Lessons we can learn from a former anti-Semite-turned Orthodox Jew

Csanad Szegedi was a far-right Hungarian nationalist politician who preached anti-Semitism. That is, until he found out that he is Jewish. In "What happened when an anti-Semite found he was Jewish?" on BBC, we learn the story of Szegedi, and his incredible reaction to his discovery of his Jewish roots. He has become an Orthodox Jew, he has visited Israel and Auschwitz (where his grandmother survived), performed surgery on himself, and burned copies of his biography. He could have pretended he didn't know about his Judaism, or made some excuse to continue his current lifestyle. But he didn't, and instead acted beautifully and admirably.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to learn such a huge piece of information about myself that I didn't previously know, especially as a grown man, or to learn something that so drastically goes against my lifestyle. The way Szegedi reacted, in my opinion, is amazing. He completely reshaped his life. He connected to his roots, started practicing Judaism, and did so completely out of desire and love. He's now able to openly criticize anti-Semitism and Hungarian nationalism, two things he used to so passionately support. 

This story has a truly beautiful message. Szegedi teaches us to embrace and be proud of who we are, connect to our roots, and be able to admit wrongdoing. Instead of trying to ignore the truth, Szegedi took it head-on, and changed his life voluntarily. He became a real Jew, because that's what he was meant to be. And it really reflects honor and virtue. He embraced his true identity, no matter how difficult or unforeseen it was. And he really shows us that being Jewish is a blessing.