Chloe
Favorite traditional Jewish food: Hamentaschen
Favorite Jewish holiday: I love Sukkot, but also I don’t know the story of it that well. How would you describe your identity? I am a Korean woman, but that is harder to identify with because it is less easy to see than my whiteness. I also don’t celebrate as many cultural holidays as I do with the Jewish side of my family. Do you feel like your looks and experiences are included in the general picture of what a Jewish woman is? Usually, when I say that I’m Jewish, people say, “Oh, I didn’t know that, but I can see it”. Not really as much now because I used to have really curly, frizzy hair and they’d think that made sense. I’m Jewish. I also didn’t have my bat mitzvah, so that is not a typical experience of somebody who is actually informed and involved with their [Jewish] community and their synagogue. My grandparents are orthodox, so I have the experience of going with them to high holidays and having some of these discussions with them. |
Do you feel like you have been generally welcomed in Judaism? Why or why not?
Yeah. Especially at [my synagogue], it is a really accepting community, especially with the youth group. I’ve also been here since preschool, so people generally know me. Are there times you have felt excluded because of your various identities? Why or why not? I wouldn’t say so. Does identifying as Jewish play an important role in your life? I think so. I think it gives me a different outlook. It gives me something to turn to when I’m thinking about things like social justice and civic engagement. I can think back to my personal experiences that have come from being Jewish, which gives me a unique perspective when talking to other students at school. How do you feel like Judaism and social justice/civic engagement have intersected in your life? There is a lot of social justice and civic engagement issues that correlate with Judaism. I think being part of this community allows me to have a better understanding and perspective. Especially with [my synagogue], there is a lot of education about that kind of stuff that you wouldn’t get in your typical public school, because there is just not enough time. |
"[Judaism] gives me something to turn to when I’m thinking about things like social justice and civic engagement." |
What is your favorite part of being Jewish?
The community and all of the opportunities that I have had to meet people and learn about things. For example, I took Wellness last semester, and we didn’t learn anything! Most of my knowledge of that kind of stuff has come from Gesher**, and I’m really grateful for that.
**Gesher is a program where “the curriculum explores the themes of peoplehood, identity, sexuality and relationships, leadership, spirituality, and religious pluralism through a Jewish lens.”
The community and all of the opportunities that I have had to meet people and learn about things. For example, I took Wellness last semester, and we didn’t learn anything! Most of my knowledge of that kind of stuff has come from Gesher**, and I’m really grateful for that.
**Gesher is a program where “the curriculum explores the themes of peoplehood, identity, sexuality and relationships, leadership, spirituality, and religious pluralism through a Jewish lens.”