Schindler's List

The scene was chilling. Nazi soldiers were rounding up children in the concentration camp. One child knew that he had to hide from the Nazis. He tried many different hiding spots, but was excluded by the people already there. Finally, in one last, desperate attempt, he decided to hide in the latrines, but once again its current inhabitants rejected him. His fate was now certain. Witnessing on film the suffering of these innocents for their beliefs and identity raised a number of questions about the uniqueness of the Jewish faith and the motivation for their martyrdom.

Before viewing Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List, " I did not fully appreciate or even understand my Jewish heritage. Throughout my youth, I would often wonder how I had become a member of this particular tradition. Like many Jewish children in America, I especially questioned my roots during the holiday season. My non-Jewish friends would talk about their Christmas trees, while I struggled to find friends with whom I could share the Hanukkah celebration. I felt similar to that young boy in the movie: desperate to find a place where I would be welcomed.

Watching "Schindler's List" prompted me to revisit the Holocaust survival stories of my paternal grandparents. It also created a deep yearning to find out all I could about my religion and my personal identity. I searched Internet sites, encyclopedias, books, and magazines in order to learn and understand more of my Jewish tradition. This thorough investigation yielded an unending appreciation of the tradition and inspired tremendous pride in my ancestors. More importantly, the movie produced a moral transformation: I became more understanding of the people around me, more aware of the world, and more complete in my soul.