Super Jew
I put on my suit and got ready. I was wearing a Trina Turk suit that was pink, orange, and shades of blue. It looked as if someone had painted a watercolor. I loved it from the moment I saw it. It was out there and colorful like me. I slipped the blazer over my turquoise shirt. I felt the silk touch my skin and glide into place. My family was so supportive of me and my crazy ideas, dreams, and style. They respected my crazy and it made feel feel comfortable in my outlandish suit. My dad put the bow tie on. It was difficult because it was his first time. It felt like he was trying to make origami on my neck. I couldn’t wait to conquer this challenge called Judaism. I put my shoes on swiftly and was out the door.
As I walked, people saw my vibrant suit and stared with curiosity and shock which was something I loved. Each step I took I thought about the leaps and bounds I had made and the goal I was about to reach,I had it in my grasp. got into the rental car which was somewhat dirty. My sister sat next to me in her dress talking to me and telling me I would do great. We arrived at the building and I entered, as family greeted me and encouraged me. They
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As I started, I read the first prayer and thought about how I had come so far from practice to perfection. When I got to my torah portion, I was accompanied by an old man that was supposed to help me and make sure I was on the right line of hebrew. I held my yard, it was silver with ornate cutouts and had tiny bells hanging from it. For the second part, I used a green one with crystal grapes on it, that my sister insisted I use. When I finished the last prayer I was relieved, I did it yay. All of my family congratulated me and I was so happy, knowing my family was proud. I felt like I deserved five Oscars for my performance. I also was excited knowing Jack Stein is a true
Under Jewish tradition, boys are given Bar Mitzvahs upon reaching the age of thirteen (the female variety is a Bat Mitzvah). Typically, Bar Mitzvahs are hosted in synagogues and require substantial interaction with a rabbi. For my Bar Mitzvah, however, my family found an alternate route. Instead of at our synagogue, my Bar Mitzvah would be at an excavated archaeological site in Israel. I quickly felt guilty for agreeing to this arrangement. I had long been dreading the arduous preparation that my synagogue required for Bar Mitzvahs, but now it seemed that extensive Talmudic study would not accompany my transition to adulthood. Most of the work associated with my Bar Mitzvah would consist of learning to read my parsha (a Torah portion,
One day in grade five, I decided to find myself. Most people are not "lost" when they are eleven years old, but in my own naïve, inexperienced world, I needed a change. My teacher was the indirect cause of this awakening. She was Jewish and opened our closed WASP-y minds to a whole new world of Judaism. We explored the Jewish holidays, learned about the Holocaust, and watched Fiddler on the Roof. This brief yet fascinating view into the world of another religion captured my attention and compelled me to investigate further. I hungrily searched for books on Judaism and bombarded my teacher and my two classmates who were half-Jewish with questions. I decided, after careful (or so I thought) deliberations, that I wanted to convert to Judaism. I did not (and still do not) know why Judaism intrigued me so. Perhaps their high degree of suffering as a people seemed romantic to me. On the other hand, maybe it had to do with the fact that my religion (as my more Roman friends are quick to point out) does not seem to have any clear and decisive beliefs. It could have been the fact that Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and are still waiting for the Messiah to appear, which seemed to be a good reason as to why there was so much wrong with the world. Whatever it was, it drew me in and launched me into a world of discovery and discouragement.
The most bizarre aspect after walking into the Jewish service was the clothing being worn by most individuals. Most individuals were wearing a scarf-type piece of clothing as well as little round hats on their he...
When I was a child, a very close family friend of ours from Israel, Joyce Kleinman (now Wilner), and her sister Reisi Kleinman (now Greenbaum) entered the Auschwitz concentration camp at the ages of 15 and 12 years old. Years later, Joyce’s son Mike Wilner composed an interview that included his mother Joyce and Aunt Reisi outlining the significant events that led to the survival of both sisters and illustrated the events that took place during the Holocaust in which an estimated 6 million Jews were killed.
As I was driving into the church parking lot I had to take a deep breath. After leaving another frustrating day at school and then going to work right afterwards, I needed to calm myself down. I looked in the rear view mirror one more time to make sure I looked halfway presentable. I fixed my wind-blown hair by pulling it back in a high ponytail and put on some Burt’s Bees lip balm before exiting the car. I grabbed my Bible and notebook and locked the doors. As I walked towards the youth building a wave of comfort washed over me.
It was a warm day in August, the cool air washing over my body as I enter the building the bell ringing as I enter the building to SA. I wave to the cashier I forget her name now, but she had kind eyes and her blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. I continued back towards A&W and picked up the brown trays on top of the trashes, as if by instinct. I pushed in the door, said my hellos to my coworkers and walked the trays to the sink. It
Days went by and the more comfortable it was to wake up to honking cars, business woman’s heels clicking on the pavement and flashing lights. Everyday, the sun’s light reflects off of my apartment's broad windows. I wake each day to put on a tight dress which make curvaceous, voluptuous body stand out. I would walk or find a taxi to take me to work, which was at Bellissimo Magazine. I was a journalist who would take celebrity stories and write long articles but I wasn’t very experienced since I had never dreamed of getting this job. It was rare for anyone inexperienced to get hired. This was the fashion and entertainment industry and I would work hard to impress my sophisticated boss, Joan. She was a hardworking woman but she’s also become like a best friend to me, which was kind of weird to think about but it was true. People here have made me feel welcomed for more than a month now and I think it was time to move on with my life and begin new friendships and find my one true
I thought about all the hard work Abdou and I had put into me making the varsity team and how finally it had paid off. I thanked him for everything he had given me, all the times he canceled his plans so we could workout and about how he helped me with friend issues. He showed me the important life lessons of working hard , and if I work hard I can accomplish all of my
I had always been comfortable in myself, it never really bothered me how I looked, nor did it seem to bother others, the people who I called friends. As I walked through the door somehow it was as if, overnight I was expected to wear clothes that I felt awkward in (but still looked cute), shoes that hurt my feet, and makeup that clogged my already full pores. I was met with grins and giggles from others. I caught tidbits of what they were saying.
There was so much going through my head, but all of the sudden, I hear the rabbi say my name and call me to lead the service now. So I stood up, went to the stand and looked out into the sea of my family and friends all staring at me, and I immediately felt a lot more nervous. The rabbi told me to open to the Ashrei and start chanting and lead the prayer, so I did and I did the prayer really well. For the rest of the service I wasn’t messing up and I felt more comfortable as I read more prayers.
My dress was uncomfortable and while I thought it looked weird, my mother was convinced it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was already a rough start but I held onto that sparkling image of slow dancing with a boy who I had never even talked to. When I arrived at the dance, I was immediately met with disappointment when I saw the dark lights and heard the loud, hip-hop music.
It was one of the most exciting and nerve racking days of our lives. Although we were finally leaving high school, the feeling of being unsure didn’t go away. The whole day was full of practicing for the big moment when the entire class graduated on to a new beginning. All the girls wore shiny bright red robes and the guys were dressed in a shiny navy blue. Standing there, I had no idea what to expect. Some things I were aware of, my friends were leaving and we wouldn’t be the same friends anymore. My role was that of being so aware of the future that I was too shocked to soak in the present; being a pessimist was my main goal and everything I was sure of became true.
It’s about 7:45 P.M. April 15, 2015. Jasmine is calling my name asking if I’m ready to go. As I’m trying to put all the loose ends together, I think I’m ready. My hair is done in a curly up do with a thin white braided hair band, makeup rushed but it will do, and I’m wearing a knee length white dress. Just a simple white dress, form fitting, made from a linen type of material. My stomach is turning and twisting. As my mind is racing we make way to the park. Jasmine seems to be more eager than I am. As we arrive to the park my legs are a trembling mess. I feel like my mind is in a state of chaos. As I feel my chest pumping harder and harder, it feels tighter and tighter. This day will mark a very important day for the rest of my life. Today is the day I marry my husband. On this day my family becomes one.
It was a maddening rush, that crisp fall morning, but we were finally ready to go. I was supposed to be at State College at 10:00 for the tour, and it was already eight. My parents hurriedly loaded their luggage into the van as I rushed around the house gathering last minute necessities. I dashed downstairs to my room and gathered my coat and my duffel bag, and glanced at my dresser making sure I was leaving nothing behind and all the rush seemed to disappear. I stood there as if in a trance just remembering all the stories behind the objects and clutter accumulated on it. I began to think back to all the good times I have had with my family and friends each moment represented by a different and somewhat odd object.
Then, I heard everyone scream “Surprise!” I could not believe my eyes. There was decoration all over the living room, a cake on the table, music and a big bouquet of pink flowers. My eyes start tearing. I was delighted and humbled by how lucky I was to have such an amazing family. I ran up to my parents, my three brothers, and sisters in law and hugged all of them. We started singing and dancing I cannot forget those moments of my life. Then I realized time was running and that I still had to go to my cousin’s house to do my makeup. I rushed to her house leaving my family at home, so they could get ready, and we could later celebrate after the graduation. As, Sandra was putting on my makeup; I was thinking of how I was going to react when they called my name on the stage. I was smiling as I was thinking of the moment of my