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Where Do You Come From<br />
Some thoughts on how our roots influence us<br />
c"qyz sxeg !eiykr • 5<br />
Historically, Jews come from many<br />
different places and cultures, and<br />
we, as their descendant today, are<br />
influenced by our family, cultural,<br />
and religious roots.<br />
What are your roots - where did<br />
your family come from How do<br />
those roots impact you today<br />
How do they shape who you are<br />
Sarah Gorney, Far West:<br />
My grandfather is from Latvia but<br />
moved to Israel when he was<br />
young, due to the Holocaust. He<br />
always gets so excited when<br />
anyone speaks in Russian because<br />
he doesn’t hear his native tongue<br />
a lot. His appreciation for his<br />
homeland has taught me to not<br />
take anything for granted and to<br />
enjoy what I have.<br />
Daniel Saidman, Seaboard:<br />
My great grandparents came to<br />
America from the Ukraine. Their<br />
last name, Tzevian, was changed<br />
upon arrival in America to<br />
Saidman. My great grandfather<br />
was a tailor, and he was a hard<br />
worker. His business has been<br />
passed down through the<br />
generations, and now my father is<br />
the own of a completely different<br />
business than what my great<br />
grandfather started years ago, but<br />
just as successful.<br />
Talia Rubin, Emtza:<br />
My family originally came from<br />
Germany. For many years I didn’t<br />
even know this, but before I<br />
traveled to Europe and Israel this<br />
past summer I confronted my<br />
parents about it. I feel that while<br />
it may not impact my daily life, it<br />
does linger in the back of my mind<br />
from day to day. After returning<br />
from my summer trip I found<br />
myself paying more attention to my<br />
ancestry and to my life, and I began<br />
comparing the life of my heritage<br />
to that of mine today.<br />
Ben Tannenbaum, Far West:<br />
My roots have always had a major<br />
impact in my life. Having been<br />
born in Israel, yet raised in<br />
America, I’ve always had to find<br />
some way to retain that<br />
connection. My Israeli heritage<br />
has impacted me by forcing me to<br />
involve myself in leadership roles<br />
within my community.<br />
What You Say<br />
David Goldberg, from Page 4:<br />
to the attempted seduction: “Our<br />
Sages tell us that Joseph suddenly<br />
saw in front of him the image of<br />
his father Jacob and was saved from<br />
temptation. He was saved by the<br />
fact that he still cherished the<br />
memories of the traditions which<br />
his father handed down to him”.<br />
She takes this point one step further,<br />
posing the question that if<br />
Jacob had not favored Joseph, and<br />
taught him about Avraham’s traditions,<br />
would he have saved himself<br />
from temptation Are the role<br />
models that we have and the kinds<br />
of education that we are receiving<br />
able to help us when we face these<br />
identity challenges in modern society<br />
Joseph looked to his roots<br />
during a time of temptation. He<br />
saw the face of his father, and recalled<br />
the traditions passed down<br />
to him. He found his roots, and<br />
made the correct decision. Upon<br />
encountering life-changing situations,<br />
we have to look to our family<br />
and friends, to our roots, in order<br />
to make the right choices. I<br />
hope that all of us, when faced with<br />
these difficult decisions that<br />
threaten our Jewish identity, will<br />
look to our roots to continue on a<br />
path of Jewish living.
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