EDUC- 6164: My family Culture

 

I have to admit that it took me some time to decide which three items will represent my culture’s best. I thought of the three attributes that describe my culture: Jewish and Sephardic descent, which means that I am part of a generation of people who originated in North Africa.

The first item:

I chose a small plate and a cup that is sentimental to me. The cup indicates a religious ritual of tasting wine after a blessing to honor the “Shabbat,” which is the Seventh Day of the Hebrew week.  

The second item:

Is a” Haggadah,” which is a book that describes the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and includes chants and blessings. The Hagadah was custom-made and had memorable personal pictures of my nuclear family that captured many special moments throughout the years.


The last item:

Is a crown made out of precious stones and is kept in my family for generations. The crown is worn by a bride to be in a traditional ceremony called the “Henna” ceremony, which is a celebration that signifies the process of a daughter leaving her parent’s house and her future life as a newlywed. I was privileged to wear the crown and plan to pass on to my daughter as she plans her wedding day.


I had another dilemma of contemplating choosing only one item. I chose three different artifacts representing aspects of my culture, which are sentimental and meaningful. I decided to choose the crown, as it is the only artifacts passed on from generations in my family. I felt that the other two artifacts represented my past, like memories and shared experiences that were captivated into pictures into the “Hagadah,” or the sentimental cup I got from my late father. However, the crown represents the future, my daughter’s upcoming celebration, and the celebrations of the woman in our family for years to come. 


Reflecting upon this assignment’s process, I felt I am practicing a version of an assimilation process. As I have to experience new memories and traditions, and at the same time, keeping the ones that are my deep connection to my roots.

Comments

  1. Kwilson123.wordpress.comNovember 13, 2020 at 2:32 PM

    Thanks for sharing your important and relevant family history that explains how the present, past and future is connected.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Behice AksoyNovember 14, 2020 at 9:51 AM

    Hello Ilana,
    As always, I was pleased to read your posts. One of the things that many of us have in their posts is our scriptures or religious objects. I believe this (religion) is one of the essential things in our personal life. I was amazed by the richness of your family's traditions and culture. The feeling of losing what we value is undoubtedly scary, but it makes us understand our values.
    Behice

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 14, 2020 at 9:13 PM

    Hello.

    Your artifacts are beautiful. I think it would have been difficult for me to choose just one of those also because each of them have a distinct connection to your culture. However, I think deciding on the crown is a great choice and as you mentioned, you could still pass it along to your daughter and keep the tradition going. I also enjoyed looking at your pictures, I think they all help explain and support your choice thoroughly. As always, thank you for sharing and I look forward to sharing with you further.
    Andrea

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ashawnta HockadayNovember 15, 2020 at 12:02 PM

    I think the pictures would mean a lot to me because some of them you can't get back. And the crown that you want to pass to your daughter is so special.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 15, 2020 at 12:43 PM

    Hello Ilana,
    It is always a pleasure to read your posts. You have a wonderful heritage. The way in which you have chosen to preserve it obviously thoughtful. Thank you for sharing.
    Samantha

    ReplyDelete
  6. dorothy aNovember 18, 2020 at 3:16 PM

    It was great to see your photo and understand your background. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

    ReplyDelete

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