Webjournal Three: "Who In The World Am I?..."

In this webjournal I'll try to demonstrate a bit more about myself and why I am how I am.... Here goes. I'm an avid music listener of all kinds, so for each image/ description I'll post a song related to it.


I think a person's room or personal space of some kind says a lot about them. In my case, the first thing you see when you walk into the door of my room is this mezuzah:

Judaism has been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember. Before the age of 12, when I became a Bat Mitzvah, it was mostly on a cultural level. Events included but were not limited to: attending Friday night services at least once a month, Passover Seders with my kooky family, bringing in latkes and dreidels on Hanukkah to my middle school, and Hebrew school every Wednesday and Sunday. My Bat Mitzvah was a life-changing, embarrassing affair that affected my life on a deeper level I ever thought possible. It is because of that experience that I am a Jewish studies major and hope to continue onto rabbinical school. Cantor Eddie Roffman taught me the musical patterns (trope or cantillation) that correspond to the words of the Torah and Haftarah. I felt connected to traditions thousands of years old and to people around the world that I have never met. My Cantor Eddie showed me different trope patterns from around the world, but the language remains the same.



Song #1: Shabop Shalom, Jane by Devendra Banhart 

 My love of music probably came from my father and his side of the family. As a kid, I always asked my Dad why he listened to these funny guitar songs by this strange-looking little man named Bob Dylan. I told him that the guy couldn't sing and that he probably should go and listen to Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys instead..... Imagining "little me" saying that to my father makes me want to cringe as I now have this poster hanging above my bed: 

Song #2: Don't Think Twice, It's Alright by Bob Dylan 

This past summer I lived in Hoboken, NJ and could see the Freedom Tower from my pillow and the lights were so bright they kept me up at night throughout the month of July. I could be in Greenwich Village in 8 minutes and at lunch with a close friend in 15 minutes. I could also see the Empire State Building if I stuck my head out the window and craned my neck to the left (not recommended). I grew up in central New Jersey and would venture into New York about once a month to see a Broadway show, visit my oldest brother in Brooklyn, and to try some exotic new restaurant. Something about New York City always scared me, but I feel like I mastered NYC this past summer and would intentionally get lost in Brooklyn or SoHo and came across some of my favorite restaurants and shops. NYC forces me out of my comfort zone and I gained a sense of confidence during my nearly daily trips there.  I intend to go to rabbinical school in NYC and I cannot wait to go back. I have this poster near my bed to remind me of these moments and to keep myself motivated towards my goal.



Song #3: New York State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys 

Lastly, you can always find me in Starbucks or with a cup of coffee in my hand. My grandmother gave me my first cup of coffee when I was 8 years old and was having an asthma attack early in the morning. She convinced me that the coffee would make me feel better... okay, this isn't obviously wasn't true but I was 8 and looking for a way to stop my asthma attack. My father always grinds coffee beans at 5 am and I used to go downstairs to meet him and have coffee. He worked late and I wouldn't get to spend as much time with him as I liked, so these early morning chats were special. My father calls early morning "God's time". He always says that the world is quiet and hearing the birds chirp while the sun rises starts the day off right. I still start my day off very early even though I'm away from my parents and still start it off with a big cup of coffee. Coffee has been a constant in my life since I was 8 years old. I often wonder how I could function without it. It reminds me of family and so many great memories.

Here's a photo of my cup of coffee freshly brewed at 7:30 am:

One More Cup of Coffee by The White Stripes