Knowing and understanding one’s past can often be a blueprint for one’s future. The Rabbi Noah Weinberg once said, "If you don't know what you're living for, you haven't yet lived”. I come from a Jewish family that dates back many generations, and from many places all over the world. The Star of David necklace that I recently received as a gift, allows me to have a special connection to my large and vast family. My Jewish identity in America began when my Great Grandma Gigi came to America in 1917 from Poland. She was just an infant when she crossed the Atlantic in the steerage section of the ship with her parents, to escape religious persecution and the escalating tensions in Europe. This is where the first roots took hold for my family’s historic culture before coming to America. My Star of David necklace allows me to feel a special connection to my great grandma and other relatives that traveled to America in search of religious freedom. Being Jewish means a lot to me since we are not only a minority but still the victims of anti-Semitism. My necklace, the double triangle of the Star of David that dangles proudly from my silver chain, also symbolizes the connection of both dimensions of God, Torah, and Israel. My necklace connects me to my ancestors, helps me understand who I am today and helps me follow the blueprint and carry out the continuum of my future and the future of my people.

– Dylan Lipner

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