Judaism Just Happened to Me

By Jessica Danon
University of Judaism

When I was first asked to write this article I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to, but for the benefit of all of you in KOACH-land I’ve decided to do so. I can’t talk about my current Jewish educational experiences without going back to my beginnings of my studies and my involvement in the Conservative Movement as a whole.

As Genesis says, “In the beginning…,” I was a 12 year old with cousins preparing for their B’nai-Mitzvah and I began to question my lack of religious upbringing. My father is Jewish and my mother is Protestant: both non-practicing at the time. I researched all of the religions and chose to live a Jewish life. My parents began the ever-important shul-shopping trips and phone calls. The closest conservative shul was 20 minutes away and was too expensive for my family to join. The 2nd closest conservative shul was 45 minutes away and was also the shul that my cousins went to. Consequently, we joined the same shul as my cousins and began to meet with the rabbi and attend Hebrew School. This was the beginning of my 8th grade year.

My brother (3 years my junior) and I were placed in the Alef (first grade) class with 6 and 7 year olds. Talk about embarrassment. At the end of the year my parents met with the rabbi to discuss tutoring so I could catch up to my grade level. The rabbi insisted that not only would it be required of me to convert to Judaism, but that my mother would have to convert as well. The rabbi also stated that she would not allow me to celebrate becoming Bat Mitzvah without 6 more years of Hebrew School. I pointed out, not so quietly, that I would be in college before then. We left that synagogue, found a small shul nearby and got a private tutor to help us, out of the kindness of his heart. At 16, and after a few years of private tutoring, I took on the responsibilities of a full-fledged Jewish adult. I became a regular now-and-again shul-goer, but the shul didn’t have enough kids for a youth group, let alone a Hebrew High School Program. I floated through high school as one of 3 Jews out of 300 students in my grade.

During my first year of college I got very involved with the small Hillel at York College of PA. I wasn’t satisfied with my experience there, so I came home to waste a quick year at community college. I also became a bartender, worked at Sears and began to babysit for the cantor’s daughter, who was 6 months old at the time. Being a part time nanny was a new experience by itself; adapting to a kosher kitchen in addition was difficult, especially a kosher vegetarian one. (I really like the traife stuff.) As the year progressed, I went to shul more often, helped out in the small, one-room classroom of a Hebrew School, and was convinced to give up bartending. While the baby napped I read Torah, Jewish life cycle books, books on rituals, keeping a Jewish home books, etc., because they were the books that were around. The following year I was asked on a few occasions to substitute as a Hebrew School teacher and I was asked to head the USY chapter at another shul.

I walked into my new role as a Jewish professional with no knowledge of my own of Jewish youth groups. The only thing I knew was, I’d better bond with these kids quickly and not hide the fact that many of them had better Jewish knowledge than I did. I admitted my weaknesses to them and went from there. We had an amazing year that left me wanting more out of my Jewish identity.

The following year I moved with the cantor’s family to Fort Lee, NJ, where my boss had taken an education director’s position. Two weeks into the school year, their Kitah Gimmel (3rd grade) teacher quit with no notice. Suddenly I was teaching there and in a small shul in Sullivan County, NY. As a condition for my teaching contract, I was to enroll in the UJA’s B’Yachad Teacher’s Training Course.

My post Bat-Mitzvah education had not been sought after, it just kind of found me through the twists and turns that we mortals call life. In the past 4 years, my life has looked like this: 1 year at York College of PA, dropped out; baby-sat; motorcycle shop employee; 1.5 years at Orange County Community College, hated it and left; worked for Burger King, Sears and Appaloosa Records. I worked 2 weeks at Ground Zero; bartended; was a nanny; substituted Hebrew school; USY advisor; WENT TO ISRAEL WITH KOACH birthright israel; taught Hebrew school; and applied to return to college elsewhere. I also worked most of these jobs 2 and 3 at a time, just to fill my days.

Here I am nearly 4 years later sitting in a dorm room at the University of Judaism, on a college visit. I never thought that I would want to go into a Jewish field, let alone toy with the idea of going to rabbinical school 5 years from now. In many ways, I am absolutely terrified of where this new education is going to take me. I’m already moving 2822.06 miles from home. To Los Angeles, no less. In other ways, it is a completely calming and nurturing feeling that I am getting from this new-found freedom and life path. My thanks to the University of Judaism administration for taking a chance on a kid who until now has really screwed up her life and now wants to fix it. That’s it for this chapter of my life -- for now. Until, next time, look out LA, Jessica’s coming to town.

[Posted 8/26/03]