Ever since I was born, I was raised in Brooklyn as an Orthodox Sephardic/Syrian Jew. Such a lifestyle for me came with a distinct set of rules, boundaries, friends, and values. Much of my options were often constricted and it was as if I was stripped of virtually all my choice, and needed to live according to the ways of my parents in a sheltered tight-knit community.
It was kind of a given what schools I would attend and who I was going to associate myself with. In the community I lived in everyone knew everything and it often became overbearing. If my friend’s mother’s cousin’s niece for example, did something that was frowned upon by the community it would be considered a scandal and would certainly be the topic for discussion on everyone’s Shabbat dinner table. This closeness did not just exist in the vicinity of Brooklyn, we traveled together as a group for the summers and various other vacations as well. But because of such a closeness there was an abundance of underlying pressures ranging from marriage to financial expectations and everything in between.
Don’t get me wrong, the community I live in is something that I am so thankful for. It is in essence a support system and the amount of help and concern for one another is enormous. The amount of charitable events and happy times we have together is boundless. It’s an amazing feeling to have people to rely on at any time and be able to spot someone out in a crowd. We are all connected in some way and will always have one another. Yes, I sometimes feel like I lack complete independence but I feel like it is an amazing trade-off and wouldn’t have it any other way. Every negative can be viewed as a positive and each restriction can be seen as a way to better grow. The fact that you know your every move is watched can be a positive reinforcement ensuring that I stay out of trouble because it would tarnish my reputation. My mother always told me, and still tells me at any point she can, that everything I do and all my actions, not only represent myself but my family, friends, community, and religion and I should always be cautious of that.
Because I have not experienced much of a variety of different people, I would like to take this time in college to more diversify myself and get to know different people and cultures and learn about their values and beliefs. I feel like I can grow as a person with that knowledge and not have to only rely on my community but have another life as well. I have met so many diverse people so far and am so excited to continue with that. I hope that my first semester will enable me to focus on my goals as a student, but moreover as an individual. I hope that this semester, and the rest of my four years here at Baruch will be an experience I will never forget.