Sources of Jewish Pride

By Mindy Lipson
Brandeis University

Recently in my usually dull local newspaper, a 13 year-old boy, who was presumably Christian, wrote a letter to the editor disagreeing with the practice of placing menorahs in schools alongside Christmas trees and images of Santa Claus. He argued that while the Christmas tree and Santa are primarily secular symbols, the menorah has deep religious significance. When I first read the letter, I thought about the message that public schools would present to Jewish children if they only displayed Christmas symbols. While I do not completely disagree with his sentiment about the religious context of the items, I was perturbed by the idea of removing menorahs from public school holiday displays. Would a child’s sense of Jewish pride be diminished by the school’s flagrant preference for one winter holiday?

Like many Conservative Jews, I went to my local public school. While I was fortunate that my schools had many Jewish students, most Jews are not so lucky. In a Christian-centric culture, it is difficult to find sources of Jewish pride within the supposedly secular confines of public school. Though it is not the role of the public school to impart any sort of religious pride into students, I believe that by displaying holiday objects partial to one religion, a school can affect the religious feelings of a student who is of a minority faith. Since it is unrealistic to hope for the removal of religious holiday symbols from schools, it is vital to create other sources for instilling religious pride in children.

My family has been the main source of my pride in Judaism. But aside from my home, Camp Ramah has had the most profound impact on my Jewish development. As a camper and staff member at Ramah camps in Nyack and the Berkshires, I learned what it truly means to be a Conservative Jew. As a Nyack staff member for the past four summers, I was immersed in the most dynamic Jewish community I have ever experienced. When I leave at the end of each summer, I am recommitted to the ideals of the Conservative Movement, and I feel spiritually reenergized.

As an institution, the Ramah movement is particularly important in instilling pride in Jewish youth and young adults. Ramah creates a type of community that is found in few other places. For campers and staff members coming from public school backgrounds, Ramah presents a model of Judaism that is easily compatible with everyday life during the school year. It promotes the idea that religion can be enjoyable, which is not a sentiment I often felt at evening Hebrew schools. Ramah provides a breeding ground for the next generation of active Conservative Jews. While I am privileged to have solid sources for Jewish pride in my life, this is not the case for all Jews. Rather than looking to society as a whole, the Jewish community needs to take a proactive stance towards educating youth, through institutions like Ramah, in order to create a vibrant, enthusiastic future.

[Posted 01/19/07]