The Virtues of a Crowd

A Crowd, South Korean-style

This Sunday evening, we had a special program in Ashqelon.  A troupe of a couple hundred South Koreans came to mingle with the locals and put on a spectacular show.  Actually, two shows:  the first was a sing-along of Hebrew songs of praise to Hashem, which got the Israelis dancing and smiling; the second was a bigger production, a celebration of Korean culture and the world-view that Israel sits at the center of significance for Koreans of the Christian faith.

Many of Ashqelon's residents who attended the show, were overwhelmed.  While I heard only praise for it, some wondered if it had been over-done.  But I was thinking about it afterwards.  Koreans, and Asians in general, respond positively to the big spectacle.  Their cultures do not celebrate the individual as Western culture does, rather the virtue of the collective.  But Israel is, in that respect, very Western.

Dukhanen - the Priests offering the Blessing - at
the Western Wall

But, wait!  Tomorrow (Wednesday), there will be a huge gathering at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where dozens - perhaps hundreds - of Cohanim will together bless the nation.  Thousands will be on hand to witness the spectacle.

And then of course, there's the original mass spectacle which we celebrate with this festival of Shavuot:  the giving of the Torah.  That was also an occasion when the entire people Israel - by some counts perhaps 2.5 million souls - was assembled.  This factor is the reason why, not only to religious authorities but to historians as well - all agree that something of great significance happened at Sinai, and that it is burned into the collective Jewish conscience forever.

In that spirit, despite that it did seem a bit overdone, I would submit that the spectacle of Sunday night's show should be taken as evidence of the sincerity of the Korean people in their ahavat Yisrael - their love of Israel.

A joyous Shavuot to all!