Tonight is the last class of my Introduction to Judaism course. All of my course work is completed. I have turned in all of my homework, took the final exam, and attended three different temple's Shabbat services. I just cannot believe how fast the eighteen weeks have passed. I have really enjoyed this opportunity and am a little sad that it is over. Thank you to my husband who watched the kids so I could have an educational night out! It has reminded me how much I love to learn. I really enjoy being a student and taking classes to learn new things. Plus, it opened my eyes to traditions and cultures that I would like to share with my children and family. And although the class is over, I am very excited to continue on my journey of Judaism and explore how I may want to include it more in my life moving forward.
As you probably noticed, life became a little busy and I was not able to post every week's journal assignment. However, there are a couple of them that I would like to share as they are a little more meaningful to me than some of the others.
Judaism Journal Entry: Week Thirteen
What is Chunukah’s message for you? How can you communicate this message in a non-Jewish world?
Hanukkah to me is a time to gather with those we care about and remind ourselves about theme behind the holiday. In either the story behind the holiday, the one of the military victory of a rebel band against a well-armed occupying power or the miracle of a small vital of oil that lasted for eight nights, the theme that is apparent is that of trust. Trust means not letting ourselves be defeated by worry, calculation, doubt, and fear. I feel both of the stories remind us of this theme.
With this theme, I feel that I can communicate Hanukkah to my non-Jewish friends. In fact, we shared the first night of Hanukkah with family and friends. They enjoyed learning the history, stories and customs of Hanukkah. I feel that everyone can relate to the stories of Hanukkah. We have all had personnel challenges in our life which have forced us to struggle with trusting in someone or something at one point in our life. But if we preserver and have trust, even the greatest of miracles or triumphs can happen.
Judaism Journal Entry: Week Fourteen
“The Holocaust did not affect your family. How can you possibly relate?” How might you feel hearing that question? How might you respond?
If I were ever posed this question, I would respond with my own personal story of how the Holocaust has affected my family. My nuclear family is not Jewish, but we have still been affected by this historical event.
My grandmother (by choice, not blood) was born in Germany in 1933, the year Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. When she turned ten years old, she became a member of the Hitler Youth Movement. Participation in this organization was mandated by law during that time in history. She did not have a choice in the matter. And by the time the war ended in 1945, she as twelve. Her entire childhood was surrounded by war and propaganda.
As a young adult, she would board a carrier ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean to come to the United States. While living in the U.S., she worked hard, raised a family, and become an American citizen. However, she has never been able to fully overcome the guilt she feels because she was a German during the time of the Holocaust. As a matter of fact, when I married my husband, I was worried how she would feel about the entire affair. But she was very happy and has fully embraced my Jewish journey. In fact, she joyfully attends many of our Jewish family holidays and celebrations. As our children grow older, we will make sure they understand both histories of the Holocaust --the anti-Semitism towards the Jewish people and how the German people were also affected. Luckily, they will be able to hear one of the histories from an original source.
Judaism Journal Entry: Week Fifteen
For what would you be willing to risk your life? Considering the realities of history, what would be your reasons for wanting your children to be Jewish?
Thankfully, I have never has to experience this type of risk in my life thus far. However, I would hope that if I needed to risk my life I would do so if it meant saving someone whom I deeply care for – my children, my spouse, my family, and close friends. Until you are in the moment of the crisis, you will never actually know how you would react, but if any of those that I care about deeply were threatened, I hope that I would be strong enough to fight for them when given the opportunity.
Why are my husband and I creating a Jewish home? There are so many reasons:
- We want them to feel a connection to their heritage and its history.
- We want them to feel a part of a greater community.
- We want to teach our kids about spirituality, faith, hope, and morality within a Jewish foundation.
- We want to teach our kids to question life and continue to learn. This is a key principle of Judaism.
- We want them to be educated on what they are learning, and then decide if that is also their belief.
- We want to share with them our family’s traditions and holidays.
- We want to teach them to give back to society.
- We want our kids go forth in this world without having experienced the kind of celebration at the center of religious observance that is so much a part of most people's life experience.
Judaism Journal Entry: Week Seventeen
What does Israel mean to you? How would you like to live or visit there?
Prior to getting married, Israel was another country on the other side of the world. I didn’t really have any meaning to me whatsoever and I never really was interested in learning more about its people or culture. However, after I married my Jewish husband, Israel means much more to me. Israel means family to me now – literally. My husband’s aunt (my aunt now as well) lives in Israel so it is no longer this strange country in the Middle East. I have a true familial connection. Thus, I find myself wanting to learn more about the country, its people, its customs, its foods and even its religious foundation.
Would I ever like to visit there? Heck, yeah. It is definitely on my bucket list of places I would like to visit in my lifetime. Not only to see more of the world, but also to visit family and get a more personalized tour of the country. Someday, we will be able to make this trip happen.
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