My Jewish Experience Essay

All of my life I have labeled myself as Jewish, although I have not once ever questioned what it means to be Jewish. I have spent many years of my life in an orthodox Hebrew school and excessive hours in Synagogue simply because my parents told me I had to go. I did not understand why I spent so much time in a place that I felt had no importance to me. This was until my perspective was changed my Junior year when I took an interest in the land of Israel. It all started when I began learning about my heritage in a teen group and following traditions such as celebrating Shabbat weekly. I have been to Israel before, but did not appreciate my time there because I was younger and thought it was just another vacation. My second time there I realized that Israel is a land of learning and the homeland of the Jewish people.

My brother and I started going to a

Torah learning group on Monday nights where we learned the weekly Torah portion and what is happening to Jewish people around the world. I always look forward to Monday nights because as I learn more about Judaism I learn more about myself and why I label myself as Jewish. Because of my dedication to the Torah group, I was given the opportunity to travel to Israel with a group of teens from all over the Midwest. I was not only proud of myself for leaving my comfort zone, but also making new friends and expanding my understanding of my culture.
The night we visited the Kotel we went with a small group.

This is where a few of the girls who were just my friends became my best friends. We had a Shabbat dinner on the rooftop of a building and then after we went down to the Kotel. I felt a strong connection here that I have felt no other place in the world. I rinsed my hands before going down to the holy wall in respect for the site. When I made my way down linked arms with my friends, we split up to find openings on the wall. I stuck my note in and let the wall dry my wet hands. I felt a powerful force drying my hands on the wall that cannot be explained. After my friends and I finished up our prayers and thanked g-d for bringing us there, we walked backwards facing the wall as respect to not turn our backs on it. We met up with our male advisor and our friends that were boys and talked about the magical experience that had just taken place. It was 11 o’clock pm in the holy city and we are experiencing Shabbat there first hand. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. We then sang the Shema in a circle at the Kotel, which is the prayer you say before

bed.
This shabbat was the most meaningful evening of my life. Our small group bonded over our experience praying at the Kotel and connecting to g-d in our own ways. It was such a special moment, seeing people cry because of how much they believe in their religion. I thought that if people felt that way so should I. That night was the first time I felt belief in my religion and I am very thankful that I am Jewish. Because of my journey I understand what it means to believe and I am proud to represent the Jewish people.