What it’s like growing up half Jewish
Shalom to you too
Yeah, I’m Jewish.. well okay, half
I grew up in a pretty diverse family. My mothers side is filled with challah breaking, kippah wearing, Tanakh fearing people who devote their lives to continuing the faith that our ancestors were persecuted for. However, my father grew up in a Christian household, but now associates himself with Atheism. So what does that make me? Well, If we’re speaking technically, it makes me 100% Jewish; if your momma’s a Jew, then you are too. But I like to call myself half Jewish.
Being half Jewish still counts, I promise
My problem isn’t being half Jewish. I love the culture and heritage that comes with it. I enjoy passover with family, I can’t wait to watch my brothers struggle to learn hebrew for their Bar Mitzvah, and having people in my bloodline that were executed because of their unwavering faith is something I take pride in. My problem is that people are always so surprised to learn that i am in fact Jewish.
You don’t look Jewish
What does one have to look like in order to be deemed Jewish? Do we all have to have the notorious big nose? Or speak with an accent similar to a native New Yorker? I am half hispanic and half Israeli so I have dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. I will admit that when I walk into temple with my Jewish family, I stand out amongst most of the others, but thats not to say i’m any less true to my faith than they are. I have learned to openly embrace my differences and stand up for myself whenever someone tries to make me feel any less than I am.
How to deal
When dealing with the ignorance that i get from people who question my background, I always ask them the same question: how does one specifically look Jewish? Because really, I’d love to know! Although it does hit a sore spot for me, its taught me to embrace who i am with even more confidence. I love to exclaim “Yeah, I am jewish! I eat Motzah ball soup with my Ima and trade Gelt with my brothers on Hanukkah.”
I’ve learned the world has not yet acknowledged the idea not everyone can be classified by their looks. I have hopes when I bring little Jewish babies into the world, they won’t have to constantly deal with the criticism of their looks in relation to their religion. If they do though, I will do just as my mother did and teach them that no matter the color of their eyes or pronunciation of their last name, they have no reason to doubt their heritage.
It does get better
In elementary when I was doing my family tree and I started explaining the stories of my great aunts and uncles in the Holocaust and other details of my Hebrew culture. I remember my teacher taking me to the side and questioning the validity of my tree. Little me was like WTF?!
Fast forward to junior and senior high where all my friends, except me, went to the beach or the mall on high holidays because there was no school. After explaining I had to go to temple for Yom Kippur, I was assaulted with the question, “wait, YOU’RE Jewish?” Yeah sorry, but I am. Have fun soaking up that vitamin D, I have to go atone for my sins!
College is way different though, my friends. Over here, my identity has yet to be questioned and I even joined the Jewish Student Union.
Embracing my Jewish background makes me feel as though i have a deeply rooted connection to my ancestors. I will never shy away from expressing that I am indeed half Jewish- now pass the challah bread!