The gay pride parades that happen in cities around the world are not meant as a show of conceit. The gay community has used the word pride in its own way.
It is not meant as boastful, as much as a sense of deep admiration. Leaders in the Jewish community can often be found discussing their appreciation for the value system embedded in Judaism. However, they have no issues with pride that relates to reasonable self-respect or elation. Humility is the opposite of pride. The rabbis take issue with pride that is associated with conceit and arrogance. It is a trait that rabbis preach for Jews to emulate to this day. The greatest prophet in Judaism was Moses, who was described as humble in the bible: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3). Judaism frowns upon pride when it means conceit or arrogance. The Merriam Webster Dictionary, defines “pride” as: 1) “ inordinate self-esteem : conceit” or maybe something more modest like 2) “ a reasonable or justifiable self-respect” or yet a more refined 3) “ delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship.”Ĭonsider these definitions in reviewing pride of being Jewish and/or gay. It has different meanings and is understood and used by people in peculiar ways. If only Jewish Democratic leaders had an Iota of Pride in Being Jewish as they have for the gay community.
