By Laura Seymour
Dear Families,
May is the month focused on well-being. How you measure well-being is a unique question — and one with many possible answers. One of the most challenging and interesting measures is happiness.
The “World Happiness Report” of 2025 found that the happiest country in the world is Finland, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Byron Johnson, Tyler J. VanderWeele and Brendan Case wrote that we “…conceive of happiness — or flourishing — more broadly: as a state of affairs in which all aspects of your life are relatively good, including the social environments in which you live.”
For us as Jews, we might ask: Where is Israel? Where is the U.S.? Believe it or not, Israel sits at No. 8 — a remarkable placement when contrasted with war-torn countries. Ukraine is ranked 111, and Lebanon, which opened a second front against Israel in October 2023, is third from the bottom, at 145. The United States is far down at 24. How come?
In a Tablet magazine article, “Why Are Israelis So Happy?” Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy look at two intriguing factors. Baby booms often occur after wars — but rarely during them. Yet Israelis have rushed ahead with making babies. While mourning so many who have perished, Israelis continue to affirm life.
The second factor is Israeli optimism. Their historic resilience shows how identity is built through shared stories and values. Sharansky and Troy quote British historian Paul Johnson, who wrote histories of the Jews, Christianity and the American people: “No people has ever insisted more firmly than the Jews that history has a purpose and humanity a destiny.”
The article ends with these powerful words: “Despite searing political divisions, Israelis remain united culturally. Cherishing family, community, country and history shapes their faith in the future. Israelis feel they are part of Israel’s story and the Jewish story. With so much to live for, they know what they are willing to die for too.”
Today is a challenging time for the world and for Jews everywhere. But let’s take a step back and consider all we have to be thankful for. At the top of that list is Johnson’s idea: We believe — as we always have — that we have a purpose and a destiny.
Simon Sinek teaches that we have to find our why. For us, that means remembering the purpose and destiny that connect us. The U.S. may be at No. 24 in happiness, but each of us can find our own number for happiness and well-being.
Let’s be optimistic — why not?
Laura Seymour is Laura Seymour is Jewish Experiential Learning director and Camp director emeritus at the Aaron Family JCC.