Jewish Growth

By JDG1231

  • Birth

  • Period: to

    Jewish Growth

  • Bris

    Although this is not an event that is remembered by any of us who underwent this most ancient and primal ritual, it is nevertheless when my parents (only one of which was a Jew at this point) decided to bring me into our ancestral tradition, placing me in the chain of the Covenant.

  • Pre-K at my Hebrew Day School

    I first started preschool at United Hebrew Institute, my community's small Hebrew Day School where I would receive my foundational Jewish education

  • Siddur Presentation

    In 1st grade I, along with my little classmates, all received our very own siddur. We had practiced our tefillot with our teacher Mrs Pernikoff, affectionately and simply known as "Geveret" (z"l) for months in the lead up to this special, school wide program. After finally receiving our siddur, complete with a special cover decorated by our families, my class and I used it every day at school, entering into the world and practice of prayer.

  • JCC Day Camp

    2001-2011. started going to our community's JCC day camp around the summer of 2000 or 2001. Although it offered not much as far as implicit Jewish development is concerned, it is where I had the chance to continue to strengthen bonds with my friends who, in many cases, were the children or grandchildren of families who had been friends with my parents or grandparents for many years before. This, in no small way, helped me learn what living in and as a part of authentic community really means.

  • Bar Mitzvah

    As I prepared for my bar mitzvah, unlike many of my peers, I did not need to work with a tutor because of my day school education. Instead, I got to work directly with our synagogue's rabbi at the time, Rabbi Linda Steigman. Once a week after school, we would meet in her office, often times with pizza, and learn Torah together. Coming from my Orthodox day school to my Reform rabbi confused me in the best possible way. It is when and how I learned that Judaism is not a monolithic tradition.

  • 8th Grade Graduation and Starting High School

    2008-20012. I ended up attending a secular high school where I was one of only a handful of Jews. Having gone from Judaic classes to zero, I began frequenting our local Chabad House where, along with my teacher Pinny, I was able to continue my Jewish learning, but on my own volition. With him I dove into the world of Hassidic texts which, although having been exposed to at my day school, I was now able to do so in a one-on-one and voluntary way for the next four years.

  • BBYO

    2008-20012. Throughout high school I was heavily involved in BBYO. I helped grow my virtually defunct chapter into a relatively strong one within our region, which consisted of many small and medium sized towns in eastern PA and southern NY - not major centers of Jewish community. I quickly got more involved on the regional and international level, always gravitating towards leadership positions that dealt with the ritual and Judaic components of the organization.

  • Freshman Year at YU

    I started college at Yeshiva University knowing I wanted to be a rabbi and thinking I would attend their rabbinical school. I soon learned though that YU was not the place for me. Even though I never planned on living a traditional lifestyle, I liked the idea of being "traditionally trained". After a long year in Washington Heights, I withdrew the summer after freshman year and returned home, first going to the local community college and then starting at Gettysburg College where I graduated.

  • Meeting Stephen Stern

    Stephen was my academic advisor once I had transferred to Gettysburg College. Being one of only a handful of Jews on campus - both in the faculty and student body - he made sure to look out for the Jewish students. With me in particular, he wanted to ensure that, even in a place like Gettysburg, I could Judaically thrive. For example, something I'll always be grateful for, he insisted that I take his "Intro to Judaism" class, not necessarily because I would learn new material (continued on next)

  • Meeting Stephen Stern continued

    but rather so I could see how he taught Judaism to people who knew little to nothing about our shared tradition. Not only was this an academic experience, but it was a personal one as well; observing how he introduced others to not merely a world religion, but something personal, something he had a personal stake in. This experience served me well, combining both academic/cognitive development, as well as my own spiritual development as a Jew, as someone invested in our shared heritage.

  • Applied and Accepted to Hebrew College!

    From the first time I read Ehyeh I was hooked on Art's theology. In my senior year at Gettysburg I applied to Hebrew College and had the fortune to be accepted. I would defer my first year to return home to work, and then move to Boston to begin school in the fall 2017

  • Rabbinical School

    2017-present. As I make my way through rabbinical school, I continue to learn about myself and my approach to Judaism in particular, but to religion, tradition, and especially community in general. Covid made community hard to come by. Most recently I suppose I've been trying to figure out how we can exist "together while apart" in both a Judaic manner and simply in a human way.