Who Am I

I am American. I am Jewish. I put them in alphabetical order because I do not know which one comes first. They both run deep and make me the person I am.

American

I have been blessed with being born in The United States of America. I love saying that. I was born at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. I am an army brat. I have always loved that too. My father was a physician there. My dad was born in New York and raised in Miami. My mom was born and raised in Atlanta. A real Southern Bell.

Before my dad decided to go into medicine his first love, besides my mom, was History and Political Science. We basically have our own encyclopedia or I guess now would say, “Google.”

When I was little I thought he actually went to The Electoral College. Yes, I did and no I do not anymore. The Astros, along with other baseball teams, players, and apple pie were loved in our house. Exactly like typical America. My dad has been to all 50 States. The ones that put a smile on my face were the ones we all went together when he was off. Road trips. Somewhere between leaving the house and wherever our destination was, was a stop. Usually lunch. Most of the time on a college campus. My dad loved visiting different campuses all over the US and he knew everything about the school and the town. He also collected sweatshirts from schools. When I think of America besides Babe Ruth or who has a better pie crust, I think of the beautiful campuses we have here and the opportunities they give us. You might be able to see why what is happening today on campuses is heartbreaking.

Jewish

On that base in San Antonio my parents named me Brenna, but also gave me my Hebrew name, Ita. Why? Because we are Jewish. We are named in English and Hebrew. It is my connection to my heritage and to Israel. It is who I am. Like most Jewish people in America, our connections come from our family and our community. Some kids go to a Jewish Day School. Some go to public school and then go to Sunday School. We learn about the holidays and the traditions that go with them that have been passed down for generations. We learn Hebrew. We learn about Israel. If we are lucky enough we go there. We walk where many have walked before. We sing. We dance. When we learned about the Holocaust we cried. There was a freedom that we did not even have to think about.

I grew up. I married a Jewish immigrant. We raised three wonderful Jewish kids. We raised them around diversity so they could learn about others and others could learn from them. Our house was always open. We have had many sit at our Shabbat table not knowing the meaning of Shabbat or how to say “challah.” Passover has always been a time to have our house full of our kids friends. They happily read from the Haggadah, pour some more wine, and break matzah as they learn why we eat it. The house is full of music, laughter, and love. I have seen the beauty of living side by side.

Today is not like yesterday. Some of those kids that sat around our table met our kids in college. They embraced the character within each other. They did not single out one difference. Grateful! The world is different now. The side by side is gone. The freedom I grew up with has been taken away. To be Jewish in America on a college campus means looking over your shoulder and staying indoors. You are supposed to be in class, skipping class because you got a better offer, frantically finding someone who has notes, staying up all night because you waited till the last moment when you had three weeks, figuring out how to ask your mom for more money because you spent all yours on concert tickets, saying you are going to the library which is the name of a bar, or actually in the library studying. Instead our kids are calling because they are scared. How dare anyone make them feel the need to hide or ask for protection? It is hard enough to navigate trying to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, and now you have to deal with others hating you just because you are Jewish. And let’s be clear. There is no other reason. Who is standing up for them?

This great country has Freedom of Speech. It sets us apart from other countries. Demonstrations on college campuses will always be a right of passage. Most do not cause chaos. When freedom of speech turns to hate it is a problem. When hate turns to violence it is a problem. Lines are getting crossed. People will get hurt. Damage has already been done. Power is more important than protection. I want our kids to feel safe. I want to look at my mezuzah as I enter my home and leave, kiss it without questioning if it should be taken down. It won’t! I want balance restored to my life and the life of those I love. I want the hate gone.

The world is testing my faith. What the world doesn’t know is that I grew up hearing stories from my parents about the best of times and the worst of times in the U.S. I also grew up with a deep connection to my Jewish heritage and Israel which deepens everyday. When events try to knock me down I remember who I am, where I come from, and my connections. They will always be my roots that keep me standing tall.