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I am neither a native Chicagoan nor a sports fan. My son is a fanatic fan (White Sox/Yankees) and my wife is a pure Yankees fan. Aside from trying to know what's going on in sports so I can have a little dialogue with my 17-year-old son, I am really clueless.
That being said, we have been very pro-Cubs over the past two weeks. My reasons were practical: it would be great for the city and after 108 years of dreaming and hoping Cubs fans deserve a little happiness.
I have observed over the past 10 plus years of living here that Cubs fans are hardcore and possess an intrinsic Jewish value, the value of hope. No matter if it's co-workers, someone behind the counter at Starbucks, or a friend I sit down with for Kiddush after Shabbos services there is this eternal optimism that Cub fans have.
It reminds me of Israel's national anthem, "HaTikvah," which translates to "The Hope." The song talks about the heart of a Jew yearning for our return to our homeland and living freely there after 2000 years of exile. It is a hope, or belief, in something that dictates the way we live our lives.
Year after year after year Cubs fan have waited for this moment. They cheer, wear blue, put "W" flags everywhere (until a few weeks ago I thought the flags were leftover George W. Bush propaganda), and connect with each other on social media. It must be nice to say that you have been waiting your whole life for this moment. The fans have waited long enough!
The passion that Cubs fans have is inspiring. They don't stop and that perseverance is something I could use more of sometimes. What blows me away is that even if the Cubs had lost the World Series, their fans would still be cheering for them and counting down the days until the Cubs start their season again. They would continue hoping for that day to come.
I don't think we, as a people, are all that different. We have always hoped that our people with flourish and survive our enemies. We have always hoped that if today wasn't a win, then we always have the next game.
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