The Haimish Line
David Brooks is one of my favorite OP/ED writers because he is an authentic person that has a label, conservative, hung on him, in the same way that Maureen Dowd has been labeled, liberal. He writes about common humanity and is concerned for the common good, it appears to me, with an elegance and humility of someone that understands the responsibility of journalism, of being a citizen in this nation, and the role of government. We would no doubt differ on some issues, but his writings and appearances on Meet the Press demonstrate a person comfortable, concerned for others, and ability to integrate. It is this last characteristic, integration, that is missing from the halls of Congress and many elected officials all around this country; and it is clearly lost on the “front runners” for the Republican nomination for President. Brooks’ latest piece in the New York Times is an example of reflection and integration that is missing from many parts of our culture including Christendom. There are lessons for my denomination in his essay. A paragraph and click the title to read the entire article.
The Haimish Line
By DAVID BROOKS | The New York Times | August 29, 2011Recently I did a little reporting from Kenya and Tanzania before taking a safari with my family. We stayed in seven camps. Some were relatively simple, without electricity or running water. Some were relatively luxurious, with regular showers and even pools.
The more elegant camps felt colder. At one, each family had its own dinner table, so we didn’t get to know the other guests. The tents were spread farther apart. We also didn’t get to know the staff, who served us mostly as waiters, the way they would at a nice hotel.
I know only one word to describe what the simpler camps had and the more luxurious camps lacked: haimish. It’s a Yiddish word that suggests warmth, domesticity and unpretentious conviviality.