A shared value with a role model helped Taylor Kaster change her perspective on her culture.
Ever since I was little, I have been going to bar mitzvah after bat mitzvah. Every single Sunday, I would wake up early and go to four hours of Hebrew school. I had done this for years, but still I hated it so much. Each day was long, and I just wanted to have my bat mitzvah over with, so I didn’t have to go again.
Judaism felt like this big obligation that I HAD to participate in. I never really looked at it like something that was a part of me. Services were boring, and bar and bat mitzvahs were just as bad. It never felt like I belonged to the community, or that it was a part of my identity. It was only something that was taking up my weekends.
In my last year of Hebrew school, we started learning about the Holocaust. It wasn’t until then that I really realized how important Judaism is. I had only vaguely known about it, but learning about all of the details and stories made me realize how grateful I am to be here today, and to be someone who will always help keep the Jewish tradition alive.
This past year, I had my bat mitzvah. As I studied my Torah portion, I learned that one of the most significant lines translated to “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” I discovered that Ruth Bader Ginsburg hung this saying in her Supreme Court chamber. I realized that I am connected to so many other Jewish people out there who have taken this fundamental tenet to drive them to pursue justice, and make an impact on society.