Jewish Identity

The identity of the self is oftentimes outlined by not only the culture in which we were raised, but the culture of where our experiences occur, as well as by chief principles in society. This ideology can be exampled by the story of Moses. What made Moses distinctive is that he had been a Jew raised in the land of Egypt. “When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” [...] When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses…” (Exodus 2). Moses being an ‘other’ in a foreign land implies an element of cultural loyalty. Despite the fact that he was raised as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter, he would later go on …show more content…
“Yes, yes, Jascha was of Jewish origins. But he could not for the life of him see why this fact ought to have any consequences. One’s origins were the places where one had begun, not where one had ended up” (Goldstein 222). This notion of a Jewish identity being founded in an individual’s origins, yet that it manifests in someone’s experiences is naturally expressed by Jascha. He questions the concept of Jewishness, yet still relates to Judaism as a culture. This cultural orientation is implied through family roots, as having a Jewish identity is because of the household one was raised in. For Jascha, his identity was established because of his Jewish heritage, but also by his history with music. This highlights how not only the family impacts the self, but also …show more content…
In the beginning, he is described as, “Poor Solomon was a coward, and Beaky sensed this at once. [...] Then he threw the ball to Solomon and ordered him to run at them. Solomon didn’t move. He was too scared to even argue” (Sinclair 339). This presentation of Solomon being weak implies an implicit lack of identity. By not having something to stand for, Solomon is seen as an outsider. However, as the story progresses, a change to Solomon occurs. “His hairy brethren rushed Solomon, but it was a halfhearted attack, and Solomon danced amongst them till they all fell dizzily to the ground, like the walls of Jericho. ‘Where did you learn to fight like that?’ I asked. ‘In the army,’ said Solomon” (Sinclair 342). Solomon’s shift from a weak boy to strong fighter exemplifies how he not only now has an identity, but that he has accepted specifically his Jewish identity. Not only did he gain his strength in the army, which highlights his Judaism even further, but he is seen standing up for his culture against attack, despite the fact that the attack was coming from another Jew. This redemptive transformation highlights the acception of identity within Solomon. Had he not undergone a great shift, then he would be unaware of how he had changed, thus he would not be able to pinpoint aspects of himself that defined who he