When I think of Judaism, I think of my baubie Cheryl. My baubie loves Conservative Judaism. She told me that it makes her feel whole and happy.
My baubie was born outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She started going to Sunday school in 5th grade, but she didn’t join a synagogue until she was an adult. In her home, she didn’t do many Jewish things. When she went to her own baubie’s house, she would light candles on Shabbat, but her family did not keep kosher. Nowadays, my baubie goes to services often and keeps kosher. In my family, we don’t keep kosher strictly, but we do light the Shabbat candles, and go to services a lot.
My baubie feels strongly that young kids should learn about Judaism earlier than she did. She never got a chance to have a bat mitzvah when she was young, and she wants all Jewish kids to have that chance. She is very passionate about young people going out into the world to learn what being Jewish is really about.
My baubie told me that in her childhood, Sunday school was five days a week—on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays! Now, it is only on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. She wishes it was more.
She also believes that kids should sit in services. She thinks kids should listen to the prayers in real time, because that is how she learned them, and even today, she learns more every single time she goes to synagogue. I have to agree with that, because the reason why I know a lot of prayers is because I sit in the service and remember the prayers.
I asked my Baubie, “If you could tell your younger self anything, what would you tell them?” She told me, “I wish that I started Jewish stuff a lot earlier, because I could have accomplished so much more than before. I wish I could have gone to a synagogue earlier too.” It’s true—so many kids could learn faster.
My grandpa’s job brought the family to Nashville, Tennessee, where he got a job as a biochemist at Meharry Medical College. My mom was born and raised there. Today, my baubie goes to West End Synagogue in Nashville. She loves it a lot and is a very active part of the community.
When she moved there she joined the synagogue choir. She feels that that is what brought her to a Jewish part of her life. It got her to learn so much more, and get so much more connected to Judaism. At West End Synagogue, she had her B’nai Mitzvah when she was an adult. She finally got to experience what she had missed as a child. She felt very accomplished and happy to have done that.
I am so lucky to be able to take her advice as I am preparing for my bat mitzvah. I am very much looking forward to her tutoring me in TorahRefers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, also called the Five Books of Moses, Pentateuch or the Hebrew equivalent, Humash. This is also called the Written Torah. The term may also refer to teachings that expound on Jewish tradition. Read more trope and the prayers.
My baubie is about to turn 80 this year, and I am grateful for this opportunity to interview her and reflect on my conversation with her. I learned a lot about our family that I did not know! I love my baubie so much, and I cannot wait to ask her more questions next time we are able to be together.
This essay was submitted as part of Exploring Judaism’s L’Dor V’Dor Essay Contest. To learn more, or submit your own essay, go here.
