When I read the book of Ruth this year, I was struck by the representation of Ruth.  Ruth, who is clearly at the center of this megillah, is at the same time far removed from the center of her society and exists on the periphery.  She is an outsider, a foreigner, and a woman, yet she is nonetheless treated with the utmost respect by Naomi and Boaz.  She is acutely aware of her fragile status and is shocked when Boaz treats her with extreme kindness.  She says, "Why are you so kind as to single me out, when I am a foreigner?" (2:10).  Despite being different, other, and likely marginalized in her society, Ruth is treated kindly and is given an opportunity to move closer to the center.  She is praised for her loyalty and blessed by Boaz: "I have been told of all that you did for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and came to a people you had not known before.  May the LORD reward your deeds." (2:11-12)  Ruth is not marginalized or rejected by Boaz, who seems to see beyond her differences to the core of who she is.  Ruth is an outsider who becomes an insider because of the way in which she is treated.

The book of Ruth is clearly saying something about how we treat outsiders.  It is encouraging us to have an awareness of those whom we see as 'other' and to think about people who are different than ourselves or who are on the boundaries of our communities.  As Jewish educators, this reading of the book of Ruth encourages us to address questions about how we teach our students to think about, interact with, and encounter people who are different than they are.  Our students live in a diverse, multi-cultural world.  As we think about developing their Jewish identities, we should also make sure to do this in conversation with the outside world.  We need to keep in mind that the world of the classroom does not reflect the outside world and the world many of them will encounter in university.  We need to talk to them about other views, other religions, and how to treat and encounter those who are 'other', even though these encounters may sometimes be difficult or feel threatening.  Megillat Ruth reminds us that we should carry an awareness of what it is like to be outsiders in our interactions. These were my reflections upon reading the megilla and hopefully we can carry these thoughts with us into the coming year.