Diversity within Community

What is the role of different ethnicities within Judaism?  Is it merely a coincidence of history that Jews who lived in different cultures and climates developed different characteristics and customs?  Are a Yekke’s timeliness and fastidiousness merely because they are like Germans?  Are Litvaks austere, stony, intellectual and skeptical and Galitzianers emotional and warm due to random causes?

Our Gemara on the top of Amud Aleph makes a halakhic statement, שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד אִיקְּרִי קָהָל one tribe is called a community.  However, it is also understood in Jewish philosophical literature as each Jewish tribe represents a different aspect of thought, philosophy and enactment of the Torah.  See for example, Sefas Emes Devarim Sukkos 30 where he explains this idea at great length.  

This should serve as a refreshing reminder for us to respect and appreciate the different ways various communities and customs express yiddishkeit within halakhic practice.  It is not merely to be tolerated as a by-product of a long exile, but perhaps even a providential outgrowth and development of nascent powerful archetypes of behavior and thought that are latent inside the Jewish soul.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com