Finding my Jewish identity

Jeffrey Savit with Adam Greenman in Israel. /Adam Greenman

As a person who identifies as Jewish, but who lives a rather secular life, I was surprised by my excitement at being asked to join the Jewish Alliance mission to Israel in November. While I was taught at a young age the importance of Israel and my Jewish heritage by my parents, grandparents and at Hebrew school, I also have the distinct memory of my mother pouring the dairy silverware into the meat silverware after my grandparents passed away. Since my Bar Mitzvah, my attendance at synagogue can best be described as occasional, usually for a Bar Mitzvah or wedding. Nonetheless, I found myself with a sense of pride and gratitude at being offered this opportunity to see the Holy Land.

From the moment we arrived, I was struck by the beauty of the country and the juxtaposition of new and old. From Tel Aviv to Masada, at times I felt I was in New York City, and at times I was transported back 2000 years; sometimes in the span of hours. This newness was evident not only in the number of construction cranes and skyscrapers but in the innovation sector. As one of the many great speakers we met with said, Israel has revived a language and has found a way to make water in the desert. The peaks and valleys of the country made for breathtaking views, and the churches, historic sites and Old City were all reminders of the sacred and hallowed ground that exists in Israel and is unmatched here in the United States.

Throughout the trip, I was constantly brought back to my childhood, when my Jewish identity was strongest. As we rode the bus from the Golan Heights to Jerusalem, I looked across the landscape and recalled the tzedakah we provided in Hebrew school to plant trees in Israel for Tu b’Shevat. Standing at the Western Wall, it was impossible not to think about the Jews who prayed there more than 2000 years ago and to place myself within that history. Seeing the Israeli flag flying over buildings throughout the country, I remembered celebrating not only Independence Day on July 4, but also Israeli Independence Day around May 14. And celebrating Shabbat dinner with everyone on the trip transported me back to my grandmother’s house, where our family would gather every Friday night. It was so wonderful, after one week, to be sitting there with others on the trip as fast friends enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the conversation and celebrating the Sabbath.

While all of those experiences helped me connect the past with the present, visiting Yad Vashem, the Israeli memorial to the Holocaust, solidified my renewed Jewish identity. There we were reminded of the atrocities the Jewish people endured and how close the Nazis came to accomplishing their goals of genocide. It was impossible not to be moved walking through the darkness of the Children’s Memorial, lit only by the mirrored reflections of five candles. In the larger memorial, I was struck by the indifference and outright hostility toward Jewish refugees not only in the 1930s, but after the war ended as well. I found myself reflecting on this part of the trip the most, both by myself and with others. It is impossible not to draw parallels to today and it is equally impossible to dismiss the connection that Jews have to each other and the importance of never letting this type of atrocity happen again.

More than a month later, I am still processing the trip and all of its amazing, sobering and thought-provoking elements. I expect to continue to process for some time. While it may sound cliché, the trip truly was life-changing and an experience I will never forget. As much as this became a personal journey, it was greatly enhanced by experiencing it with others from Rhode Island. I’m truly grateful to have met them, and could not imagine a better group to learn with and from.

I do know that I have returned to the United States with a closer link to my Jewish identity. My family and I have started having Shabbat dinners on Friday night with friends and family. Hanukkah was truly special, lighting the candles in a menorah from the Old City in Jerusalem. I have a new appreciation for Israel, its security concerns and the importance of its existence. But perhaps more important, I have a greater connection to the people of Israel, and to the Jewish community here in Rhode Island. I am really looking forward to connecting more closely with that community and am so thankful to have had my Jewish identity rekindled in such a dramatic way.

ADAM GREENMAN is executive vice president for community investment and public policy at United Way of Rhode Island.