To anyone who knows me, it comes at no surprise that my passion blog is about Judaism. I am a Jewish Studies major, I am actively involved with Hillel, I teach at the synagogue, my mother is the executive director at a synagogue, my dad teaches at a synagogue--my life revolves around Judaism. But more than just living my life, I love "becoming Jewish" with others. Becoming Jewish? I thought she was Jewish. And while I identify myself as Jewish, I feel that a Jewish identity is a processes, where you learn about yourself and who you are through interacting with others.
Last year, a girl was working on a project for an English class. She came to Friday night services, we chatted about her week, and she took notes. It is customary to not write on Shabbat, but Hillel is pluralistic, and you can pretty much do whatever suits you--everyone has their cellphones, even though you're not supposed to use technology on Shabbat. It wasn't until the end of the semester, that I realized she was observing me during services. She asked to interview me as the final part of the research portion for her paper. I learned probably just as much about me as she did during that interview. She asked why I did certain things during the service, how I felt, what I was thinking. And by her asking those questions, it forced me to really think about the answers--something I probably would not have done on my own.
I have worked to create Alternative Shabbat Discussion at Hillel. Instead of services, we have discussions that have ranged from what does it mean to be a Jew to being Jewish abroad to the Jewish perspective on scientific breakthroughs. I love these discussion because I get to have a conversation about what I believe. When other people challenge my opinion, I get to clarify what I mean and learn more about my perspective on certain issues.
Our identity is never set in stone, and I hope throughout the semester to continue exploring my Jewish identity through this passion blog.
Last year, a girl was working on a project for an English class. She came to Friday night services, we chatted about her week, and she took notes. It is customary to not write on Shabbat, but Hillel is pluralistic, and you can pretty much do whatever suits you--everyone has their cellphones, even though you're not supposed to use technology on Shabbat. It wasn't until the end of the semester, that I realized she was observing me during services. She asked to interview me as the final part of the research portion for her paper. I learned probably just as much about me as she did during that interview. She asked why I did certain things during the service, how I felt, what I was thinking. And by her asking those questions, it forced me to really think about the answers--something I probably would not have done on my own.
I have worked to create Alternative Shabbat Discussion at Hillel. Instead of services, we have discussions that have ranged from what does it mean to be a Jew to being Jewish abroad to the Jewish perspective on scientific breakthroughs. I love these discussion because I get to have a conversation about what I believe. When other people challenge my opinion, I get to clarify what I mean and learn more about my perspective on certain issues.
Our identity is never set in stone, and I hope throughout the semester to continue exploring my Jewish identity through this passion blog.
RSS Feed