Many of us take our cultural heritage for granted. Growing up in Montreal, I certainly did. It was easy enough as I could bump into a Jew almost every corner that I turned.
Moving to Alberta, Jews were few and far between, especially in small towns. I lived in four small Alberta towns and I think I was the sole Jew in all those communities.
It made me realize how precious my heritage, culture and religion was to me. I reached out to the Edmonton Jewish community when I was living in Slave Lake and traveled almost every weekend to the city to be a part of it.
To much of the surprise of my parents, I started attending synagogue. In Montreal, I adamantly refused to go when my mother asked. I felt no connection despite the fact that there are over 100,000 Jews in that city.
So what changed? Once I put my foot in the door and began my learning curve, I couldn’t step away. I realized what rich culture and heritage that Judaism had to offer me.
In just over a week, one of my favourite Edmonton festivals will shine upon us. The Heritage Festival showcases over 85 cultures from around the world, including Israel. It’s a great way to recognize our rich and diverse communities within the city, our province and Canada.
Culture shouldn’t be forgotten or tossed aside. As I child, I attended Hebrew school but decided not to have a bat mitzvah when I turned 13. Now I can only recognize Hebrew letters and read the language phonetically. What’s amazing about being Jewish is you can walk into any synagogue in the world and hear Hebrew. I do plan to have a bat mitzvah as an adult to recognize how I have embraced Judaism.
As individuals, we should find a way to recognize our own heritage and culture. Don’t take it for granted like I had. You’ll be surprised about what you can learn.
Shalom.
