Dustin Hoffman & Jewish Identity

A couple of years ago, the “Finding Your Roots” series, hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, filmed an interview with Dustin Hoffman. The series unearthed some incredible history about Dustin’s Jewish ancestors that brought the Oscar-winning actor to tears.

By delving into his family’s past, Hoffman came to realize the importance of his Jewish identity — something that he had been brought up to suppress.

Hoffman said that learning the story has brought him closer to his Jewish roots.

“People ask me today, ‘What are you?’ ” Hoffman said, tearfully. “I say, ‘I’m a Jew.’ ““They all survived for me to be here.” (See here for the moving clip)

Subconsciously or consciously, our identity serves a vital role in our personal conduct and careers and will often express itself in various ways throughout the course of our lives. By learning more about our identity and expressing it in a visible way, we become more comfortable and confident about ourselves and our mission in life and have the ability to instill that sense of belonging and pride in our children as well.

During the late 1800s and early-mid 1900s, there was a mass immigration of Jews to the U.S.A. running away from the pogroms, wars and anti-Semitism they experienced in Europe and other parts of the world. As they arrived on the shores on the “Goldene Medinah”, many of them felt that the only way to integrate into American society and prosper was to hide or maintain a low-profile regarding their Jewish identity.

While, understandably, the unspeakable horrors they had experienced may have caused them to be extra vigilant and self-conscious about their identity, unfortunately, the next generation of children were brought up with a very limited education about their Jewish identity and traditions, something that their parents and grandparents were privileged to have.

During the 1950s, the Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson, launched the now famous Mitzvah campaigns encouraging Jewish adults and children around the world to connect with their heritage and proudly display their Jewish identity by affixing Mezuzahs on their doors, lighting Shabbat candles, donning Tefillin, receiving a Jewish education etc.

One of the more well known campaigns the Rebbe instituted was the display of large Menorahs in public. Initially, there was great opposition from within the Jewish community to this very visible public display of Judaism. Some may have felt it would draw unnecessary attention and focus on the Jewish community.

The Rebbe felt, however, that the Menorahs and its message of light, freedom and hope that it represented, was precisely the message the world so desperately needed to see and hear.

From the Eiffel Tower in Paris, to Burj Khalifa in Dubai, from Moscow’s Red Square to 5th Avenue in NYC, large public Menorahs can now be found in almost every city and town with a Jewish population. Millions of Jews have gained a greater sense of pride and confidence in their Judaism as a result.

In fact, many Gentile world leaders and dignitaries participate and assist with the Menorah lighting ceremonies. At Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, the same spot which once represented Nazi power, now stands a tall Menorah on Chanukah with the prime-minister of Germany honored with lighting the Shamash (lead candle).

In 1979, then President Carter was the first American president to be honored with lighting the Shamash of the Menorah on the White House Lawn. His participation made headlines as it was the first time he appeared in public since the start of the Iran Hostage Crisis. Every administration since then has sent a high level representative to be honored with the Menorah lighting each year. The public Menorahs have only increased the respect for the Jewish people in the eyes of the world.

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach, we learn about the reunion of Jacob with his brother Esau. As Jacob was making his way back home to Israel along with his family, he heard that his brother Esau was still angry at him and was coming towards him with 400 men with the intention to have him killed.

Jacob at first sent messengers to his brother in an effort to try and appease him. As the verse states, “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, "So shall you say to my master to Esau, 'Thus said your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and I have tarried until now. -Genesis 32 1:2

Rashi comments on the word “I have sojourned” and shares a deeper meaning to Jacob's message: “The words גַּרְתִּי (in Hebrew) has the numerical value of 613. That is to say: I lived with the wicked Laban, but I kept the 613 commandments, and I did not learn from his evil deeds.”

Now, why would Esau, a known hunter and murderer, care about Jacob’s personal Jewish identity and observance? Would it not be more effective for Jacob to impress Esau with his material wealth in the hopes of finding favor in his eyes?

Jacob understood that the only way to fight evil is with truth. By expressing his confidence in his identity and his staunch faith in G-d, Jacob was sending a message of strength and hope knowing that he would be saved from Esau’s plans. Eventually, Jacob and Esau reunited with a brotherly embrace and, at least temporarily, made peace.

Our Sages explain that Jacob also represents the Jewish people while Esau represents the Gentile nations. That Jacob's first message to Esau was about his Jewish observance teaches us how we are to present ourselves to the world. We might have thought that to find favor in the eyes of the Gentile nations we should first highlight our commonality, downplaying our Jewishness and Jewish practice. From Jacob we learn that we should not be ashamed of our Judaism—in fact, we should highlight it. Exuding pride in our G-dly mission not only does not undermine our esteem in the eyes of the world, it enhances it.

When Jacob confronted Esau, although Jacob was prepared for the Redemption, Esau was not, and the task of refining Eisav and the material world associated with him had to continue for millennia. However, the Rebbe explained at a public gathering in 1991, in the present era, the representation of Esau has now been refined as we are witnessing the unprecedented cooperation and mutual respect between the Jewish people and the Gentile world, especially through the leadership of the U.S.A., a country of kindness, as well as many other countries around the globe. The world is now ready for the coming of Moshiach which will usher in a time of peace and prosperity for all nations on earth.

This Chanukah, let us encourage our friends, neighbors and co-workers to light the Menorah and bring more light and warmth in to this world with the coming of Moshiach!