I always knew that I was Jewish but up until around seventh grade, I never really felt connected to it. Around sixth and seventh grade, I started the process of preparing for my Bat Mitzvah. At first, I wasn’t very excited but as we started the process, I got more enthusiastic about it. Throughout the process, I started to feel more connected to being Jewish. When the big day finally came, I realized that, for the first time, I was proud of being Jewish and I was proud of the work I had done to make my Bat Mitzvah happen. One of the gifts I received was a hamsa necklace from my grandparents. Their own grandparents immigrated from Poland to Detroit, Michigan in the 1910s, and were Jewish. A hamsa is an amulet popular throughout the Middle East. It is shaped like a hand and symbolizes the protection of God. Though it is a symbol important to many religions in the Middle East, to me, it was a symbol of my Judaism. I started to wear the hamsa necklace everyday as a reminder of who I am and my Jewish roots. Not only did it show everyone I was proud of being Jewish, it was a symbol that connected me to a very important part of who I was.

– Vera Topcik

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more