Thanks for wearing that kippah

I find that when I am particularly anxious, God sends me a man in a kippah.  Seriously, the higher the anxiety, the more observant the Jew I see on the street.  I take it as God saying, "Leah, take a deep breath.  I'm here for you."  I know, a strange way to interpret a kippah, but whatever.  It is my relationship with God, not yours.  Maybe he gives you rainbows or a silver Lexus.

Today I took an early lunch and hopped into a cab, "To Federal Plaza." 

"Ooh, there are a lot of cops over there."

"Yeah, probably."

"What is going on?"

"Israel Rally."

"They shouldn't be killin' all those people, we don't need that."

Silence from me.  I don't want to get into an argument with a stranger who is driving a car and kind of in charge of my safety.  So I was silent until we got to the rally and he dropped me off. 

Federal Plaza was packed and the cops were very friendly.  There were some anti-Israel protesters across the street (and rumor has it that one of them was arrested for threatening someone with his/her crutch.)  Lots of kippot, a few chabaniks teaching non-orthodox men to lay tefellin, lots of bareheaded men and shoulder baring women.  Ah, yes, the diversity that is the Chicago Jewish Community.

I love it. 

I hate that it takes this situation to get us together instead of Lisa Loeb and Rabbi Black.  I saw a bunch of my friends that I went to Israel with, ran into friends from my shul, and missed my blogger friends.  Here is the best thing about Jews at a rally.

"Excuse me," one friend with a very large Israeli flag said to a cop, "do you have enough water."   Yep.  Jews keeping Jews and Cops hydrated.  Seriously, "water, you want you should have heat stroke?"

Thanks to the Federation for getting this together, gathering the speakers, getting the flags (American and Israeli), getting the water, passing the water, keeping the peace.  Allowing time for prayer and of course, the schmoozing.  When there are Jews, there are is schmooze.

tags: federation  chicago  rally  israel