Jason's Story
My name is Jason, and I am currently a junior in high school in Arizona. I am privileged to have had Judaism play such a large role in my life. Whether it be in my religious school classes, at my local synagogue, or competing in the Maccabi games, I greatly appreciate the large community that I have had the opportunity to be a part of.
A few years ago, I had the great opportunity to travel with a friend of mine to Memphis, Tennessee to participate in the annual JCC Maccabi games. There, I represented Team Phoenix and competed on a multi-city lacrosse team. I actually had a funny experience while I was there. My host family turned out to be an old camp friend of my mother’s, someone she hadn’t seen or thought about in years. Talk about a small community! All in all, being at Maccabi showed me how many Jewish people there are in the world. Although we are such a minority, and my school back home attests to this fact, it was nice to be surrounded by so many fellow Jewish teenagers, many of whom have dealt with the same experiences I have over my lifetime.
Although I have had many so termed “Jewish” events in my life, such as Maccabi, youth group events, and my Bar Mitzvah, it has been having a Holocaust survivor in my family that has given me the most insight into my Jewish heritage. I’ve learned over the years that every single survivor has a unique story to share about his or her experience during the war. And it is so true. There is truly nothing like sitting down at brunch and hearing what my Grandma has to say about her past. For instance, one day at brunch, we were sitting there eating a delicious meal of bagels and lox, when my Grandmother began discussing details about her family, something she rarely mentions. Although she only briefly brought up her father and her hometown in Germany, it was enough to get me interested in what she had to say. I am fortunate that she has recently been opening up more and more about her experiences during World War II.
Apart from listening to my Grandmother, I have also learned about the Holocaust at school, particularly in the 8th grade. It was at this point that I fully understood what happened. I had learned about the Holocaust years before at religious school, but it was the first time when the topic had been discussed at my secular school. It was interesting to see how my non-Jewish friends took the news. It was during this class, that I was first faced with the intense emotion that is always associated with an event of this sort. It was an enlightening experience to watch Schindler’s List with the rest of my grade and see my fellow classmates struggling to fully comprehend how human beings could create such destruction and steal innocent lives away, something I continue to struggle to fully understand.
I guess all of my experiences just make up who I am. I am fortunate to live in a wonderful household with two loving parents and an amazing big sister, all of whom help and support me in whatever I do. My story is unique, similar to how my Grandmother’s story is unique. I am proud of my Jewish roots and will continue to see them grow into the future, wherever it takes me.
Jason. Personal Interview. 19 Jul. 2014.
A few years ago, I had the great opportunity to travel with a friend of mine to Memphis, Tennessee to participate in the annual JCC Maccabi games. There, I represented Team Phoenix and competed on a multi-city lacrosse team. I actually had a funny experience while I was there. My host family turned out to be an old camp friend of my mother’s, someone she hadn’t seen or thought about in years. Talk about a small community! All in all, being at Maccabi showed me how many Jewish people there are in the world. Although we are such a minority, and my school back home attests to this fact, it was nice to be surrounded by so many fellow Jewish teenagers, many of whom have dealt with the same experiences I have over my lifetime.
Although I have had many so termed “Jewish” events in my life, such as Maccabi, youth group events, and my Bar Mitzvah, it has been having a Holocaust survivor in my family that has given me the most insight into my Jewish heritage. I’ve learned over the years that every single survivor has a unique story to share about his or her experience during the war. And it is so true. There is truly nothing like sitting down at brunch and hearing what my Grandma has to say about her past. For instance, one day at brunch, we were sitting there eating a delicious meal of bagels and lox, when my Grandmother began discussing details about her family, something she rarely mentions. Although she only briefly brought up her father and her hometown in Germany, it was enough to get me interested in what she had to say. I am fortunate that she has recently been opening up more and more about her experiences during World War II.
Apart from listening to my Grandmother, I have also learned about the Holocaust at school, particularly in the 8th grade. It was at this point that I fully understood what happened. I had learned about the Holocaust years before at religious school, but it was the first time when the topic had been discussed at my secular school. It was interesting to see how my non-Jewish friends took the news. It was during this class, that I was first faced with the intense emotion that is always associated with an event of this sort. It was an enlightening experience to watch Schindler’s List with the rest of my grade and see my fellow classmates struggling to fully comprehend how human beings could create such destruction and steal innocent lives away, something I continue to struggle to fully understand.
I guess all of my experiences just make up who I am. I am fortunate to live in a wonderful household with two loving parents and an amazing big sister, all of whom help and support me in whatever I do. My story is unique, similar to how my Grandmother’s story is unique. I am proud of my Jewish roots and will continue to see them grow into the future, wherever it takes me.
Jason. Personal Interview. 19 Jul. 2014.