A Lesson from Scooter Braun

Left: Scooter Braun praying for Israel with Tefillin given to him by his grandfather, a holocaust survivor

At a recent StandWithUs Gala Dinner, entrepreneur and record executive Scooter Braun shared a lesson he had learned from his grandparents, survivors of Auschwitz and Dachau: “Never be afraid again.”

He turned to his three young children, aged 5-8, seated in the audience, and asked, “What do I teach you?”

Without hesitation, his children shouted in unison, “Ich bin a Yiddish Keend” (Yiddish for “I am a Jewish child”).

Braun, named in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world, understood a simple truth: Amidst fame and success, it's vital to remember to educate ourselves and our children that our faith and Jewish identity is what truly defines us.

As Jewish immigrants arrived in America, “di goldene medina” (the land of opportunity), they often faced two choices. One was wholeheartedly embracing American culture, assimilating into its way of life while downplaying their Jewish identity.

The other choice involved recreating the “walls” of the Shtetl in their new environment, limiting exposure and interaction with the outside world for fear of negative influence on their worldview and Jewish observance.

However, there exists yet a third approach.

In this week's Torah portion Miketz, we learn about Joseph's rise from prison to becoming the second-in-command of all of Egypt and eventually saving the world from hunger.  

Throughout all of his challenges and tribulation, Joseph never gave up hope or lose his faith. 

What gave Joseph the strength to retain his faith while facing tremendous tests and to remain true to his values and identity while rising to the height of power?

The answer is alluded to in the names Joseph chose for his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim.

As the verse states, “And Joseph named the firstborn Menashe, for "God has caused me to forget all my toil and all my father's house. And the second one he named Ephraim, for "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." - Genesis 41:51

Joseph chose these names that represented the values which helped him succeed to not only remain connected to his roots and Jewish identity but also to become prosperous in Egypt.

The two sons of Joseph, born and raised in Egypt, personified two aspects of his life. Menashe, so named by Joseph "in order not to forget his family and heritage," personifies our need to resist assimilation. Ephraim, so named "because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering," demonstrates our purpose in the "land of suffering": to be fruitful there and influence it positively.

Joseph's story also serves as an inspiration and guide for the Jewish people in the diaspora over these past two thousands years of exile. Like Joseph, we must employ two paradoxical approaches with regard to the world at large.

On the one hand, we must be constantly vigilant against alien influences; on the other hand, we must engage the outside world in order to influence it positively.

Influencing our environment is obviously more important than merely maintaining our values. Temporally, however, the latter must precede the former, since if we forget our roots we will no longer have anything to contribute.

In fact, that is one of the reasons why there is a custom for parents to bless their children before Shabbat & Yom Kippur: “May G-d help you grow up to be like Menashe & Ephraim”. From all our great Jewish leaders throughout history, specifically Menashe & Ephraim are the role models for how a Jew should behave in a foreign environment.

Similarly, one of the primarily components of Chanukah is that we must publicize the holiday miracle and light our Menorahs in a way that is clearly visible to the public. We must not be satisfied with igniting our own inner flame but we must also share our light and inspire others. 

As we celebrate the final moments of Chanukah, let us carry this message with us throughout the rest of the year as well.

The story of Joseph and the holiday of Chanukah gives us the inspiration to never give up and tap into our inner reservoirs of faith and ignite our inner flame. When we do so, our flame will shine brightly and usher in the ultimate redemption!