Is how long Moses walked the desert and that’s how long it’s been in between Passover seder dinners for me. It’s quite remarkable to share this time frame with the famous prophet, Charlton Heston. The first seder I attended was when I was a kindergartener and my best friend invited me to join her family for Passover. Being the daughter of a devote Catholic, the food, rituals, the candles, the Hebrew all made a huge impact on me. So much so that many times I've told a story about that night and of how the door of the apartment was left wide open for a very expected and special guest, who never showed up.
I have often wondered why I was born American? Why was I the first in my family to be born in the U.S.? Why in Brooklyn, New York? At times I’ve felt that maybe it was because of the freedom (to be different?), or the capitalism (to shop... like a JAP?), or the languages I was meant to learn (English, Spanish... Yiddish?). Could it be that like Moses, I was meant to lead my people to the Promised Land aka the American Dream?
Both of my parents are from Colombia, South America. In first grade at P.S. 197 I wrote a current event story about an earthquake or something, the teacher corrected my paper and with a big red pen she marked ColUmbia. Oh boy, what a field day my father had with that - how dare she, how stupid is she and how was it that I allowed her to correct me on where I was from?
I AM from Brooklyn.
Was what I thought but said nothing and took what felt like a tongue lashing. Back in the day when I used to tawlk like this, I remember being so happy feeling so accepted and welcomed even though I was so different i.e. a poor, Spanish speaking, shiksa. What great friends I remember having back then. I give my brother's friend, Robert Schnitz R.I.P., credit for my attraction to Jewish boys today and have often long for those kinds of special friendships I never seemed to make in Latin saturated Miami as odd as that may sound (she doesn't get along with her own kind?)
Person: "So, where in Colombia are you from?"
Me: "Brooklyn"
Growing up with so many cultures at one time exposed me to so much, I heart New York for that, and even though I was definitely a minority I never felt the sting of discrimination. Except for this one time when two boys in my building teased me for being a grade behind for my age. My father came to my defense, his response to these mean boys was “because she speaks two languages, Spanish and English, and you don’t!”. I thought that was the worst comeback ever and wouldn’t see how brilliant an reply it really was until much later in life. (My parents relocated us to Colombia but came back a year later. Not knowing how to read in English I was placed in first grade instead of second but kids don't care).
These days I take long walks on the beach, it gets so hot in Miami, that even a one hour walk on the sand can be so exhausting it might feel like you’ve walked for 40 years in the desert… hey, that must where the Mosesness comes from. Thanks to my roots and sunny FLA my skin has gotten so tanned I might just go back to being a minority again when the Hispanics take over this country. And thanks to my new Jewish friend in Miami this sader I drank Elijah's glass of wine....L'Chayim!
