we all have to agree, it just means we need to bring disparate parts together and that happens when we can respect one another.
Rabbi Naftali Schiff, founder of JRoots, recounted that he met with a woman who was a Holocaust survivor. She shared with him many of the terrible experiences of her journey. Rabbi Schiff was inspired by one sentence she kept repeating. She shared with him that she made it because even in the worst of times, the most awful situations “we were all together”.
Rabbi Schiff quoted Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks who suggested that the way to create this unity, which may be elusive and difficult, is to continually look for the good in another. By focusing our attention on the sweetness of the Etrog or the beauty of the Haddasim which translates into seeing the goodness in the annoying neighbor or the sweetness in the clingy child.
That’s the only way we pull all our different parts together.
Adonis recognized my West Side roots, despite the fact that there are lots of different people who live there but apparently our “accent” distinguishes us.
The Jewish people are made up of many different types, celebrating the nuances but recognizing the beauty therein, is the secret to creating unity.
Let’s pick up those nuances and make that our focus.
Have a joyous Sukkot!
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!