The importance of working in a Jewish setting is immeasurable for a student who wishes to maintain a strong Jewish identity. I am a first-year student, with strong cultural ties to Judaism. I attended a Hebrew a bilingual public elementary school and have spent the last decade of my summers at Camp Massad Manitoba, the only Hebrew Immersion camp in North America. I am studying journalism and humanities which are seemingly unrelated to each other. However, I think that it is important the ways in which all sorts of fields can intersect with one another. Personally, I believe we cannot move forward as a collective society without having a solid and analytical understanding of the past, hence, the connection between my two fields of study.
Being a proud Jew informs my everyday life and how I look at religion, history, literature and media as a woman. Obviously for my program, there are stronger connections to Judaism than other fields of study such as science or social work. In my myth and symbol course for instance, I enjoyed the beginnings of studying the Hebrew Bible and am grateful for my background knowledge on this subject. I was easily able to contribute to discussions on this topic because of my familiarity with biblical history, thanks to my education in Judaism.
While I think that working in a Jewish setting is important, I believe that emulating lessons of Judaism anywhere applicable is just as impactful. Judaism teaches us to give back to the community, work together, help the less fortunate. We don’t have to work in a Jewish setting to employ these lessons, working or learning in a non-Jewish environment is also valuable as we are able to impart these important values to others.
On the other hand, there are indeed many benefits to working in a Jewish setting despite spending our days not studying directly related subjects. These benefits can be for reasons such as understanding and accommodation during the Jewish holidays to connecting with others and learning more about our community. Working with the DFL has allowed me to branch out into the community and explore and engage with the vibrant Ottawa Jewish community. As I hail from Winnipeg, I find it immensely comforting to be able to engage with others here in Ottawa who share common values and traditions. Thus far, I have been able to listen to scholars discuss the origins of the Holocaust at a local synagogue, commemorate the great Jewish theatre director John Hirsch (who was raised in Winnipeg!) at the NAC and encourage students to embark on the Israel Travel course right here at Carleton. Having been afforded these opportunities, it makes me feel like I have started to make an tangible difference in this community. Most importantly, I have already learned so much and am so grateful for the opportunities the Zelikovitz Centre offers!
By: Belle Riley Thompson, DFL Intern