Eve. of Tues., May 9–Wed., May 10
14th of Iyar–Omer 29
Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav wrote:
‘Each person reaches upward toward God,
inward toward oneself
and outward toward others.
In reaching toward one,
one reaches toward all three.’
Being a Jew means constantly reaching.
—Rabbi Barbara Symons
Eve. of Wed., May 10–Thurs., May 11
15th of Iyar–Omer 30
Among the many meanings that being a Jew has for me, one of the strongest is responsibility. I feel responsible for contributing to our Temple, to Israel, and to our local community, both financially and as a volunteer in my younger days. This feeling was inspired in me when, as a pre-teen member of either Councilettes (junior group of National CounciI of Jewish Women) or B’nai B’rith Girls, I bought school supplies and packed them in boxes to send to children in Europe. Throughout my life, Tikkun Olam has always had a special appeal for me as a Jew.
I walk out in the world as a Jew, and I feel I must try to be a good example of what a Jew is to the ‘stranger’. I felt responsible to teach my children, my grandchildren, and myself, and still do. For me, the responsibility I feel as a Jew is as binding as my favorite instruction in the first paragraph of the Sh’ma – “And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart…”
—Beverly Levine
Eve. of Thurs., May 11–Fri., May 12
16th of Iyar–Omer 31
To me being a Jew means that one has a responsibility to help others in order to make the world a better place for everyone. It is important to fight for the rights of those unable to fight for themselves. It is important, if able, to give to others who may be suffering in some way.
—Rochelle Dunn
Eve. of Fri., May 12–Sat., May 13
17th of Iyar–Omer 32
I am a proud Jew. As I am a Jew who converted, I find that all I do in my life relates to Jewish teaching of Torah and tradition. I strive to be the living expression of those teachings. As the President of your congregation, I will lead us in a sacred way to be a caring, welcoming and friendly congregation.
—Kay Liss
Eve. of Sat., May 13 –Sun., May 14
18th of Iyar–Omer 33
Today is Lag BaOmer: the Thirty-third day of the omer, the period that links Passover and Shavuot. Historically, it was a day in the Second Century when a plague that affected Rabbi Akiva’s students let up. It has become a day for outdoor student celebrations, bonfires and weddings.
With this focus on joy and learning, whether you have submitted one of our 49 Voices or not, we invite you to consider:
What Does Being a Jew Mean to You?
Eve. of Sun., May 14–Mon., May 15
19th of Iyar–Omer 34
I have always felt that being Jewish is connected directly to my personal and professional values. I really believe that being a Jew, and being a good Jewish role-model, equates to the way we live our life.
As I think about this topic, after some encouragement from Rabbi Symons, it leads me to five basic, core values which I live by:
First, I always try to be respectful, kind, and a good listener.
Second, is my faith, my belief in G-d, and my belief in Judaism, from my earliest learning in ‘Sunday School’ to my spiritual involvement with Temple David.
Third, my integrity is so very important to me and to my being a Jew.
Fourth, my being responsible and willing to help in any way possible have been a priority for me.
Finally, I value immensely community and service, demonstrated throughout my life and, of course, here with my Temple David ‘family.’
—Andy Schmitt
Eve. of Mon., May 15–Tues., May 16
20th of Iyar–Omer 35
I was 18 years old the first time I attended High Holy Day services at the conservative shul in Johnstown. I remember thinking beforehand, that it was going to be very foreign to me and I might be uncomfortable or feel out-of-place, but it wasn’t and I didn’t. I felt very much at home with the service I could not understand and oddly comfortable, peaceful. I had a peculiar feeling that I’d done all this before. My personal journey through conversion was not that remarkable or profound. I wanted to marry the love of my life, I knew I wanted a family, and I wanted to rear my family in the Jewish faith.
Just as I have matured, so has my faith and the way I live my religion. When my children were young and started attending religious school, I realized that the things they were learning shouldn’t be theoretical, so we started small, welcoming Shabbat. You know that book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? That’s how it was with me — making a fuss over Shabbat, learning to bake challah, learning Hebrew so I could help my kids study…one thing just led to the other. Now it’s just who I am, who I always somehow was, who I was meant to be.
—Pati Eisenberg