Hello Ansche Chesed, I’m Dave Goldstein. Many of you know me from my TV appearances and comedy shows across the US, Canada, and Europe. OK, almost none of you know me. I’m a proud member of Ansche Chesed and I joined the shul just before Covid hit. I usually have better timing.
I’ve tried to be an active part of our community and I participate with our refugee resettlement group, our Chevra Kadisha, and our newly formed volunteer security group. Stay tuned, we’ll be searching your guests’ bags soon.
I guess I could tell you what I’m going to cast away symbolically this year, my Tashlikh. Spoiler alert—it’s the same thing I’ve been working on for at least 44 years—I’m casting away my impatience. I do it every year. Unfortunately it seems the only thing I’m patient about—is actually becoming patient!
Instead, I have a thought for all of us this high holiday season. Especially our youth. Be proud of yourself and the Jewish people. Don’t be blind to our flaws, I’m not, I mean one of my favorite pastimes is secretly evaluating the efficiency of others, but we have much to be proud of.
We Jews are .2% of population, but 22% of Nobel Prize winners, and by my count, at least 74% of the world’s comedians—and making people laugh, that’s really the greatest gift an ethnic group can give to the world.
Be resolute, be proud. Our motto should be, “we’ll outlast it.” Expulsion from England in 1290, we outlasted it, from Spain and the Iberian peninsula in 1492, we outlasted it, the pogroms in Russia and Ukraine that drove my family out—to a much better life in America, we outlasted it, the holocaust, outlasted it and have seen Israel thrive, October 7th and the eruption of antisemitism. We’ll outlast it too.
We Jews are tougher than a $2.00 steak and more resilient than the American buffalo. Like the bison, you can try to get rid of us, but with the help of good people, Hashem, and our own bodacious perseverance, we Jews–you just can’t get rid of us. We outlast it and thrive! Plus, like bison we are sort of hairy and much our weight is front loaded.
Chag Sameach everyone. Be proud and be strong. Whatever they throw at us, we’ll outlast it.
