Blog #6

For the American Icon project we created an Artist Statement about a person, place, or object describing why they are iconic to you. Along with that, we created a photo to pair with our Artist Statement.

I am Jewish

Danielle Weiss

Both of my dad’s parents survived the Holocaust. Ironic as it may seem, my Zadie (Yiddish for grandpa) was lucky enough to be placed in a work camp, forced into manual labor rather than await death. My Bubby (Yiddish for grandma) was not so fortunate. She lost her entire family in concentration camps and was the only one who survived. But, they did not allow the Nazis to take away their beliefs. Rather than be angry at the world and hide who they were, they instead continued to enjoy life. They moved on from the tragedy and showed my father, and then me, that we are able to get through anything if we stay true to ourselves.

When I spoke to my father about the Holocaust, he said something that stuck with me, “You can't let something like the Holocaust erase [your own identity] because that is what they were trying to do.” I realized that there are always going to people who are trying to hold me back based on who I am. But it is up to me to not let them succeed. A story my dad told me about his time in Romania has reinforced that idea. He explained how different his life was from my own. He didn’t have media distractions such as iPhones, computers, and video games. Instead he read, cleaned the house, and did his homework. But that all changed when his family’s home was taken away by the communists. Their freedoms were stripped from them and they could no longer express their religion or own property. Again, they faced hardship and had to hide who they were.

Ultimately his family moved to the United States in pursuit of a land where both religious and expressive freedoms were the foundation of its beliefs. Their decision to move allowed me to live in a land where I could openly practice my religion and not face discrimination. I am thankful that my grandparents refused to live in a country where they could not be themselves. They stood up for what they believed in and that has influenced my decision to pursue Judaism and not allow our religion fade away.

I recently traveled to Israel with my father and brother to meet my family and become Bat Mitzvahed. During my Bat Mitzvah, I thought back to my family. They paved the way for me to get here. Without their hope for a better future and pursuit to come to America, I may not have been born in a country that accepted my religion with such open arms. Without my family’s struggles I would not know what it means to hold pride in my religion and not let the memory die. It was my own decision to pursue Judaism as my religion and take on that commitment. My commitment represents the observation of High Holidays by going to temple, placing a Menorah in my house for Hannukah, and observing the Sabbath on Friday’s by lighting candles and cooking Matzah Ball Soup and brisket for my future family. My hope is to raise my children to embrace their Jewish culture and teach them of our family’s past. But until that day I am proud of who I am and where I came from—I am proud to be Jewish, proud to be Romanian, and proud to be American.