Rabbi Jaech's Blog

When I watched our seven confirmation students rehearse for their service last week, their personal statements moved me to tears. Their words uplifted and inspired me. I heard the same reaction from those who watched our students lead their service on June 3, as we celebrated their confirmation (and high school graduation).  These outstanding teens gave me permission to publish their statements.  Even if you heard the teens read their statements during the service, they are well-worth reading again.  I am still smiling!

Amalie Flam

Shabbat Shalom. My name is Amalie Flam. Temple Israel has been a part of my life since I was 3 years old, when I attended preschool here. I continued with Hebrew school in kindergarten, but the older I got, the more attending school here felt like a chore. If I had it my way, I would have stopped attending Hebrew school after my bat mitzvah. Then, confirmation in 10th grade became the finish line, but I’m so grateful that it wasn’t. I willingly kept attending Hebrew school because I have evolved into a person who enjoys what I’m learning and spending time here with my friends. Choosing to continue my Jewish education all through high school has had a great impact on my life. I realized that being at the Temple was as much about the community as it was the religion, if not more so.

The temple community is unlike anything else that I have been a part of. While we all have a special commonality, the temple is still such a diverse place. Through the temple, I made a close group of friends from surrounding towns. Amid the increasing antisemitism in the world, having this special bond and a place to talk about issues facing Jews is something that I cherish. Participating in these in-depth discussions has allowed me to learn about multiple viewpoints on complex issues. Rabbi Jaech and Stacy have also had such a huge impact on me, and their lessons are what kept me involved.  Between continuing with CJL, being a madricha for several years and currently doing my senior internship here, the temple means so much to me. 

Abby Healy

Hi everyone, my name is Abby and for my speech I want to talk a little bit about my experience growing up Jewish. When I was younger, I was nervous to be Jewish. I was nervous because it meant I was different from most of my friends. Going to CJL every Sunday as a kid was not my favorite thing to do. I was never good at reading Hebrew or retaining the information. So for me when I was younger being Jewish was associated with anxiety and nerves. However, although I said I would not return to CJL after my bat mitzvah I decided to push past my nerves and continue my Jewish learning. This was by far the best decision I have ever made. I learned that being Jewish does not need to be something I am nervous about because being Jewish isn’t about learning every prayer and being fluent in Hebrew, I have learned that being Jewish can be connecting with friends and family, telling stories about my late family, learning the Jewish values like honoring your parents and helping the less fortunate. The main thing I learned is that being Jewish can be whatever I need it to be and staying here at the temple has been a truly enlightening and life changing experience.

Eric Honigman

Hi, I’m Eric. A couple years ago, if you asked me my favorite thing about being Jewish, I would probably say Hanukkah. I was always basically the only Jewish person in my school.  All of my friends celebrated Christmas and Easter and got to wear cool cross necklaces, and I was jealous. I wanted to celebrate Christmas too and do the things they did. after my bar mitzvah, my plan was always to stop attending Hebrew school. After a lot of convincing, my friend Abby persuaded me to come back to the temple for Wednesday night classes, which I’ve come to really enjoy. I like spending time with my group of friends that I’ve made here, people who I never would have grown close with if it were not for my Judaism.  If you asked me right now what my favorite thing about being Jewish is, it is the bonds that I’ve made during my studies in Hebrew school. From the rabbi, to my peers, to Stacy -- every one of these people has had an impact on my life, and I no longer wish to partake in other religions activities when now I realize how deep my own religion is. 

Haley Janush

I was recently asked, “what do you find most challenging about being Jewish?” Now, I could go on and on about the lack of recognition and appreciation for Jews in public school, the many times I have been stereotyped as a Jew, and the times I have actually feared admitting I am Jewish, but there is one thing that those challenges brought me: empowerment. It is hard to find many Jewish friends in my community, so I perform most of my religious practice with my family. To be honest? I have come to value that enormously. I love spending holidays with my family, cooking latkes for Chanukah or baking matzah brittle and flourless chocolate cake for Passover. Aside from the holidays, I value the ethics that Judaism has taught my family. I have learned to be honest and empathetic, and most importantly, I have learned that I have the power to better the world I live in.

As I said before, I could be quite pessimistic about all the negatives there are, but the empowerment that Judaism has given me has taught me to persevere and turn negatives into positives. My future sphere of influence will be with patients, as I intend to be an orthopedic surgeon later in life. With that, I will address the various inequities that impede people’s ability to gain access to proper healthcare, and I will do something to help fix those issues. That is because I am Jewish, and I have learned to spread love, kindness, and positivity in the midst of ignorance and hate.

Rachel Laibowitz

The essence of Judaism is in the stories passed down, the struggles of our ancestors to today, the traditions and values kept alive generation after generation, changing for the better. Today, for example my fellow confirmands and I, are getting confirmed, a traditionally Christian ceremony adapted by our temple with the reform movement. A change made to better allow more Jews to be part of their community, more specifically women. A consistency I’ve seen within Judaism is this persistence to be who we are. The ability to move forward against all odds and improving because of this. In searching for a word, a single word, to capture the essence of Judaism I was originally brought to words such as, Remarkable, momentous, or even legendary. I still believe that Judaism is remarkable, momentous, and legendary, but these words would exclude the perseverance and sheer strength of the Jewish people, the unwillingness to be discouraged, the strength we hold to remain proud as we charge forward in anything we do. The stories in the Torah taught to me growing up, and the lessons I’ve learned from those in my Jewish community have never failed to show the tenacity of our people, the tenacious essence of Judaism. 

Zoe McLear

My favorite part about being Jewish: Although I am not the most religious person, Judaism has had a profound impact on me, growing up. From making matzah ball soup with my grandma, to spending Rosh Hashanah with my family friends, these numerous traditions shaped my childhood. However, despite the delicious food, the bar/bat mitzvahs, the sleep away camp, and holidays, the most special thing about my religion is the community. Growing up in an area where being Jewish wasn’t common, feeling out of place was a very familiar feeling. It was very comforting to know that I always had a place within the Jewish community. After beginning my journey at Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, I was able to begin to shape my path as a Jewish adult. I attended Hebrew school here with some of my closest friends and made countless memories preparing for my bat mitzvah, volunteering, and even working as a madricha. In addition to forming new friendships, I also found that the adults that were a part of my experience were extremely supportive, empathetic, and compassionate. For instance, not only did Rabbi Jaech mentor me throughout my bat mitzvah and confirmation process, but she was also there for my family after my grandmother passed. Rabbi Pein and Stacy have also been there to introduce me to new opportunities and guide me, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Surrounding myself with the people that I’ve met at Temple Israel has enabled me to see things through a Jewish lens and helped me continue to practice traditions with people that I care deeply about. I want to thank everyone that has been a part of my journey as I will hold and practice these values as I continue to grow.

Evie Wolland

Shabbat Shalom Everyone! My name is Evie Wolland. As a confirmation class, we were asked, what gives you the most joy about being Jewish? To that, my response was easy, the traditions.  I personally do not see Judaism as a belief system, but as a community that stands with you. I have been lucky enough to be a part of this support system since I was 2 years old. I have continued on through the years in the CJL and onto Hebrew high school. Throughout these years I have made lifelong friends and even family. While I do believe Judaism is a wonderful community to be a part of, it is more about the history rather than a belief system for me. I find my joy in the beauty of the customs we share and pass down through generations. In my Bat Mitzvah speech, I talked about the bad parts of society that were passed down through generations without taking into consideration the sentimental traditions that have been with us for centuries. I hope that one day, in the future, our same people are still practicing our beautiful religion.