If you glanced past me walking down the street, with my knees and shoulders bare, you would have no idea that I attended Yeshiva, an Orthodox Jewish school for nearly a decade. “How did this girl in shorts and a tank top end up dressed like this with Orthodox beginnings?”, you may ask.
Judaism is a religion containing numerous denominations or movements, such as Orthodox or Conservative. Not only is Judaism a religion, but a culture and way of life as well. I grew up with an Orthodox father, and a mother who identified as a Secular Jew, meaning she identified more with Judaism as a culture than with the biblical beliefs and laws.
Basically, my father went to Synagogue seven days a week multiple times a day, while my mother went maybe once a year. My father wasn’t always religious, however, for as long as I can remember he has been. Many Orthodox Jews observe dietary laws, known as “keeping Kosher.” Many American fast food restaurants, and mixing products such as dairy and meat aren't Kosher, therefore, those who keep Kosher, cannot eat these things. My parents always tell a comical story dating back to when I was three years old when my grandfather took me to McDonald’s and I asked what the Jewish blessing for a cheeseburger was. It wasn’t hard to see that my parents observing the same religion so differently was confusing for me as a small child.
Despite the confusion, my parents never forced me into picking a single way of religious belief. I used to joke that I lived a double life like Hannah Montana or a secret agent, an Orthodox aspect while I attended school, but experiencing a secular life outside of it. I spent my school days at an Orthodox Yeshiva, but my summers at more secular Jewish summer camps. This opened my mind to different ways of living, believing, and practicing a religion. At age ten I realized Yeshiva wasn’t for me and I had the desire to enroll in public school. Despite growing up in Queens, the most ethnically diverse city on the planet, I never personally knew anyone who wasn’t Jewish. Enrolling in public school was life changing for me because I was now exposed to people from all walks of life ranging from the most religious Judaism could possibly get to every cultural background under the sun.
Joining a Jewish youth group during my high school years and attending Shabbat (the Sabbath) dinners with Jewish students in college allowed myself to never stray too far from my roots, though. Overall, my unique upbringing allowed me to become an independent, free thinker, and learn how to make my own decisions at a young age. The initial confusion led to asking questions, learning, and eventually finding myself. What I once thought of as imposing religion on me, I now realize was simply educating me and broadening my options. The greatest gift my parents gave me was the gift of choice, allowing me to believe what I wanted to believe and be who I wanted to be. Without this gift, I truly wouldn’t be who I am today, an aware, always questioning, proud, Jewish girl.
