SA/TO By Month
Topic Information: March

Diversity:
Living in today’s world, you are bound to run into an assortment of many different types of people ranging in size, shape and form. It is the only smallest characteristics however, which separates you from me. In essence, the question of diversity is one only apparent in the human mind. Do not fall victim to this misconception, diversity is not something that is bad, but rather something that provides for the proper functioning in the world and is not something to be used for negative purposes such as discrimination.

The Secular Views on Diversity:
If you were to do the time warp and ask Charles Darwin what exactly diversity was he would tell you, “in diversity of species the principles of evolution that operated to generate the species: variation, competition and selection,” thus concluding that diversity in scientific terms is something that is caused by the presence of “mutants.” Webster’s Dictionary defines “diversity” as: being composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities.

These are two points of view on total opposite sides of the spectrum. So, which one is correct?

In order to answer this question follow me on this journey through this in depth study of diversity.

A Jewish Take On Diversity:
I would now like to take you into the wonderful world of SA/TO. This is a place where tzaddikim, righteous people live. I recall a story of the Lamed Vavniks. It tells of there only being 36 righteous people living at one time in the world. The catch however is that we don’t know who they are. So when living your life, treat everyone as if they are one of these Lamed Vavniks and then you yourself will reach that level of righteousness.

How does this relate?
This is a message calling for the tolerance of diversity. You should never base a judgment on somebody because of their skin color or religion, for as far as you know they could be one of these 36 righteous people.

Judaism, Islam and Christianity are they really all that different?
Jews, Muslims and Christians (the three major monotheistic religions) each trace their origins back to the lineage of the patriarch, Abraham. These three religions descend through his two sons, the elder one Ishmael, and the younger one delivered by his wife, Isaac. As all three religions can trace themselves back to these two brothers, we are therefore inherently similar as we too share this brotherly bond in the world.

Diversity within Judaism:
Being Jewish relates to one of two factors, religion and culture. While some Jews may be more “religious” or observant as they more closely adhere to Jewish laws, some Jews only affiliate with being Jewish through heritage and culture. (This leads to the battle between the religious and secular worlds and how each person balances them.) Even here we see a division between our own people, over the combinations of religious and secular society.

Giving to help others is a Jewish ideal that can be traced back to the Torah. It grows from “help your neighbor” which is the framework to the concept of tikun olam. As Jews give to a diverse range of causes, they do not discriminate. Even if it is for a church it is not viewed as giving to the Church but rather to those needy people whom benefit from the Church’s coffers.

Facts and Myths About Diversity:

Myth:
Diversity is a problem

Fact:
Diversity in fact is an opportunity. It puts flavor to the world. Imagine a world filled with 5.6 billion inhabitants all identical to one another. That is not the ideal world. We are all innately different and these differences serve to benefit the society around us.

Myth:
Diversity is just about race and gender

Fact:
I am a Jewish male and so is my brother. We share the same parents yet are still different from one another in a multiplicity of ways. If you were to extend this brotherhood theory to someone in a different part of the world, who is both from a different culture and an opposite gender, there would still be just as many things separating you or me from them.

Myth:
Diversity is exclusive

Fact:
Diversity is about everyone, therefore it is inclusive. Diversity is about creating a culture where each individual can thrive and contribute to the newly formed community. Everyone has their calling in society and when they are all combined, and then it will be possible to function as a "well-oiled machine".

Myth:
Diversity in America is about being the melting pot of the world.

Fact:
America has a unique characteristic as it is takes more and more people into the country. These new citizens are not minorities but rather each equally valued citizens and individual assets to America whom each contribute to the formation of the distinctive culture. For example, the influx of African-Americans has led to the creation of Jazz and the assimilation of Puerto Ricans provided for the Newrican poetry style.

Myth:
Diversity is a prerequisite for discrimination

Fact:
This is true, however it is much more evident as a unifying factor. In a world where everyone is different it gives each individual person their role in society leading to the need for people to come together and form bonds.