Back when I was in college, I took a walk by myself in Central Park. A man who was taller and stockier than I came up to me out of the blue, stood in front of me and asked, “Are you worried?”
And I quickly swallowed and said, “No.” And he said, “Well - you should be.”
We are at the start of the New Year. And if I’m gauging my own mood and the mood of others accurately, we don’t need anyone to tell us that we should be worried. We’re plenty worried. We’re worried about our children and grandchildren, our nieces and our nephews. Will they find work? Will they find love? Will they embrace Jewish tradition?
We’re worried about the United States. What will become of our great nation?
We’re worried about Israel. How will she ensure her future at the beginning of the 21st century?
We’re worried about ourselves. How will we withstand all of the challenges that face us – health, money, despair and downright exhaustion?
I’m not going to pretend to solve all these problems, though I have a suggestion. It’s not a perfect suggestion, but I think it’s an important and Jewish one.
It’s expressed by one word – imagination.
