A culturally Jewish perspective: I’m not religious, but my Jewish heritage is important to me.
A teen describes how her Jewish heritage is important to her, despite the fact that she’s not religious.
“I have quite an interesting and complex religious background. My mother is a Catholic Cuban. My father is Jewish. They both, ironically, met at a Zen Center, a Buddhist center, and both converted to Buddhism. I had lived in the Zen Center until I was three and later I moved into an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.
The contrast was so great that it almost felt as if I had entered a new world. I went from great tolerance to strict rules and guidelines; from light, flexible meals to a world obsessed with the word Kosher. I had to adapt to a world that was not only completely different, but a world that questioned those differing from their rules. Since we did not attend Temple and went to an Episcopalian school, I became somewhat of an outcast. But despite the fear
of rejection, I grew to realize that I really appreciated Judaism in all its different forms and sects. My father is a reformed Jew so we did on occasion celebrate Hanukkah or Passover. To an Orthodox, neither my father nor I would qualify as a Jew, but I do not see Judaism for its rules and commandments. On the contrary, I appreciate the Judaism that I have experienced because of how it affected my life.
I am not very close with my father’s side of the family. When we celebrate Jewish holidays, it brings the family together so I can get to know my cousins and learn more about my own relatives. Judaism allows me to learn about my ancestors who suffered through so much and I learn to respect their customs. Judaism has brought me a sense of identity, not only to my family, but to myself.
An experience I can never forget was when I attended my first formal Passover dinner. I was about ten and was quite nervous for I had never experienced a formal religious ceremony. There was a great, oak dinner table covered with all kinds of Jewish symbols and platters. The immense amounts of food overwhelmed me at first, but I grew to appreciate each diverse and unique dish.
I loved my first Passover
As my parents conversed with other Jewish guests, I learned so much about Judaism from the other kids. They, of course, had had formal Jewish schooling and could lecture me about anything from the Torah. They taught me the meaning of each food and its significance in history. It was amazing to finally find out that the flat bread called matzoh was actually a representation of the past: the women did not have time to bake the bread as they were fleeing from slavery. Then the whole table suggested that some of the children should read some passages from the Torah. My parents, bragging about my ability to read, encouraged me to stand before the table. I read the passage quite well despite pronouncing matzoh wrong, which gave the guests quite a laugh. It was a great experience especially when I realized that this ceremony could bring people together.
I have always been somewhat of a rebel because I refused to conform to the rules of Catholicism no matter how much my mother’s family begged, and I would not adhere to the strict guidelines of Judaism. I would most likely refer to myself as a Buddhist. From my personal experience, I feel that Buddhism is the most tolerant and meaningful religion. This does not mean that I feel that Judaism is closed-minded and unenlightened. It’s just that I appreciate Judaism for other reasons. Overall, I feel that the world would be a less chaotic place without religion. But since that is not a reality right now, I can say that I have learned to appreciate the culture of the religion; its power to strengthen and unite. I am glad that I have been able to learn and appreciate Judaism because I do see that it has not only benefited my relationship with my family and strengthened the bond between myself and my ancestors, but it has made me a more unique and special person. “