New York City. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a wave of Jewish immigration to the United States, specifically to New York City. New York was where Jewish people could come for opportunities: new jobs and lives. Consequently, on my recent trip from Portland Oregon to New York City, New York, West Coast to East Coast, I saw a lot of my own Jewish culture I had never seen before back home. 

For starters, I saw dozens of Hasidic Jews. Hasidic Judaism is an Orthodox subtype characterized by abiding closely by Jewish laws, customs, and traditions. It was wonderful to see people so dedicated to their Judaism. One part of New York Judaism I love is the diversity and variation. From Reform to Orthodox, all Jews can be found. 

Secondly, I was able to view and visit a plethora of Jewish establishments. One of my favorites was Katz’s Deli, a restaurant serving traditional Jewish deli food. I never thought a pastrami sandwich could be so fresh and delicious. Additionally, I went to several bagel shops, I felt as though I had never tried a bagel before: our bagels in Portland are more like bread with a hole. Their version is warm, boiled, and accompanied by fabulous cream cheese. The quality of a city’s food can say much about the richness of culture: New York City fosters a community of people from around the world leading to some of the greatest foods. 

On top of that, I drove by the NYC Jewish Community Center. Its size wowed me. My Jewish community center in Portland is about a fourth of the size. Their center is an actual building. I began to imagine my life as a BBYO teen in The Big Apple. Surrounded by even more Jewish teens in an exceptional meeting space. 

Another thing that made me happy was connecting with Jewish family friends. Through conversing with them, I realized that even from across the country, their experiences with Judaism weren't too different from mine. We talked about Jewish summer camps, people in the community, and BBYO. It was delightful to connect on this level. Also, we met up with a friend from back home in Central Park. This friend is also a member of BBYO so we had a great time walking the 843-acre park and talking about our chapter and region. 

One thing I took for granted was the casual Judaism surrounding me while I was in the city. Businesses with Hebrew lettering, Jewish culinary delights, and merchandise displaying our beloved Star of David. I even saw a B’nai Mitzvah truck, where people could transition into adulthood in seconds. Jewish people are a minority in most communities so seeing my culture represented all around the city was astonishing, educational, and overall empowering. 

All in all, I am so grateful I was able to visit a place with one of the largest Jewish populations in the world. Connecting with my own culture was validating and inspiring. I hope that in the future, I can return to this place that gave me such a meaningful experience. Furthermore, this trip highlighted globalization, Jewish people live all around the world. This is a comforting thought; wherever I am I will have community, people to look after me, people to celebrate Shabbat with. I love this about our culture.