As I write this, it is Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish year 5778. For the next ten days, Jews will be contemplative, looking inward critically, hoping to improve ourselves. Jews believe in Tikkun Olam, which translates loosely to “repairing the world;” we believe Jews have an obligation outside of ourselves, to the planet and other people. As Rabbi reminded us, there are millions suffering across the globe and whatever we can do, we must do, to help. However, this idea is not only a religious one. During the turbulent 1960s, my family worked for civil rights, assisting the Fair Housing Council of Los Angeles in desegregating our white neighborhood. Moreover, after the Watts riots in 1965, my parents volunteered for, and my sisters and I attended, a literacy pre-school program there called Head Start. This program was free for any child, but largely minority populated; my parents believed representation of whites was also necessary. These examples of engaging and connecting with others are fundamentally …show more content…
can offer monetary policy assistance to developing countries, which can result in a larger market for U.S. exports. In helping other countries to stabilize their currency and their markets, American may gain new trading partners, which in turn creates jobs and builds wealth here at home. It makes sense that when developing countries begin to participate in the global economy around the world, the U.S. has more opportunities to offer more goods and services.
For all these reasons, I believe that the United States should embrace contact with other nations, helping to bring peace and justice wherever it is needed with whatever we have at our disposal. There are currently many loud voices echoing Trump’s statement of “America First.” In my opinion, this is an isolationist policy that would be more detrimental to both America and the rest of the world than thoughtful continued engagement with all other