The Man in the Photo

"That is your grandfather," my mother replied. "He’s dressed like that because he was a religious Jew."

Her words changed my life.  Me, a Jew? The thought was inconceivable. My first thought was to run away from my new identity, but I knew I couldn’t.  I had to find out more about this heritage.  I went to libraries and read articles and encyclopedia entries, but they left me empty.  I felt isolated, as if I were in a dream.

A friend told me about an ad he saw for Ma’amatz.  It was a program organized by JDC to give committed young Jews the skills and Jewish background they need to become leaders in the Jewish community.  At first, I hesitated. Why would they want me? I knew nothing about Jews.  But Ma’amatz turned out to be just what I had been looking for: a way not just of reconnecting, but of doing something real instead of sitting alone and reading.

There are thousands of people like me; young people who have lost an important part of their identity.  JDC’s program lets me help them as I help myself.  It’s given me the sense of purpose I never believed I could have. 

-- Alexi, a musician and artist