Chanukah

While talking to a friend last night, I had a thoughtI would like to share on this last day of Chanukah. One of the themes of Chanukah is identity.
When the Greeks controlled Jerusalem, they tried to Hellenize and assimilate the Jews living there. All over the world today, Jews work and sometimes struggle to maintain their Jewish identity. At camp and conventions, the topic often turns to "are you an American-Jew or a Jewish-American?" Living in Nepal for the past few months has taught me a lot about identity. Because the country is predominantly Hindu, people are classified by their caste. However, the caste system is kind of out-of-whack. Especially as the country modernizes, the younger generation cares less and less about what caste their friends, co-workers, boyfriends and girlfriends, and spouses are in. It used to be that marrying someone from another caste was unheard of- it may still offend people of the older generation- but it is much more common especially in the city. While the Nepali people I have spoken with favor this attitude, the story in the villages is a bit different. Certain castes see themselves as superior to others and the lowest caste is often very poor. For example, in Sundarwoti (one of the villages where my TbT sends volunteers), the host family I stayed with was Brahmin (a high caste) while the rest of the village was majority Tami (a lower caste). The Tami caste speaks a different language and it is sometimes possible to differentiate between the two castes based on their facial features.

However, a common story I have heard in Nepal is that languages and cultures have been lost over time as castes mix and become less relevant. This brings me back to Chanukah- the Hellenism and the attempt to assimilate the Jews into Greek culture is not something of the past, it happens everyday. This makes me think of my role here in Nepal. Who am I- a westerner- to come to this country and tell Nepali youth the best way to run a program? Am I here to try and "westernize" them? Isn't that what the Greeks did to the Jews in Jerusalem? I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question just like my volunteering here is not "right" or "wrong". Changing another's view or giving them knowledge is not an attempt to change their identity. That's what is beautiful about traveling the world and learning about new cultures. Other cultures are not "backwards"- they are different and the most important thing a person can do is to respect those differences. The Nepali people have taught me and given me knowledge as well and we have shared our identities with one another- something that I appreciate more and more everyday.

Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year!!!!