Claire Hudson………………………………………18

Claire Hudson

she/her

“Since I grew up Roman Catholic, my experience with Judaism was very slight in the beginning of my life, mostly coming through friends, but then coming to Tulane, it's really almost like a cultural immersion

into the Jewish community. Like, my friends and I had this practice over COVID, where we’d meet up every Friday night for Hillel’s takeaway Shabbat. And, that experience made me think about my own religion

and maybe the function of the religion as a cultural aspect.

Catholicism is very, like you stand up, you sit down, it's very procedural. But I would say that, at least in my experience, Judaism seems much more about living, incorporating it into your everyday life and gaining something positive from it internally. You know, like, what's the benefit of humbling yourself, being quiet for a day, walking somewhere, being mindful? So, it's cool to see the same text interpreted in a much more open and I guess welcoming way.

I would say that word welcoming is emblematic of my experience with the Jewish faith at Tulane, and I never expected this from Tulane. It's really beautiful to be able to participate so much in a community that I didn't have much to do with before. And, I hope that my participation in this project supports the idea that anyone can be a part of any community

as an ally. Anyone can take it upon themselves to learn and grow in a spiritual and cultural way."