By Julia Strug '24
Acting Major
This post is part of our series on "Why is religion such a touchy subject?" Check out more by following the "Why is religion such a touchy subject?" tag.
It’s a weird thing, you know, thinking of religion. I mean I grew up in a fairly religious family where community and tradition were embedded within my very nature. I’m fortunate to know a lot about Judaism and the rich culture that comes along with it. But how do you approach another person, one who is unfamiliar with the certain pain and death your people have endured, and have a raw conversation about how Judaism has affected you? I think the best part about my religion is that if you see another Jew on the street, you’re kind of automatically friends. You understand one sense each other: You understand the love and warmth the Shabbat, Havdallah, and Chanukah candles symbolize. You understand the feeling of a real full stomach from the many family meals you have scarved down. You understand passionate advocacy for Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and your obligation to maintain justice. You understand that nowadays, fewer people are identifying with religion due to the need to be unassociated with the past. You understand that your people have been scapegoats since their very existence and how your own family experienced sickening and disgusting torture less than a century ago. You understand that you are a member of the last generation that will witness living Holocaust survivors and how it is your duty to share their stories with your children and to others. You understand that the most important idea preached in Judaism is peace (in Hebrew, the word Shalom is used for “hello,” “goodbye,” and “peace”).
However, you don’t understand why your so-called “friends” throw money at you and say that you should get a nose job. You can’t grapple with false information spreading like wildfires on social media about how Jews and Israel are terrorizing the United Nations and controlling our capitalist nation. You can only acknowledge that people purposely say Holocaust jokes in front of you to see how far they can get under your skin. Religion, just like many other things, should be talked about and experienced by everyone at least once. There is a difference between having a respectful conversation and implementing words or phrases of hate and ignorance into your speech. Throughout my life, I have been comfortable talking about my religion because I feel as though it would be a dishonor to my great-grandmother who was forced to eat the glue of her wallpaper in WWII Russia to survive if I hid this part of my identity. I watched as she continued to treat all others with equity and respect. Judaism has taught me to grow from and understand my core values of kindness, charity, empathy, and honestly. It has given me the platform to engage with others about their family’s pasts and the persecution and love endured. I am very grateful for Judaism and am always free to have a conversation about it.
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