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Questioning
My father was born Jewish, but did not grow up practicing at all. My mother was raised Southern Baptist, but left the religion before I was born. I knew that my father was "Jewish," but I did not really know what that meant. I did not grow up with any religion, but always craved it. -
"Do you believe in Jesus?"
When I was 10, my Southern Baptist neighbor asked me if I believed in Jesus. Truthfully, I had no idea. She told me about Hell, and I was scared out of my mind. I asked my parents, "Do we believe in Jesus?!" This catapulted us into our first real discussion of religion. -
Introduction to Judaism
My mother found an Introduction to Judaism course at the local temple advertised in the newspaper. In an effort to show me that there were other religions in the world, she signed the three of us up. We spent a year in the course and absolutely fell in love. My dad reconnected with his Judaism, and my mom and I began to realize that this was the right religion for us. -
Religious School/Conversion Classes/Bat Mitzvah Prep
After the conclusion of our Introduction to Judaism course, I began to study for conversion (and so did my mom). For me, this was a combination of beginning religious school, and studying with the rabbi and cantor for my bat mitzvah. My Jewish knowledge increased exponentially. -
Conversion
My mother and I, along with our rabbi, cantor, and other members of our Introduction to Judaism class, drove to the nearest mikvah (about 3 hours away) for conversion. As a twelve-year-old, it was the most intensely emotional experience of my life up to that point. -
Bat Mitzvah
My Bat Mitzvah occurred at Temple Israel in Tallahassee, FL. It was a unique experience because only my immediate family (parents and young siblings) were Jewish, so we had to explain many rituals to the rest of the group. -
Confirmation Class
I remember Confirmation Class as the first time when I felt like I was engaging with "adult" Jewish topics. I was so interested in exploring Judaism beyond facts and Bible stories. -
Parent's B'nai Mitzvah
This was an extremely exciting day for me. In my mind, it "normalized" us as a Jewish family. When my friends asked about my parents' Jewish backgrounds, I could now tell them that they had had a b'nai mitzvah. -
NFTY-EIE High School in Israel
I spent four months in Israel during my senior year of high school. It was my first time there, and my first time really immersing myself in the Hebrew language. It opened up a whole new level of Jewish knowledge and a greater desire to learn more. -
Gap Year in Krakow, Poland
After high school, I moved to Poland to work with Poland's first female rabbi, Tanya Segal. Together, she and I and many Polish Jews started Beit Krakow -- a Progressive synagogue in Krakow. Beit Krakow continues to grow and flourish today, and I am proud to be a founding member of the organization. It was extremely hard work, but it made me see my true calling within the Jewish community: working with small, often overlooked, Jewish communities. -
Brandeis University
At Brandeis I was, for the first time in my life, surrounded by a lot of Jews. I had always been in the minority, and it was such a different feeling! I loved it. I began to really increase my leadership roles, being elected to different Hillel board positions throughout my undergraduate career and taking on various responsibilities in the local Jewish community. I majored in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and minored in Hebrew. -
Hebrew with Vardit
My freshman Hebrew teacher was great about challenging me but also modifying lessons so that I never got too discouraged to try. She recognized that equal doesn't always mean fair, and that sometimes I didn't understand a lesson the way other students might. She showed me that I was teachable, and I am incredibly grateful to her. Now, I enjoy learning languages. They are still hard for me, but she helped me learn to advocate for myself in a classroom environment to ensure my success. -
Siblings' B'nai Mitzvah
Once again, this signified another step in "normalizing" my Jewish family. I loved watching my siblings go through an event that had meant so much to me. They even let me participate by chanting some Torah. -
ISJL Education Fellowship
I moved to Jackson, MS for a two-year education fellowship at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) working with small Jewish communities all over the south. This was a natural progression for me, I felt, from my time in Poland. -
Maid of Honor - Polish Wedding
I was given the extreme honor of being the Maid of Honor in my friend Magda's wedding. She is the president of Beit Krakow and was married in the oldest synagogue in Krakow. It was the first Progressive Jewish wedding held in Krakow since WWII. It was an unbelievable feeling to stand beside her and to see the progress made from what we started in Krakow back in 2008. I was also able to take my (then future) husband on that trip, and he was able to see that part of my Jewish life. -
ISJL Director of Programming
After my fellowship ended, I stayed in Jackson and took on a new role at the ISJL as the Director of Programming. I now put Jewish artists of all types on expense-shared tours throughout the South to promote cultural programming through the sharing of resources. I love it! -
Began MJEd. at Hebrew College
I knew that I wanted to continue my education, and I knew that I wanted to stay in the Jewish world, but it took looking back on my Jewish life (essentially making my own personal Jewish timeline) to realize that I wanted it to be through a MJEd. I understood that my connection to Judaism started with and was sustained by education, and that was truly the way in which I felt I could give back the most. -
Wedding
Planning my wedding made me look inward to what it is about Judaism that is so special to me, and what traditions speak to me the most. My husband is not Jewish, so the wedding planning was quite a process. I really loved it and felt like it gave us each even more respect for the other's traditions and values. The ceremony itself felt like both the culmination and the beginning of a new phase of my Jewish life. The cantor who converted me was involved, as well as Rabbi Tanya Segal from Poland. -
IFJE Specialization Declaration
As soon as the IFJE specialization became available, I pounced! This track is so important to me, both personally and professionally, and I strongly believe that I can make a difference in the way that interfaith families are treated in the Jewish community. I think it is vital, and I am so excited.
