By Janna Wohl
Being Jewish is something I take a lot of pride in, as I can bond with friends who also like embracing their religion. Many members of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority on campus are Jewish, including me, and this organization means a lot to me. Our most recent events were during Pink Week, where we participated in many fundraisers to donate proceeds to one of our Philanthropy organizations, Sharsheret. This nonprofit organization supports Jewish women suffering with breast cancer, and our frequent donations help provide these women with treatment, resources, and a sense of hope they need during stressful times. During Pink Week, we had three fundraisers, selling succulents one day, cookies another day, and tie-dye scrunchies on the last day. There was also a pink Shabbat with Hillel, a foundation for Jewish life on campus, as well as Puppies and Phis, where we collaborated with STEP at Pitt, having cute therapy dogs for all to play with. These events were all a big success and help publicize our incredible philanthropy organization.
However, being a Jewish teenager in Pittsburgh is also meaningful to me because of my connection to the Tree of Life synagogue. October 27th, 2018 is a day Jewish families will never forget, as it was the day of the shooting at this synagogue, where eleven individuals were unexpectedly shot and killed during their Saturday morning Shabbat services. After attending a commemoration ceremony for the three year anniversary of this event, this was a moment where I truly felt proud to be Jewish. I was listening to many speakers and choirs singing while standing next to some of my close friends, as well around a couple hundred strangers. There was so much Jewish pride at this event, and I am so glad I was able to experience this with my community.
From pink week with my sorority to the Tree of Life commemoration ceremony, I was able to embrace my Judaism over the past few weeks, and I have never been happier. Pittsburgh is truly an incredible city not only where I get to attend college, but it is social events like this where I can continue showing off my immense pride in being Jewish and be supported by so many people who think like me.
Kommentare