Beyond Borders: Navigating My Jewish Identity Untethered From Zionism.

I want to tell you about the day I got a little too high, took a walk and imagined all the ways anti-Semitism might impact me. Might the maitre-d at the fancy restaurant greet us at the door and say, “Stern? Jews? No, we don’t serve Jews here.” Or about the young Jewish looking couple I passed who I was sure glanced at me suspiciously, wondering if I too was a Jew. I told myself it was just the weed but then I remembered the six million ghosts in my head. I want to tell you about the summer of 1984, my first trip to Israel, and Misha, the handsome, muscled, blue eyed Russian emigre — my first true infatuation — and our barefoot walks through the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem and our languid love making on the cold tiled floor of his kibbutz bedroom. I want to tell… <a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/beyond-borders-navigating-a-jewish-identity-untethered-from-zionism-f9f7d6cef5f2">Read More</a>