I’m Jealous of Jews Who Grew Up Conservative and Orthodox

I know, the High Holidays are upon us and after atoning for my [many] sins of the previous year, I may not be off to the best start by coveting someone else’s experience. But I can’t help it. After one of the most transformative experiences I’ve ever had, attending services all day at a Conservative synagogue for Yom Kippur this year, I can’t wash away the waves of grief for everything I feel has been lost. Growing up, I had a pretty standard experience of Reform Judaism: Jewish preschool, Sunday school starting around the age of 5, bat mitzvah, Hebrew High, Jewish youth groups, annual attendance at Jewish camp and a study abroad program in Israel in high school. I want to be very clear that I feel very fortunate for the beautiful connections I cherish that were made through these avenues — including learning and praying with a phenomenal rabbi and cantor, feeling the love of a tight-knit group of Jewish family friends that I adore, and all the friendships I cultivated and wisdoms I learned along the way. <a href="https://medium.com/the-judean-peoples-front/im-jealous-of-jews-who-grew-up-conservative-and-orthodox-f005449aa8c2">Website</a>