Justin Foster

He/him

"As a child, my parents told me a story about my great-grandparents surviving the Holocaust. The happy ending made it feel like a bedtime story, but as I grew older, I realized its ties to a real-life history and culture. The story went as such. On my father's side, my great-grandfather's name was Mieczyslaw Kolinsky. He was in Poland during the Holocaust and fled to Belgium t'o escape the occupation. He found a woman who agreed to hide him for compensation, but eventually, the stress and fear of hiding a Jew while Nazis were going door to door was too much for her, so she passed him off to her neighbor, Edith Vandenberg. Edith hid my great-grandfather behind a bookshelf in a tiny little nook for the remainder of the Holocaust. About a year and a half into hiding, my great-grandfather and Edith fell in love and married. They had my grandmother a year later. Unfortunately, I never got to meet them. My brother knew my great-grandfather, but he passed away when my brother was two. Edith, my great-grandmother, had already passed away before we were born. It's amazing that they not only survived but were able to find love and start a family in such difficult circumstances. This story's like a fairy tale, but it's important to me to center Judaism and acknowledge its real-life trauma.

While growing up, this story meant a lot to my family and me, but I didn't have much of a religious upbringing, let alone Jewish culture or heritage. Before, when people would ask me about my religious background or where my family is from, I would say my mom is from somewhere, and my dad was born here. For many years, it didn't occur to me that I could also identify as Jewish since I had never met my great-grandparents, and the Jewish part of my heritage felt so removed from me. However, since I started going to Hillel, I've started to see myself differently. I now see myself not just as African American but also as an African American with Jewish ancestry and interests. So reminding myself that I have this lineage is how, in my identity, I embrace my Jewish heritage.

Even though I have this direct connection to Jewish culture, when I walk into a room, people assume I'm not Jewish just by looking at me. And for many years, I didn't feel the need to have another identity beyond being a Black male because I wasn't very religious and because, racially, I always felt like my main identity is I'm Black. But, in recent years, reminding myself how Judaism is central to my family story makes me appreciate that I'm Black, but I'm also Jewish. I realize that downplaying Judaism's role in my life would be a disservice. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Jewish culture, as my ancestors escaped persecution, leading to me being born and having a family. So, although I used to feel that being Black and Jewish were separate parts of my identity, I've realized that they are intersecting facets of my identity that coalesce to make me who I am today.

Embracing more of my Jewish heritage has given me an all-around openness to how many different stories and factors overlap with everyone's identity. On a personal and emotional level, I have come to appreciate the multifaceted nature of my identity. By embracing my Jewish heritage, I have developed a greater appreciation for the complexity of everyone's story, including mine. I have realized that Judaism is not just a single identity but rather an intersection of multiple identities. My current exploration of my identity is just the beginning of a journey that I want to continue throughout and after college. It's really important to think deeply about how I see the world, connect with Judaism, and understand my Jewish heritage, interests, and associations. This point in my life marks the starting point for a longer process of self-discovery."