This month of May is designated as “Jewish American Heritage Month.” And while most are not aware of it, I think this is a time to consider who we are and for what we stand as Jews and as Americans.

We Jews carry with us a worthy heritage rooted in the values and ideals of Torah. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself…. Justice, shall you pursue…. You shall leave the corner of your field unharvested (so that the poor may come and take what they need)…. Know the heart of the stranger, for you have been strangers….” Yes, all of this speaks with a Hebrew accent and is at the heart of the religious heritage that we embrace.

Who are we Jews? I like the account of an elderly man who would walk the streets of his village, shouting for people to change their selfish and often cruel ways. One day, a child approached the man and said: “Don’t you see that with all of your shouting that you are not changing people at all. They are laughing at you. Why do you keep shouting?” And the old man answered: “I keep shouting, not because I believe that I can change them. I keep shouting so that they don’t change me.”

And so we Jews continue on our journey through this world, whether we be here or in Israel or in other countries. We persist with life, sometimes shouting with joy and celebration, and at other times consoling and strengthening ourselves in response to antisemitism in all its forms.

So do I wish you Shabbat Shalom: A day for “resting” our minds and our souls from the stresses of life and rediscovering the best that is within us.