I am a proud Jew because in each country where I had the opportunity to engage with the Jewish community, I always found a common denominator: feeling at home. No matter the origin of the family – from the Middle East to China, Poland, or Latin America – the country where they live or the rituals they practice, every time I attended a Shabbat dinner or a holiday celebration like Pesach or Rosh Hashanah, the most comforting feeling was being at home, part of a larger family that transcends languages, places, or destinations. We all share a common denominator: our origin, our culture, our history, and our people.

That is why feeling at home and the sense of community give me hope. This hope is for preserving our traditions, honoring our ancestors, and maintaining our origins even thousands of years after the beginning. This is what makes me feel proud of my Jewish heritage.