Tag: #pride
pride
Every1Counts: Day 49
May 18, 2018 4 Sivan, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-NINE DAYS, WHICH IS SEVEN WEEKS, OF THE OMER
…It means for the Jew in me to seek fulfillment both as a Jew and as a human being. For a Jew, Judaism and humanity must go together. To be Jewish is to recognize that every person is created in God’s image and thus worthy of respect. Being Jewish to me is to reject fanaticism everywhere.
As a Jew I must be sensitive to the pain of all human beings. To remain indifferent to persecution and suffering anywhere, in Afghanistan or in Kiev, is to become an accomplice of the tormentor.
Elie Wiesel
(Wiesel, Elie. I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl, edited by Judea Pearl and Ruth Pearl, Jewish Lights Pub., 2005, p. 169.)
Every1Counts: Day 38
May 7, 2018 22 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS THIRTY-EIGHT DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER
To me, being Jewish means I have the privilege of being part of a nation that has survived countless trials and enormous changes in the world around us for over 5000 years. Through all of that time we continued without losing our unifying identity as the Jewish people, Am Yisrael. Right now I’m spending an amazing semester in Israel, connecting with my Judaism and learning so much in the process. The many young Jews on this program with me are the future of reformed Judaism, and it’s amazing to see how passionate we all are. I think it’s fair to say that, speaking for all of us, we are honored to be able to continue as Jews and perpetuate an unbroken chain that tells the incredible story of our people.
Arielle Kolodzinski
Every1Counts: Day 24
April 23, 2018 8 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS TWENTY-FOUR DAYS, WHICH IS THREE WEEKS AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER
Being Jewish is more than “just my religion,” it’s who I am. Being Jewish is embedded within me and while it had been suppressed at some point, it has burst out. I am proud to be Jewish, to transmit my love and passion for Judaism to my students, and to have dedicated my life to it. Without Judaism, and without a lifetime at Temple Beth Abraham, I wouldn’t be who I am today: a proud Jewish woman!!!
Stessa Peers
Every1Counts: Day 20
April 19, 2018 4 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS TWENTY DAYS, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AND SIX DAYS, OF THE OMER
“Community” is the first word that comes to my mind when asked “What does it mean to be Jewish?”
I love being Jewish. It means that I am never alone because I belong to a global community of people that will always welcome each other. I always feel comfortable and accepted among my Temple congregants at TBA.
I trust being Jewish. It is filled with traditions and rituals that I can depend on, but have the freedom to participate to whatever extent meets my spiritual needs. I enjoy passing on traditions and adding new ones with my own family in hopes they will be carried on for many generations.
I am proud to be Jewish. Being Jewish is a journey filled with challenges to try to live a righteous life and to make the world a better place. Being Jewish makes me mindful about my life and makes me a better person. Being Jewish fills my being and my spirit with joy and allows me to be at peace with myself and the world around me.
Mary Edleson
Every1Counts: Day 5
April 4, 2018 19 Nisan, 5778
TODAY IS FIVE DAYS OF THE OMER
Being Jewish means; going to temple,
Being Jewish means; being inviting, also believing in yourself, trusting others,
Being Jewish means; saying prayers to God in temple,
Being Jewish means; going to Hebrew School,
Being Jewish means; becoming a bar or bat mitzvah,
Being Jewish means; celebrating holidays,
Being Jewish means; believing in God,
Being Jewish means; spending time together during holidays,
Being Jewish means; I respect my attire? Affect? Effect?
Being Jewish means; praying and celebrating,
Being Jewish means; keeping the traditions of Judaism with my family,
Being Jewish means; being part of a community.
Rabbi Justin Schwartz and Cantor Mandi Beckenstein’s Sunday 6th grade class of 2017-18
Every1Counts: Day 3
April 2, 2018 17 Nisan, 5778
TODAY IS THREE DAYS OF THE OMER
It means I’m special. Despite millennia of hatred and venom directed against [Jews], I belong to a people who were bent but not broken. It is more than a religion. It is more than an identity. It is a state of being.
Steve G.
