Between you and me so many people are asking the question, “Why live a Jewish life?” I can’t do this, I can’t do that, I’ve got to do this. In reality what’s the harm if I don’t want to do anything? I have freedom of choice and I intend to use it. So go ahead I say, yet have you ever wondered on what you and/or your family might be missing out on?
Here goes, not necessarily in order. If you want to have a better family life, a 16 year Columbia University study found that the more families have meals together tend to be more cohesive, have more successful children and established better relationships when they turn into adults. If one looks at the Jewish lifestyle, that is what Friday night (and Shabbat) looks like when everybody sits down has a romantic dinner, the children are blessed, and the wife is admired.
If you want to live a happier life, The Gallup Organization in 2013 published the results of a survey that concluded Jewish people in America are the happiest. Why? For the purposes of this article I’m going to discount demographic differentiators that include income, education, etc. and focus on the fact that people are happiest when they achieve success. Our texts, classes and heritage stress success and have a history of doing so. It is not by accident that when we came to America with hardly any of the necessary criteria for success, that we did. It is the history of our people that after times of calamity we grew by our creativeness in contributions to society.
A study of New York City rates of alcoholism by religion indicated that the Jewish people have the lowest percentage rate and that is due to the fact that they don’t need an abundance of alcohol to deal with depression and stress.
Charity in the Jewish religion is highly emphasized. Once again research has indicated from a variety of sources that the more charitable a person is in both their deeds and financial contributions are healthier and are likely to live longer.
There is data that suggests from multiple sources that Jewish people tend to have a longer lifespan and the more they study at an older age the reduction of memory loss diseases are reduced.
Leather plays a very important role in daily Jewish life. For those who put on their tefillin, It has been shown in in a study that it reduces the chances of a heart attack by 35%.
Studies have concluded that if a person fasts seven times during the year their digestive systems tend to be healthier. Is it a coincidence or not that there are seven fast days during the Jewish year?
Judaism stresses social action, ethics, fair business dealings among many other attributes. That’s the reason that many of the social changes that have occurred in the world for the non-Jewish population were not only influenced by Jewish thought but many of the leaders of the movements were in fact Jewish.
While eating kosher is a biblical command, it should be observed for that reason only. Again there is data that suggests it is generally healthier eating kosher food. Have you ever gone to a doctor who asks you to increase your intake of cheeseburger, bacon, ham, pork chops and other foods that are not kosher?
For those that are interested in self-help and self-improvement in the secular and business world, it will most likely come as a shock that many of today’s motivational techniques , sayings, and guidance came from Jewish texts over 800 years ago and to the Torah.
The list can go on and on and as a matter of fact does. At this point you could be asking yourself why am I missing out on a better family life, better health, higher sense of achievement, greater satisfaction and happiness?
Most likely because we have not been living a Jewish life and all that it provides us with. What is a Jewish life? One focused on living happier, healthier, for a longer time.
This Rosh Hashanah let’s not only say Happy New Year, do it!
Andy Greenberg is a former national radio personality, TV talk show host and producer, author and a sought-after educator and lecturer on Jewish, business and secular topics. He resides in Lake Worth.