Amit David………………………………………….10

Amit David

she/her

“I grew up in Israel, and to be a Mizrahi there was totally fine, but when I went to Haifa University, all of my classmates were Ashkenazi and I remember feeling kind of different. They all came with really rich educational backgrounds and had a lot in common. I got a lot of comments and looks, because being Mizrahi comes with the stereotypes of being less educated and talking in a different vernacular – one that is maybe more… I don't wanna say aggressive, but like, the tone is a little bit different. So, I remember experiencing a lot of struggles there, and thinking, ‘But you know, I'm proud of who I am and I'm not gonna hide it.’ My grandpa came from Libya, where they had to hide their identity, so he always stressed being proud of our identity now that we could. His influence played a big role in my Jewish identity and how I see myself in the Jewish world.

In America and at Tulane, I haven’t met a lot of Mizrahi or Sephardic Jews or Jews of color, because the majority are Ashkenazi. One guy that I was dating here told me, ‘You don't look Jewish.’ And, I was like, that’s not okay, so I asked him, ‘How is a Jewish person supposed to look?’ And, he was like, 'Oh, you know?’ And, I was like, ‘No, I don't know.’ So, we had this whole conversation, but I feel like those sort of interactions are still happening today, especially in college.

I think that coming to the States made me realize how proud I am to be a Jewish woman. I had my own journey with God, my identity, and what I want to accomplish in life when it comes to Judaism – like how I want to raise my kids or how I want to build the foundation for my home.

Experiencing Judaism from a different point of view pushed me out of my comfort zone, which was Israel, and taught me that there's no right way to be Jewish.”