May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a month set aside to recognize the contributions American Jews have made, and continue to make, to the history, culture, and society of this country. Jewish Heritage Month is a celebration as well as a conscious commitment to religious freedom by honoring the stories and progress of the Jewish American experience. There is value in the contributions from all people of different religions as that is what makes our community beautiful! At MAELS, we want to share and learn from the stories of our Jewish community members.
Alexa, Crew 8A
“My family comes from a long line of Jews. Not all Jewish families are religious. We’re not religious so we do not wear the yamakas and we don’t celebrate every single Jewish holiday. My family celebrates Passover and Hanukkah. My favorite celebration is Hanukkah because I enjoy opening my gifts, eating my yaya's really good homemade food, lighting the menorah, celebrating with my entire family, and when my grandma hides money for me and my sister to find.”
Maya, Crew 6C
My family celebrates Rosh Hashanah, which is Jewish New Year. One of the traditions that we have is eating apples and honey. After Rosh Hashanah is Yom Kippur, where we take the time to focus on forgiveness. During this time, my parents usually fast. Another tradition we do is going to a pond to throw our sins away.
Purim is a really fun holiday that I always look forward to. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. During Purim, we dress up in costumes to perform plays. One of the traditions is to send out gifts of food and drinks. This year, I gave my teachers and close friends baskets with seltzer and snacks. This basket is one of the ways we show appreciation to the people around us during Purim. I did this because I wanted to share my tradition with others and also to show gratitude to my teachers and friends.
Ms. Jessica Cimini-Samuels
“My grandfather fought in World War 2 and was captured by the Germans. Somehow, they never found out that he was Jewish which probably saved his life. He came out of the war greatly weakened by his captivity but recovered, married my grandmother and had 3 kids and a wonderful life.
We are Sephardic/ Romaniot Jews from Greece. When my great grandparents came to the US from Greece, there was no Romaniot community but there was a thriving Sephardic community so they adopted the Jewish denomination of Sephardic. It wasn't until I visited Greece that I found out that we were actually Romaniot. The main cultural difference was that Sephardic Jews have a strong Spanish background and maintained that culture even in Greece. The Romaniot Jews adopted Greek culture.
My husband's family is Ashkenazi and comes from Poland and eastern Europe. During the Holocaust his paternal grandparents were both in camps. Thankfully they both survived and emigrated to the US where they met and started a family.
I love to bake yummy things. One of the many beautiful things I love about my heritage is the combination of Greek and Jewish traditions we have adopted. For Passover we make spanakopita (spinach pie) with matzoh instead of filo dough!”
Ms. Dina Klein
“While my last name is certainly connected to my jewish heritage, I’m made up of a lot of different cultures and don’t always only identify as a jewish American. But when I think of my grandma, Reba Epstein, and her sassy one-liners and her needless sacrifice for our family…or my other jewish American ancestors who worked so hard to create a life for my family in America, I am proud of the rich history and culture and silly jokes that they passed down to me and I am rooted again and proud of my name.
I am also proud that my island is becoming a more loving, inclusive place that honors and celebrates all of the beautiful cultures, races and religions that make up our community.”
Here are some great middle school books that celebrate Jewish culture, explore their history, or feature Jewish characters. Click here to see the list: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1058013467/1898147169