Throughout the course of our lives we encounter many challenges which significantly shape us as individuals. Perhaps the most significant event in my life to date was my family's move from a small town in upstate New York to Philadelphia as I was entering my sophomore year of High School. The transition was very difficult as I was accustomed to life in Endwell, New York, population 13,000, a place where I knew everybody and everyone knew me. I needed to rebuild my entire social life from scratch. It was not easy and in the interim I mainly focused on my personal studies and my religious life to keep myself busy and positive. .
Although my religion has always been of great importance to me and has always provided me with strength, it never was more important then during my move to Philadelphia. It helped me see my current situation as a good opportunity rather than a time of loss and alienation. I was elected as Vice President of my synagogue's senior youth group in charge of religious activities. Additionally, I attended a second synagogue on occasion which is more traditional than my family's congregation and was warmly welcomed by the people there as well, almost all of them adults.
Early during my second summer in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to participate in a Jewish heritage tour of Central and Eastern Europe. The trip redefined who I was as a person. I visited the ghetto of Cracow, Poland and saw the abandoned synagogues there as well as the graves of many great rabbis. Most importantly, I visited Auschwitz, the main concentration camp used by the Nazis to exterminate the Jews of Europe. It was a wrenching experience which I still think about nearly everyday. I doubt I will ever visit a place more powerful than Auschwitz.
Second, I have concentrated on my personal studies during the last two years. In addition to my work at school, I read broadly, enjoy reference and historical works and surf the web daily in search of new information and sites.