I first encountered Jewish culture while living in Iran (yes, there are Persian Jews). The two cultures actually get along well - at least the women do. Both are warm, effusive, and affectionate. Persians are very emotional and Jewish people, highly communicative. Repeatedly I saw the two combine into close friendships: Persian to Persian, Persian to Israeli, and Persian to Russian (Armenia and Azerbaijan neighbor Tehran). Add my own experience - one of my best friends is Ukrainian and Jewish, and I'm comfortable observing that some cultures just have a knack for expression.

Last week was the Persian new year and next begins Passover, so the introspective natures of both cultures pervade my thoughts today. Many cultures share the same wisdom, but some are more apt at expressing it. Persians love and boast of their poetry, but Yiddish proverbs are second to none in their simple wisdom:

* The wise man, even when he holds his tongue, says more than the fool when he speaks.

* What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth.

* A hero is someone who can keep his mouth shut when he is right.

* One old friend is better than two new ones.

* A mother understands what a child does not say.

* One of life's greatest mysteries is how the boy who wasn't good enough to marry your daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world.

* A wise man hears one word and understands two.

* You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.

And a few from the brilliant Albert Einstein:

* Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.

* Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.

* We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

* Imagination is more important than knowledge (sign hanging in his office at Princeton).

Here's to the imaginations of all cultures. Shalom.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email sholehjo@hotmail.com.