The Journey That Shaped My Jewish Identity (Leah Bogatie, Hasbara High School Intern)
In my opinion, Jewish day schools are special. They provide a place for Jewish students to be surrounded by their culture, their heritage and their shared beliefs and values. Us Jews are unique, in the sense that we have all been commanded by G-d to observe six hundred and thirteen Mitzvot together. What a better way for young Jewish students to feel connected to their identity than to learn about, commemorate, and celebrate it with many others like them?
I used to go to Jewish day school, and among the many aspects that shaped the framework of the school, Israel played an enormous part in shaping the identity of the student body. From kindergarten until grade seven, I was educated in this kind of environment: of Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations and Israeli flags, Israel-related education, and having Israeli friends in my grade.
This all changed for me when I moved to public school for grade eight. I have a vivid memory of my first day, of sitting in a classroom filled with students from various ethnicities and religions, and realizing that I was one of few Jewish students in the room. This was a first for me, and it was exciting.
This new change brought many more firsts: first time missing school for a Jewish holiday; first time not being able to share food with my friends at lunch; first time missing an event because it was taking place on a Saturday; first time learning about another culture in-depth, not from a textbook but rather from a person of that culture; first time being asked, by someone curious outside of my religion “what does being Jewish mean to you?”
Another first, quite a significant one, occurred a year later. It was my second month of public high school, and I was getting to know a girl in one of my classes. Upon hearing that I was Jewish, she immediately asked me about my political stance regarding the conflict in the Middle East. When I told her my side, she began to question me: “How could you support a country that murders innocent Palestinians? A country that stole land?” I did not know how to respond; never before had I been put in a similar situation.
This moment was the beginning of an enormous realization for me, that not everyone would agree with me, or see an issue from my perspective. I realized that loving Israel was not enough; I had to learn how to advocate for it as well. This sparked my interest in Israel advocacy, and eventually led me to becoming a Hasbara High School Intern.
As a Jew in public school, a secular world, I was not surrounded by my culture anymore. As a result, I embarked on a new journey of self-discovery, of discovering who I was in a Jewish sense. I believe that it is easy to take your privileges for granted when you are not aware of what life is like without them. Part of this process was strengthening my love for Israel; I realized that if I wanted it to be an integral part of my identity, along with my love for activities such as improvisation and choir and my personal beliefs and values, I needed to look inside and figure out why exactly it meant so much to me. Once I did this, my Jewish identity strengthened, and I forever changed as a person.
Sometimes, though, I miss Jewish day school. I miss the unity, the oneness. I miss celebrating Jewish holidays together, loving the same country, the same home. There is nothing in the world like it; when us Jews join together, when we break down the barriers that divide us, we are invincible.
As I graduate high school this June and leave home for university, I will take my identity with me. It will always be my road map, guiding me in the direction that is best for me. Both Jewish day school and public school changed me for the better; Jewish day school shaped my central beliefs and values and public school strengthened them. I am immensely grateful for my experiences.
