hachama:

We are fractious, and argumentative, and stubborn.  We will argue about almost anything, passionately and at length, because if we stop we might forget to breathe.

Our hospitality is warm, and we will feed guests until they think they will pop.  And then we’ll get them another plate, just to be safe. 

We are practical, tied to the cycles of nature by our festivals. 
Our stories and our art celebrate life, not to deny the darkness but
because it makes our candles’ light brighter by contrast.

We may not have invented dark humor, but we’ve elevated it to an art. 

We have been crushed by poverty, but we are rich with traditions.

Our music is in minor keys, because we have a deep longing.  We long for the home we were forced to leave, we long for the voices taken from us throughout history, and we long for the better days to come.  We will help those days to come.

But somehow, it’s always the arguments that remind me how grateful I am to be a Jew and to be part of our community.