My Jewish Background

Then....

I am 100% Jewish. My mother went to work in the garment center to meet a Jewish husband. It worked. I was raised what I would call, Secular, Conservative.

When I was young we always did Chanukah and Passover. We never had anything to do with Christmas or Easter. I was never given any religious instruction. Years later, when I was 16, my father apologized for this. He said he was raised Old Country, Orthodox and girls didn't get instruction. It was a new world. Girls my age got Bat Mitzvah. It was I guess a new movement, and I had an old country Yiddisha father. I accepted his apology and really appreciate it.

I never really heard of Shabbat. We never lit Shabbat Candles. I finally heard of the high Holy Days when I was in Jr. High. It was time for my brother to go to Hebrew School, so we joined a Conservative Synagogue. I am very glad we did. We started going to services every Friday night. Nothing was ever really explained to me, but I went.

I was raised with strong Jewish identity. I had a beautiful little gold and blue enamel Jewish Star necklace that was my mother's I wore my whole childhood. I was raised on Jewish and American food. Bagels and lox, smoked whitefish, pickled herring every Sunday morning. Lots of gefilte fish and horse radish. borsht, sour cream. We weren't kosher but I never had certain foods I think out of more traditional habit. I still never had a cheese burger or pork and beans. We always had soda with our dinner and never milk. Oh and blintzes. We ate lots of meat and dairy. And my mother would give me peanut butter and jelly on matzah for school lunch on passover. Oy, what a mess!

Now...

I am grateful for my Jewish heritage and what my parents did give me. I feel like I am a journey of self discovery, that very much includes learning about my religion in a much deeper way.

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