A moment that really moved me was Friday night in Berlin at the historic synagogue. From the beginning of the trip I would constantly remind my friends that here we are as Jews, in Germany, less than 80 years later. As the songs rang through the room, I took time to look around and take everything in. My attention was immediately captured by all the mothers carrying and playing around with their babies with giant smiles on their face. I couldn’t help but think to myself that 75 years prior those babies would be getting ripped out of their mothers arms to never be seen again. It was a very dark thought, but it reminded me what progress can look like within 100 years. After services it was delightful seeing so many people packed into a dining room. Despite it being 80+ degrees in the room, there was this strong feeling of unity surrounding the room. We were completely different people, different heritage, different language, but still one. It gave me a great feeling about the state of our Jewish union and reiterated how resilient we are as a people.
Jon Shirazi lives in Maryland.