BRODY JEWISH CENTER - HILLEL AT UVA
  • About Us
    • Community Partners
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Impact Report
    • FAQ
  • Student Life
    • Sign Up for Our Student Newsletter
    • Student Leaders
    • High Holidays
    • Incoming Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Our Space
    • Alternative Break Trips
    • Passover
    • Jewish Studies Program
  • Community
    • Family Weekend 2024
    • Community Newsletter
    • Parents
    • Rent our space
  • Young Alumni
    • Event Calendar
  • Support Us
    • Donate Now
    • Give through UVA
    • Commonwealth Kiddush Cup
    • Jefferson Society

My Bat Mitzvah

12/28/2014

 
Picture
Before I came to Israel, I really had no connection with the Jewish side of myself. My family celebrated Rosh Hashannah and Hanukkah growing up, and I could recite the basic prayers, had been to shul, but I never really understood what all of it meant. It never really held any meaning or significance for me, and simply put I just didn't get whatever IT was. Didn't know why it was so important to identify with my faith. If you had asked me a month ago whether I planned to get Bat Mitzvahed on Birthright, I would have shaken my head and told you I had no reason to. In fact, on this trip I didn't even make the decision until 2 days ago, giving me 48 hours to prepare for the ceremony.
All I can say is that in the past 10 days that we've been in Israel, something in me has changed. I came on because a free trip to Israel sounded pretty cool, but since we've been here I've really grown to love and connect with this country and everyone in it in ways that I never deemed possible. So many things are clearer now than they were before Birthright. 

A huge turning point in the trip for me was our group's visit to Mt. Hertzl. At the military cemetery, Akiva--one of the IDF soldiers that joined us on the trip--stood in front of an adorned grave and shared with us the story of one of his best friends who died in combat. His story was incredibly powerful, and I couldn't help but place myself in their shoes. I'm 22. I'm preparing to graduate from UVA, searching for a job, planning out where I might want to travel, and just generally doing what a 22 year old does. And at the same time, the friends that we've been making in Israel that are the exact same age are out at the front lines of combat fighting for their country and dying every day. And they do it voluntarily, gladly, so that Jews everywhere can have a place to call home. So that we can all have this homeland, this territory, this safe space where we can simply be with one another. And that, to me, is an incredibly powerful thing. But it's not anything new. For years, Jews have been fighting to have a place to call our own, to practice our faith and traditions free from discrimination and hatred. To me, continuing to reject that history, to distance myself from something that so many people have died for would do a huge disservice to Jews and allies everywhere. 

So I decided to get Bat Mitzvahed today because I eventually came to the realization that I am a product of the people who have fought for me in the past, who are fighting for me today, and who will continue to fight for me--for us. That is a tradition that I personally feel an obligation to carry forward. This trip is the first time in my life that I have actually felt Jewish, and I am extremely proud to be. I am proud to be part of this amazing community, this culture, this religion. 

While I still have a long way to go in my Jewish journey, today's ceremony was my public affirmation that I could not be prouder to be part of the Jewish community and will continue to learn and grow within the tradition, sharing it with others along the way.

​Heather Berg

Comments are closed.

    The Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia, is the focal point in a renaissance of Jewish life for the 1,000 Jewish students on Grounds. ​

    Archives

    September 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    AIPAC
    Alternative Break
    Ben Edgar
    Birthright
    BJC
    Brazilian
    Brody Jewish Center
    Bystander Intervention
    Charlottesville
    Engagement Interns
    Environmentalism
    Etai Pinkas
    Fall Fest
    First Year Connection
    Freedom Seder
    Golan Heights
    Green Dot
    High Holidays
    High Holiday Services
    Hillel At UVa
    Holocaust
    Hoos For Israel
    Hug And Wrestle
    Humpback Hike
    Israel
    JEI
    Jewish Conversation
    Jewish Leadership Council
    Jewish Women's Group
    Jiu Jitsu
    JSJC
    J Street UVa
    Krav Maga
    Leadership
    Leadership Retreat
    Mark Strauss
    Mississippi Delta
    Passover
    Peer Network Engagement Intern
    PNEI
    Pro-Israel
    Rosh Chodesh
    Self-defense
    Shabbat300
    Shabbat Around Grounds
    SHAG
    Sleepout For The Homeless
    Social Justice
    Spoken Word
    Sukkot
    Sunrise
    Sustainability
    Taglit-Birthright Israel
    University Of Virginia
    WaJewWa
    Whitney Perlen

    RSS Feed

The Brody Jewish Center
Hillel at the University of Virginia
1824 University Circle
Charlottesville, Va - 22903 

(434) 295-4963     -     [email protected]

Connect with us on social media!

Get the most up-to-date news, photos, and information.
The Brody Jewish Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. ​ 
 
© 2025 Hillel at the University of Virginia
  • About Us
    • Community Partners
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Impact Report
    • FAQ
  • Student Life
    • Sign Up for Our Student Newsletter
    • Student Leaders
    • High Holidays
    • Incoming Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Our Space
    • Alternative Break Trips
    • Passover
    • Jewish Studies Program
  • Community
    • Family Weekend 2024
    • Community Newsletter
    • Parents
    • Rent our space
  • Young Alumni
    • Event Calendar
  • Support Us
    • Donate Now
    • Give through UVA
    • Commonwealth Kiddush Cup
    • Jefferson Society