ON ROSH HASHANA, JEWS MUST TRULY CELEBRATE LIFE.

Byline: Michael Gotlieb Local View

THROUGHOUT history, Jews have predominantly thought of themselves as a group on the verge of disappearing. No matter the terms used, from an insider's perspective, we Jews have been awaiting our end ever since our inception.

From our very beginning as a religious group, we have obsessed over a sense of impending doom. Immediately after being saved from Egyptian slavery - by God Himself no less - our Jewish forebears bemoaned their newly gained freedom: ``Better to die in the fleshpots of Egypt than to die in the desert.''

After the destructions of the temples in Jerusalem and the annihilation of the Jewish commonwealth, the feeling of doom reached a plateau. Consistent throughout our history as one of the oldest religions on Earth, we have feared, even prepared for our imminent demise.

Paradoxically, this negative self-image is inconsistent with our theology. Judaism has always been a religion that is immediate and life-affirming. The Talmud mentions, ``Whoever saves one life, (it) is as if he saved the entire world.'' The disparity between these destructive images of gloom and doom, versus a positive, life-affirming ideology, is problematic and nothing less than self-imposed.

``L'chaim - to life,'' has been the rallying call of the Jews. ``To life,'' here and now, on this planet. Who should know the value of life better than Jews? We grew out of an ancient Egyptian civilization that worshipped death. The holiest Egyptian text was called ``The Book of the Dead.'' No wonder the rabbis wrote: ``So long as there is life, there is hope.'' Fittingly, the national anthem for the modern state of Israel is called ``Hatikvah,'' the hope.

Yet for reasons that defy history, we Jews continue to doubt our viability, we continue to anticipate our demise. This fear is not entirely without justification. Anti-Semitism still exists - particularly within the Arab world and parts of Europe. There are those who, if given their way, would cheer the annihilation of the Jews. Nazis and Communists made it their life's work to murder Jews and destroy Judaism.

And while a more than 50 percent interfaith-marriage statistic worries me, it is more a reflection of the non-Jewish community's acceptance of us. Several generations ago, Jews did not intermarry, yes out of conviction, but largely because of the non-Jewish family's reluctance in having a Jewish son- or daughter-in-law.

What scares me far more is our internalization of the insidious myth that we are on the brink of extinction. I am afraid that the groundless fear of our demise has caused havoc to our soul, deeply permeating and affecting our psyche.

From the Inquisition to the pogroms, the Holocaust, suicide bombings and terror organizations that refuse to discuss the possibility of a balanced applicable peace, Jews have understandably feared for their existence. But despite it all, we continue to contribute to the good of humanity, we continue to exist - even thrive.

Inexplicably, the impact that Jews continue to have on their surroundings far exceeds their numbers. Jews total well less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the world's population; some 13 million in all. Yet the Jewish contribution to the world is unparalleled.

Judaism brought the notion of one God into the world. It is the religion responsible for the establishment of Christianity and Islam. It has and continues to help shape and enhance Western Civilization. And, given the course of history, so long as there are humans left alive, some of them will be Jews.

So as Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year - another year of existence - may the feeling of pending doom edge way to the feeling of hope and joy. May the ``ever-dying'' people finally come to grips with the reality that they are here to stay. And may they continue on course with their lofty goal of making God's Earth a more inhabitable place for all humanity.