in his staunch refusal to assimilate into vampire culture-despite the benefits it affords , despite how harmonious it would doubtless feel to not have to constantly struggle with his yetzer hara , or vampirism , if he were to truly identify and live as one of them-simon embodies the commitment of the jewish people to adhere to the core beliefs and traditions that have made us separate , distinct , and other from every other culture for centuries and for millennia .