Response to Sara's Post

My classmate Sara posted about a discussion we had in class about "fitting in" and how society views those who don't meet their standards. She talks about her own experience growing up in a very Christian community and how she tried to be a people pleaser and fit in with the others, but couldn't really find herself a place there. I can relate to this situation pretty well, but my story is slightly different.

Now, I come from a conservative Jewish family. Stemming back to roots in a small shtetl called Telekhany in Russia, the Warsoff family line is one deeply rooted in family. My family is one that values family tradition very highly. Though we do not go to synagogue every week or celebrate every single Jewish holiday (trust me, there's a LOT more than you think), we follow traditions that have been kept in our family for generations no matter what. Things like family heirlooms or stories are passed down from our ancestors and kept preserved by the current and future generations. For example, the חַי (chai) symbol, which means "life" in Hebrew, that I wear around my neck was given to me by my father when I was very little. Since the day I received it, the chain has never left my neck, except once to get cleaned. But the necklace is older than you think. My dad got it from his father, who also received it from his father. So this necklace has been in our family for 3 generations, and it's one of the youngest family heirlooms. Some objects in my house are more than several generations old.

The Chai I wear around my neck 24/7

So why am I telling you about my family? Well first of all, I am very proud of my lineage and the values my family holds. Second of all, I sometimes had trouble fitting in with other Jews and even my own family sometimes due to my own personal beliefs. See, I think very differently than a lot of people. Being the introverted thinker and someone who has a passion for learning, I would read about philosophies and religious ideas that would conflict with my own traditions and sometimes even the Jewish community I was part of. I would dwell into Orthodox and even Hasidic Judaism, both which are far more strict in following Jewish law than the conservative movement. When I would tell my friends and families about these other ideas that I found fascinating, I would often get criticized for dwelling into something that my community didn't believe in. This used to bother me and sometimes anger me because I didn't understand why people can at least just respect others' personal beliefs. I would get into arguments that I had not originally wanted to be a part of, all because I wanted to fit in and not have to completely reject my own ideas to do so.

Now I've moved past that stage. Most of my family and friends have as well. They know I have a drive to know more and will dwell in other philosophies, but at heart I still keep my family's traditions of utmost value. I have decided to be my own person, and not care what others will say about me, because as long as I am happy, why should it matter?