My dad and I share a common taste in books and movies and for many years we have shared in an informal book club of two, trading paperbacks and keeping up to date with each other’s watch lists. This shared taste is likely no accident; growing up, my parents kept our bookshelves filled with Jewish texts. Throughout my childhood I devoured books on Jewish history, on spirituality, and biographies of famous Jews. Now that I am a parent (and especially now that we are spending so much time at home!), the merits of a bookshelf stacked with Jewish texts seem boundless.
Recently, my dad recommended a book called Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World. Initially, I laughed uncomfortably at the title—it sounded like an unwelcome stereotype and a stressful read! But as I explored the stories of these anxious Jewish geniuses, I realized that their anxiety was often their key motivator. Even when–or perhaps especially when–they felt challenged, these Jews were compelled by their problems to make the world a better place; truly, to be a light among the nations (Isaiah 49:6).
It is very easy lately to feel down, to experience loss, to lose hope, to get wrapped up in our worries and our anxiety of the moment—health concerns, a national childcare crisis, systemic racism—a litany of hurdles for us to overcome. How might we have sincere compassion for ourselves and our loved ones when we worry deeply, but also, how might we use our anxiety and our fear to motivate ourselves to make the world better? This week, consider how you might honor what you are feeling by putting your feelings into action. If there is a cause that you’re concerned about, feel the worry and use it to inspire a contribution towards positive change.
In Pirkei Avot we read: “You are not obligated to complete the work, nor are you free to desist from it” (2:21). During this challenging time, may we be inspired to make the world a better place, even if it is our anxiety or fear that pushes us to get there. May we find comfort knowing that we do not worry alone, remembering that a healthy dose of anxiety is a piece of the legacy that has made our people so positively impactful throughout history.
—Cantor Emma Lutz