4 Gifts My Jewish Education Has Given Me

My grandparents grew up on the Lower East Side in a time when Jewish schools did not exist. My grandmother painstakingly taught herself to read Hebrew and though she could follow the Torah reading in shul, she always wished she could truly understand the words.

When I graduated from my Jewish elementary school, my parents gave me a choice between a public high school and a Jewish one. I could hear my grandmother’s voice as I visited the public school in eighth grade. Education is the most important gift you will ever receive. The world can take a lot from you but they can never take away what you have learned.

I thought of all the Shabbat mornings sitting beside my grandmother as she followed the Torah reading with her finger tips, wanting to know the meanings of words that were never taught to her. I suddenly felt incredibly grateful that I was given this choice that my grandmother never had. I decided to continue my Jewish education.

That choice, made in the hallway of a public high school with my grandmother's words echoing in my mind, transformed every aspect of my life.

Later on in life, when I began college, I immediately found a community and a sense of belonging in the Hillel house. I didn’t feel lost like many other students. And compared to my high school’s challenging dual curriculum, the college class schedule was far less overwhelming. Most importantly, because of my Jewish education, I knew what kind of person I wanted to date and eventually marry. And my husband and I have been fortunate enough to be able to pass on this precious gift of a Jewish education to our children.

These are four of the gifts my Jewish education has given me:

1. A Connection to My Ancestors.

My education has connected me to both the language and the history of my ancestors. Learning Jewish history has given me a deeper understanding of the miraculous survival of our nation and an unconditional love for the land of Israel. It is a blessing to be able to understand where I have come from and the self-sacrifice and devotion of those who paved the path for the Jewish people today. I feel privileged to be able to pass on the values and traditions of my family, and I know that feeling connected to my ancestors is not something to take for granted in a world where so many of us know very little of our history.

2. An Understanding of the Jewish Holidays.

Growing up with the Jewish holidays was a gift, but it was an even greater gift to spend years learning about all of the meaning and wisdom of each holiday. I learned the reasons behind all of the traditions of our calendar, so when I started my own family, I knew how to celebrate and honor each of our sacred occasions. My Jewish education gave me such a strong connection to the holidays; they are the framework for how I see the coming year. They give structure to my days and deep meaning to my years. They create beautiful family memories and the opportunity for many uninterrupted meals with our children that we never would have had without the gift of learning about our heritage.

3. A Connection to God.

Learning the Jewish prayers and the blessings we say for a hundred different reasons has helped me to form a connection to God that guides everything in my life. When I am lost, I know how to ask for direction. When I am lonely or frustrated or sad, I know I can always turn to Him. When I am faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, I know my faith will see me through. He lifts me up when I fall and forgives me when I lose my way. By far, the most important thing my Jewish education has given me is the tools to build an ongoing connection with my Creator.

4. A Sense of Belonging.

Being taught to go to shul on the Sabbath and to be a part of the Jewish community gives me a deep sense of belonging and community. A community shares the joy of your celebrations and the grief of your losses. It breaks down the walls of isolation that are all too common in our fast-paced world. I am grateful for the community near our home but also for Jewish communities that have welcomed me around the world from Alaska to Utah and beyond. Everywhere you go you know you can somehow find a group, however big or small, that will welcome you for Shabbos. My Jewish education has taught me that there are a place and a people that will always be there for me. And it has taught me how to reach out and find that place wherever I am.

If you have the chance to give or receive a Jewish education, don’t let it go. It’s a gift that will bring endless blessing and meaning into your life, and it will forever change the lives of your children and your children’s children.