Sabitlenmiş Tweet

What does your Judaism mean to you? ⬇️📖
I grew up conservative, I still am.
But as time has gone on, I’ve realized you don’t need to be orthodox or highly religious to understand and appreciate the abundant history and current state of the Jewish community and in general.
I used to hide the fact that I was Jewish (although with my name it was very hard) because I was ashamed.
More ashamed than when any bullying attempt, or negative personal events could’ve made me.
More ashamed than I would like to admit.
It took me a long time to realize being a Jew made me one in a small majority of people who are not only the most caring, sweet and compassionate people, but a community that accepts everyone for who they are, as long as they have love in their heart.
Regardless of the matter if you’re reform, conservative or orthodox; everyone creates their own meaning, spinning their own web.
Being a Jew is so much more than a religion, so much more than having our land and making Aliyah to that same homeland.
Many languages throughout history, so many historical and biblical events, from ancient to modern unrest and turmoil we feel to THIS day for our cousins, brothers and sisters and continuously remembering our late distant ancestors who fought and immortalized the pain and agony felt in the concentration camps.
As times go on and we see the news, we see the protesting, we see the hatred spilled as far as they can go, even the mainstream media; it is impossible to escape what feels like a holistic purgatory just because of our culture, heritage and religion. Just because we’re Jewish.
These topics always make me think of a quote from my favorite book.
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.“
——————————————
So I ask again, what does your Judaism mean to you?
We have to ask ourselves this, assign a purpose to our meaning and move forward on that- which means speaking our voices, making ourselves heard and fighting against so many injustices it’s unfathomable.
Today being a Jew to me means not only standing up for what I believe in, not just secular wise, but for everything.
It means channeling my ancestors pain and voicing it, speaking my truth and giving my opinions; in which my ancestors and distant family were not allowed to do.
This is not 1943, we are free to speak and speak firmly!
It means being a part of the Chavurah that took me in when I was lost searching for meaning. It means sharing that last piece of bread when you have it.
And it means no matter what happens, we find a way forward.
Like Frankl quoted
everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
WE CHOOSE OUR PATH
WE DO NOT LET ANYONE DECIDE IT FOR US.
I am SO proud to be a Jew!✡️🇮🇱
English











