Anton Gringut
Sunday, December 3rd, 2006Don’t Worry Be Jewish
I am very proud of my Jewish lineage. It has been bred into me and I have long ago, without question, accepted my religious background. However, as I began to analyze my Jewish heritage, I started to worry that its influence on my life was minimal. This realization was disappointing – I did not want to be another thoughtless teen who does not understand his own history. Therefore, with ignorance burning a hole in my morale, I set out to prove that Judaism really is a part of my life.
I approached the lobby of my Bensonhurst home, inspired, and with topic in mind. I wondered where I would search first for evidence of my roots. Taking out the keys to the heavy glass door, I started fiddling with the key chain. As I looked down to pick the right key, I saw the first sign of my Jewish heritage. The Hamesh (Hamseh) Hand, with thumb and pinky pointed outward, was on my keychain. My spirits uplifted, I entered my apartment, immediately searching for more Jewish influence. The next Jewish sighting was in the kitchen; it was my grandma and grandpa who were as usual eating at the table. Examining their soup, I noticed matzoh swimming at the top of their bowls. Only a few minutes had passed since my initial self doubts but I had already found four cultural things present in my life.
After a rejuvenating dinner, I continued my religious exploration. Walking into my own room, I looked up at the top of the bookshelves where a golden Menorah was awaiting the upcoming holiday. Knowing Hanukkah will be on December 16th, after the last day of classes, I decided to temporarily dismantle my Menorah and include its apex in the collage. Before I sat down at my table to begin putting together my artwork I had more Jewish memorabilia to add. Through the open door to my closet, I spotted one of my shirts from an athletic competition for the Jewish Community House. Snatching it off the hanger I instantly knew that the Star of David on the front of the shirt would be a perfect backdrop. It is red, the color of blood and life – representing the fact that Judaism is alive inside my heart. Furthermore, the Star of David is meshed together with a figure of a boy into one symbol. You can not tell where the star ends and where the boy begins, representing my inseparable Jewish heritage and identity.
My final addition was the cover of the Jewish calendar for the year 5767. Nailed to the back of the door in my room it is constantly in use, reminding me of all the Jewish holidays. Looking at the striking year of 5767 it is remarkable how far back into the past Judaism dates. This calendar is a light bluish color that gives off a calming effect as well as contrast to the bright red background.
At the surface, it seems like Judaism for me is just a label. I light the candles once a year. I wear a charm for good luck and my grandparents put Jewish matzoh in their soup. However, my identity as a Jew runs much deeper than the prospect of receiving presents on Hanukah in return for lighting candles. In fact, Judaism has been a guiding value for my family for many generations. I put my grandparents in the center of the collage for this very reason. Living in the Soviet Union, my grandparents – like all other Jews — learned to hide their true beliefs from the public. As a result of this pressure to assimilate, a great deal of Jewish tradition has been lost. However, Jewish families who dealt with the oppression still managed to preserve some of their traditions despite being forced to live a life of denial and denunciation. Their religion was important enough for them to leave behind their home and start from scratch in a foreign country. In this receptive nation, all religions are tolerated and free to practice. It is this freedom that allows me to display my lit Menorah in the forefront of my window. My gratitude for this freedom of choice is illuminated in the title of the piece, Don’t Worry Be Jewish. The title is self-explanatory; no longer do I have to worry about expressing my beliefs for I can carry my culture openly. Although a Hamesh Hand keychain may seem to be outwardly insignificant, it is actually the core of my existence and the definition of my character.
