Eve. of Tues., May 2–Wed., May 3
7th of Iyar–Omer 22
Judaism is forming our kehillah kedushah (Holy Community) to share the stories of our past, fight for a more just world, and keep our traditions strong.
When I am at a NFTY event or TREATY program, I feel the collective energy of millennia of Jews coursing through my body as we work to build pride and passion for our community, our religion and our history.
—Micah Symons (Age 17)
Eve. of Wed., May 3–Thurs., May 4
8th of Iyar–Omer 23
Being a Jew is something that is mine from birth. I connect to generations and generations in the Eastern Pale. I connect to Abraham and generations ensuing, to every occurrence in the history of the Jewish people. I connect to all the Jewish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, not only mine.
More than ‘being a Jew,’ I connect to ‘doing Jewish’ according to Jewish ethical guidelines. This can mean leading Shabbat services at a Jewish nursing home weekly; donating money and time to causes of any affiliation; volunteering at Temple in committees, Sisterhood, Family Shabbat and Choir. ‘Doing Jewish’ means participating in the secular community through political action and interfaith activities. It means continuing my Jewish education on many levels.
I am proud to be a Jew.
—Carol Congedo
Eve. of Thurs., May 4–Fri., May 5
9th of Iyar–Omer 24
Being a Jew means being part of a worldwide family of people who were the first to accept the belief in one God and who introduced that idea into the world where it was accepted and modified by two newer faiths i.e., Christianity and Islam. These three monotheisms represent half the people of the world.
Being a Jew also means having a desire for constant learning which lasts throughout one’s life. One never learns ‘all there is to know about Judaism’ and that means that one’s mind remains constantly active into old age. An active mind is one of the keys to a long life.
Being a Jew also means belonging to a group that has produced more great scholars and scientists than any other group. More Nobel prizes have been awarded to Jews than any other single group by far.
—Richard Myerowitz
Eve. of Fri., May 5–Sat., May 6
10th of Iyar–Omer 25
Being a Jew means we not only believe in God but that there is only one God. Thus we say the Shema regularly to remind us of this.
We try to live a righteous life according to the laws of the Torah. We try to be faithful to God and our fellow man. We try to show compassion and be helpful to our community in ways that we hope will be pleasing to God.
—Anonymous
Eve. of Sat., May 6 –Sun., May 7
11th of Iyar–Omer 26
To Shelley and me, being Jewish means being a meaningful part of the propagation of and contribution to the promising permanence of what we believe to be the pure, origin of divinity.
To us, Judaism neither learns nor educates between the lines of narrow-mindedness. Judaism does not oblige us to belong or believe according to unbending guidelines that can result in feigned sincerity, but rather teaches universal decency, and the universal kindness of Judaism and G-d that results in our conviction.
Being a part of Judaism is our beginning, and remaining constant as the foundation of our beliefs, shall be with Shelley and me in the end. We believe Judaism’s tenets have been immutable for thousands of years and still are, and will forever remain as such. For us, Judaism constitutes a faith that provides us the consistent underpinning in our lives that helps us be good people. It provides an ancient and straightforward footpath created by G-d and revealed for Moses and Jews and humanity to follow for all time.
Our faith in Judaism is pure and complete and empowers us to thrive in both its simplicity and its complexity and its closeness to G-d.
—Shelley and Cliff Adamiec
Eve. of Sun., May 7–Mon., May 8
12th of Iyar–Omer 27
When I was a teenager I questioned G-d (don’t most teens?). I said to my Dad, “Come on, you can’t possibly tell me that you believe all that stuff we are taught? G-d exists? Passover, the plagues, G-d parted the Red Sea?”
My father suggested I quit trying to figure out if things happened as we were told, and look at the lessons learned. For example, the Passover story tells us slavery is bad. He also talked about tradition and that when he died, he would like to think I’d say Kaddish for him. He passed away when I was in my 20’s, and I think of him every time I read the prayer.
As an adult, I still don’t have all those answers. But I do believe in G-d and that when we pass on, a part of us lives on.
—Debbie Jacknin
Eve. of Mon., May 8–Tues., May 9
13th of Iyar–Omer 28
Studying Torah with our leaders in Temple David helps me to be spiritually renewed. They are masterful teachers who make real the heart and core of the Torah. I am grateful for all the preparation and wisdom they impart.
To be a Jew is to make the tradition one’s own and to engage in Torah daily.
—Mindy Norman