Jew

This is how to read a ב; this is how to read an א; this is how to read each vowel; this is the subject of your torah portion; fast if you would like; learn the stories of the Torah, but don’t stress if you don’t know them; don’t feel like you need to correct someone if they ask you what you got for Christmas; don’t obsess over correcting people when they talk about your religion; go to hebrew school when you can; don’t worry if it bores you, everyone hates hebrew school; don’t feel bad for yourself when they talk about Christmas, your religion is beautiful; this is where your great grandma is from; this is where you great grandpa is from; this is how they escaped the holocaust; this is when they escaped the holocaust; these are your ancestors who were killed; these are your ancestors who survived; why must I know all this?; it is your duty to learn your people's history to ensure that it never happens again; this is how you read the Torah; this is how you don’t damage the Torah on your bat mitzvah; this is how you straighten your frizzy hair; this is how to embrace your curls; go to Israel with your synagogue; enjoy your culture and learn your heritage; learn about zionism; am I a zionist?; of course, you stand for the state of Israel to remain a place which Jews may have safety; stand against hate; stand for your country; don’t let it give you much anxiety, you are still young; never tell people your not that Jewish; don’t compare your bat mitzvah to someone else’s sweet sixteen; embrace Christian holidays which have become common practices; don’t speak negatively about other religions; never argue about Jesus; don’t let religion consume your life; don’t strictly follow religous rules- God loves you regardless; don’t put down other people for saying that they are Jewish if they do not follow your same beliefs; wherever you go, make sure you find a strong Jewish community; align yourself with this community; don’t go to this college, there are no Jews; don’t go to this college, they hate Jews; understand that people hate you because you are Jewish; don’t let these people scare you from celebrating your culture; this is what the holocaust is; this is what antisemtisism is; this is what anti-zionism is; this is why it is common; be aware of your surroundings; never tell a stranger you are Jewish; hide your Jewish star in your shirt when you are not ensured safety; stay proud because you may choose many things about your religion, but you may never get rid of this part of your identity; seperate the history of your culture from the history of its hate; never accept a steryotype, no matter how positive; look up to strong Jewish figures; you are not alone; we are not alone; listen to hate and learn how to prevent it; educate; use strength to turn anger and disgust into pride; never lose your pride; I don’t know what to do, my efforts seem meaningless; alone they might, but together we can make a difference; I understand your tears; your pain is nothing new; this hate may never go away; you will never go away; listen to your heart, powerful as it aches; no one will harm you; I won’t let them; you are safe; your people will be safe soon enough; you are young, but our people are not; this is how you never give up.