Parashat Vayeitzei

He was a refugee. Syria was part of his flight. He had left with a well-founded fear of persecution; a powerful leader wanted him dead. He fled through the desert. But he was one of the lucky ones. He had family in the place where he sought refuge, family who could take him in while he got on his feet. He succeeded and, finally, when things improved at home, he returned.

This refugee’s name was Jacob, although eventually he would acquire a new name, Israel. To this day, the Jewish people is known as b’nei yisrael, the Children of Israel. We are the descendants of a refugee.

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