Happy Rosh Hashanah

Here's wishing a happy Rosh Hasanah to all readers (Jewish or otherwise). I've always been into multiculturalism because my ethnic background is "mixed European" (my father was the product of an "interracial" marriage similar to the one the inimitable Larry Kirwin, and the boys sing about, my mother's grandparents were European expats who met in Buenos Aires). We always had Jewish neighbors with whom we were close, and mom often peppered her conversation with Yiddishisms picked up from a boss (gonif being a particularly favored pejorative of hers). We even doubled up on holidays with neighbors (also an "interracial" marriage, Rachel being Sephardic, George being Ashkenazi). Seders, Christmas dinners, Diwali celebrations- you name it, I love them all (any excuse, or none-at-all, for a party). To me, critics of multiculturalism are the most boring people of all... they want a homogenous, bland society where everybody is pounded into the same niche.

The Jewish people are remarkable for their tenacity in maintaining their identity while thriving (often in the face of terrible persecution) in the many societies in which they have found themselves. They provide an object lesson in multiculturalism- they have been able to adapt to prevailing social norms while not losing their core beliefs. Today, I'll be raising a nice cold egg cream, and wishing a hearty "L'chaim!" to you and your loved ones.