Where I Come From

I grew up in a reformed temple and in a family that accepted many views. Still, I never considered the non-Jewish viewpoint as one that I could embrace. I never questioned Shabbat services or religious school. At a summer engineering program in a small Indiana town, I entered into a religious conversation with students from diverse religious backgrounds who were just as committed to their faiths. Through this discussion, I began to question the certainty of my religious future. I never considered not growing up Jewish, not having Jewish kids, not going to Friday night services. I imagined that I might leave Washington, DC, but never that I would leave Judaism.

         I had immersed myself in religion. After my Bat Mitzvah, I took a first step towards claiming my religion by continuing with Confirmation. At the start of high school, I joined my temple youth group's board as Israel VP. I started a blog on my temple's web site entitled, Israeli Current Events. Ready to influence my peers face-to-face, I co-chaired the annual Lock-In, where I planned mixers to assimilate eighth graders into the high school youth group. When I led teen services, I learned to engage students of different interests with themes like the TV show “Glee.” I expanded my leadership role to become the Jewish representative for the Interfaith Youth Action Group. In this capacity, I chaired the Environment and Health Millennium Development Goals Committee and led a mixed faith group that worked with the Salvation Army to plant a vegetable garden to help low-income families obtain healthy food. Inspired by assisting low-income families, I joined the Girls Learn International's effort to empower poverty-stricken girls around the world. This year, my religious, social action, and environmental pursuits culminated in my experience at my school's leadership retreat, where I discussed these issues in my own school.

         My growing exposure to different viewpoints allowed me to engage more fully in the religious discussion back in Indiana and at home. I have enough knowledge to now decide which religion suits me best. I know where I come from, but not yet where I will go. I haven't decided.