Over the years I have made a point of saying that we should not be embarrassed by the bad behavior of other Jews. While the Talmud teaches that all Jews are responsible for each other, I have taken that to mean that we are responsible to to come to each other's aid in times of crisis, not that we are responsible for each other's unethical or criminal acts. We, as a group, certainly have our share of sages, saints, and Nobel prize winners, so why shouldn't also have our share of scoundrels, rougues, and ponzi schemers as well. Perhaps, I have been influenced by that trend in Zionist thinking that argues against Jewish exceptionalism (better known as "choseness.") in favor of the "normalization" of our people. Why should Israel as a nation or we as a people be expected to be more moral, more ethical, more righteous than anyone else. Jews are subject to the same temptations and weaknesses of character afflicting all human beings.
Lately, however,I confess to feeling uneasy by the number of Jewish names that appear in the media in connection to financial scandals-names like Madoff and Rothstein. Perhaps we should be aware of how our acts as individuals in public are perceived by the rest of the world. Perhaps, each one of us is an ambassador of the Jewish people and should act accordingly. What do you think?