250 Years Later

By Rabbi Schneider | Parshah Pinchas: Numbers 25:10-30:1

This week, as Americans celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, I've found myself thinking about what makes a country endure.

Fireworks and parades are important. They remind us to celebrate. But anniversaries also invite us to reflect. What has allowed America not only to survive, but to become a place where so many people — including generations of Jews — have been able to build lives of freedom, purpose and faith?

That question led me back to this week's Torah portion, Pinchas.

Toward the end of the portion, Moses receives devastating news. He will not enter the Promised Land. After leading the Israelites for 40 years, his journey is coming to an end.

If I were Moses, I imagine I would have argued with God one more time. I would have asked, "Why not me?"

But Moses asks a different question.

He asks God to appoint the next leader.

His greatest concern is not himself. It is the future of the people.

That is what great leadership looks like. It asks not, "What will people remember about me?" but rather, "Who will be ready after I'm gone?"

Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of leading members of Temple Kol Ami on a congregational journey to Argentina. We prayed in historic synagogues, met Jewish leaders and stood at the site of the AMIA bombing, where 85 innocent lives were taken in 1994.

What struck me most wasn't only the tragedy. It was the resilience.

The Jewish community in Argentina has lived through political instability, economic crises, antisemitism and terrorism. Yet Jewish life continues. Children still learn Torah. Families still gather for Shabbat. Synagogues are still filled with prayer, music and hope.

Why?

Because each generation decided that Jewish life was worth passing on.

That's the same lesson Moses teaches in Pinchas.

Whether we are talking about a nation, a synagogue or a family, none of them thrive by accident. They endure because ordinary people accept responsibility for something bigger than themselves. They volunteer. They teach. They vote. They give. They mentor. They raise children with values. They understand that what they have inherited is not simply theirs to enjoy — it is theirs to protect and pass on.

America's 250th birthday is certainly a time to celebrate. As Jews, we have every reason to be grateful for the religious freedom this country has afforded us. We have been able to build vibrant communities, worship openly and contribute to American life in ways unimaginable in much of Jewish history.

But anniversaries are also opportunities to ask ourselves an important question.

When future generations look back on us, what will they say we passed on?

Will they inherit communities that are stronger because we invested in them? Will they inherit a country that is healthier because we participated in its civic life? Will they inherit a Judaism that is vibrant because we made it meaningful in our own homes and congregations?

Moses never crossed into the Promised Land.

Yet perhaps his greatest act of leadership was making sure someone else would.

As America turns 250, may we celebrate not only what previous generations built, but recommit ourselves to building something worthy for the generations still to come.