Eve. of Tues., April 18–Wed., April 19
23rd of Nisan–Omer 8
As a member of an Italian family, raised as a Catholic, I was unaware of my Jewish ancestry until adult life. I left all religion by age 16, and met a girl whose family were non-religious Jews, but who profoundly knew Jewish history, morals and ethics, including a great deal of Torah. When our first son was a toddler, Carol and I decided to visit a synagogue on Shabbat. The prayers felt familiar to me, like a memory. I knew I had found home, and will not leave.
—Tom Congedo
Eve. of Wed., April 19–Thurs., April 20
24th of Nisan–Omer 9
The entire Torah unrolled on Simchat Torah, the distinctive items on a seder plate, an inviting sukkah, and festive Purim costumes are sights that I will always associate with being Jewish. My family especially enjoys the eighth night of Chanukah, when all of the candles on the chanukkiyah are lit, and the pleasant smell of wax surrounds us along with the beautiful flickering candlelight. During services, the rhythmic sound of prayers and songs is both familiar and uplifting. The comforting feel of the weighty siddur and my family around me, along with warm greetings from fellow congregants, adds to my serenity on Shabbat. And the tastes! So many of my Jewish experiences are associated with delicious foods such as challah, latkes, blintzes, hamantaschen, kugel, and the list goes on and on. Being Jewish engages and delights all of my senses!
—Reena Goldberg
Eve. of Thurs., April 20–Fri., April 21
25th of Nisan–Omer 10
Being a Jew to me means being part of a special, unique family. I particularly like celebrating our holidays, which help us to remember our past. It is a cherished experience for me to look back upon my childhood, with all of my many precious memories of the holidays and experiences of being a Jew.
—Heather Mallet
Eve. of Fri., April 21–Sat., April 22
26th of Nisan–Omer 11
What does being a Jew mean to me? It means being part of a community and people beyond myself. I have a sense of ‘belonging’ that helps me feel comfortable in any synagogue.
It also means the comfort of Jewish music and prayers, whether they are joyous and hopeful, or sad and mournful. In anxious situations, I will softly hum Haskiveinu or Oseh Shalom to calm myself.
My thoughts go to the prayer “keep my tongue from deceit” when I find myself full of gossip. I am grounded by the reading “Birth is a beginning, death a destination and life is a journey” when my life feels too frivolous.
These are the things that being Jewish means to me.
—Jan Zimmer
Eve. of Sat., April 22–Sun., April 23
27th of Nisan–Omer 12
For me, being a Jew is synonymous with freedom. I know that may seem a bit oxymoronic, this equating of Judaism with freedom, given the persecutions, expulsions and genocides endured over the millennia by the Jewish people. But in choosing to become a Jew, I chose freedom and I therefore became free…free to worship the G-d of my choice…free to embrace beliefs that resonated with me…free to choose my community of faith.
Being a Jew means being part of a history that is thousands of years old, a history that is the bedrock of so much of our sciences, our humanities, our technologies and our moral code. My heart fills with pride to know that my adopted people have contributed so much to civilization while asking back so little…only to be allowed the freedom to be who they are.
When I meet another Jew, I feel an immediate bond, despite the fact that I am so new to my faith. In that person, I see the history of Judaism the shared hardships AND the shared joys…the tortured past and the joyous future.
—Annie Morris
Eve. of Sun., April 23–Mon., April 24
28th of Nisan–Omer 13
To me being a Jew has many meanings. Mainly it’s all about family, food, and having fun.
Being a Jew also means going to religious school, high holy days and services now and again.
My favorite Jewish food, hands down, is matzah ball soup. Everyone always says that their grandma makes the best matzah ball soup, but they haven’t tried my grandma’s.
My favorite holiday is probably Chanukah, because it’s all about celebrating, being happy, and eating good food.
—Jacob Brand (Age 15)
Eve. of Mon., April 24–Tues., April 25
29th of Nisan–Omer 14
I think being a Jew is praying to God and thanking God. I think it also means going to services and spending time with family on the holidays.
—Elijah Sloan (Age 12)