Welcome Home Gilad Tears are running down my face; I have just heard the news that a deal

has been reached to bring Gilad Shalit home in a few days. I read articles about the deal, and I cry. No, I have never met Gilad Shalit; yet I cry about his return anyway. I dont know his family, yet I have spoken about Gilad every Shabbat for the last five years. In that time, Ive lobbied the Canadian Parliament for Gilad, run publicity campaigns for Gilad, and written articles for Gilad. And now I cry for joy. I cry for Gilad. There is of course, a big question about Gilads release: is it worth it? Theres been a great debate about whether or not this deal is a good idea or not. In return for Gilad, 1,000 hardcore supporters of Hamas will be released. Hundreds of them have blood on their hands. Some argue that not only is Israel giving up too much, but that this deal will encourage Hamas to continue acts of terror. And of the 1,000 who are released, who knows what harm they will do? The other point of view maintains that bringing Gilad home is important for the morale of every soldier. Hamas needs no encouragement to do acts of terror, but Israeli soldiers and their families need to know that the government of Israel will do anything for their release. Both points of view have real merit, and even though it sounds wishy washy, I find it hard not to nod in agreement with both sets of arguments. But today Im not thinking of debates; Im just happy for Gilad and his family, and thats whats unusual. Im left wondering why Im crying for a total stranger. Is it normal to walk around with teary eyed about someone youve never met? And I know Im not the only one to cry; Ive seen the reactions of everyone around me to this news. Gilad is not a celebrity, hes certainly no Steve Jobs; hes just a nice young man who had the misfortune of being kidnapped. Yet for five years, millions of people have been thinking about Gilad every day, and today, they are crying tears of joy. But why are they crying? Actually, theres lesson about Jewish identity in our tears. To be Jewish is not just to be part of a religion or a nation, its to be part of a family. The Book of Genesis tells a story of a family, the family of Abraham and Sara, the family that ultimately gave birth to the Jewish people. One would think that Genesis would be a lot shorter, and would only dwell on the spiritual and political achievements of this family; after all, we just want to know a little bit of the early background of the nation, before jumping into the actual history of the Jews. But instead, Genesis goes on at length about this familys dynamics, telling all about feuds and competition and love and forgiveness. It does so, because Genesis isnt merely the prologue to Jewish history, it is the foundation of Jewish History. The lesson of Genesis is that even when the family evolves into being a nation, the nation never stops being a family. We are, to use the Biblical phrase, Israels children, brothers and sisters in one large family of thirteen million people. For better or for worse, this sense of family is very much a part of Jewish identity. Jews, even total strangers, will treat each other with all the familiarity, warmth and dysfunction of any family. Yes, we argue too much, often about petty things; but when the chips are down, were there for each other. One

feels connected to a fellow Jew no matter where they are from, whether it be Montreal, Montivideo or Mumbai, because were all from the same the family. And thats why I had tears in my eyes upon hearing of Gilads release. Even though we dont know each other, Gilad is still part of our family; and even though we havent met, Gilad is still my brother. Like millions of other Jews, Im really happy Gilads coming home. So, welcome home Gilad. Your thirteen million brothers and sisters have been waiting for you.