Judaism is the main part of my identity. I think the reasons for that are: that in my close community everyone celebrates the holidays whatever their beliefs, my family does kiddush every week before Friday dinner. Also, my grandfather was a holocaust survivor and his story impacted the way I see Judaism and my need to be part of Jewish people.
For me, being an Israeli means contributing to the community, speaking Hebrew, and celebrating our civilian holidays like Independence Day.
Judaism and Israeli history are really woven together in my school work. In school every morning we stand to Hatikvah. Through school we travel across Israel and learn stories from history or the Torah. Also in history class, I am learning about the Holocaust and that has made such an impact on my Jewish identity. A couple of years ago my school took my class to Mount Herzl Cemetery. Mount Herzl Cemetery is the site of Israel’s national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities. There we learned about the people that lost their lives for Israel. It was very emotional and gave me a new perspective on what it means to be an Israeli.
Outside of school I volunteer for Krembo Wings (https://www.krembo.org.il/en/), a youth movement for children with and without disabilities. Youth movements are the way that a lot of teenagers contribute to the community here in Israel.
Although being Jewish is the main part of my Jewish identity, I also spend time reading, meeting friends, drawing, or doing homework.
