Growing up Jewish in Boise
Jesikah Luangaphay
Growing up in Boise, Idaho one of my first Jewish memories was going to religious school, at the building on 27th & Bannock. Our class of about eight bright-eyed kindergarteners was held in the back kitchen, as all other rooms were utilized by the older grades. I remember baking foods, doing art projects, and most of all building friendships with other Jewish kids.
Many of those children in my kindergarten class grew up with the same challenge I did--being the only Jewish kid in our secular classes. However, every Sunday we were one of many Jewish children who would come together at religious school to learn about our Jewish heritage. We learned how to read Hebrew, celebrate Jewish holidays, study the Torah, and much more. When we were 10 or 11 years old, we were invited as the only children to participate in the interviews for our first full time rabbi. The children in my class then went on to have some of the first Bar and Bat Mitzvahs with that rabbi, Dan Fink.
The Jewish friendships that I started in kindergarten have grown into lifelong friendships. We attended URJ summer camps, traveled to Israel with NFTY, and went to each other’s weddings. While few of us are still living in Boise, we all treasure the friendships we made during our childhood.
Approximately 30 years later my children have begun building their Jewish memories. It started with attending a weekly Friday toddler class called Kitanim and a once a month Friday night service, Tot Shabbat. Attending those events, we began to meet other Jewish families with young children, and we now celebrate Shabbat regularly with other Jewish families.
Similar to me, my children have started to attend URJ summer camps. Over the coming year, my children will begin to prepare for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and Rabbi Dan Fink will be by their side. It will be an honor to watch my children be called to the Torah by the very same person as I was. I look forward to continuing to watch my children grow and build lifelong Jewish friendships.
