ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ Scholarships

Jewish History

Jewish Identity

Carrying a Family Name and Legacy – and Building a New Future

Author

Oscar Seltzer

Date

November 26, 2024

Editor’s note: An aspect of the Thanksgiving story that strongly resonates with many people in the Jewish community is the experience of immigrants trying to create a home in a new place. This Thanksgiving, we spoke to a student whose story shows the lasting impact of seeking a new home and a new future.

I never met my grandfather, but he’s always with me.

I mean that literally — I’m named for him, and I carry that name with me everywhere I go. But I also feel his legacy in everything I do, because his choices and his bravery made it possible for me to live the life I have today.

My great-grandparents, my grandfather Oscar’s parents, fled pogroms in Ukraine in the early 20th century. They came to the Americas, looking for a safe place to raise their Jewish family.ÌýAt that time, because of quotas on Jewish immigrants, they were only able to enter Argentina, Cuba, or Mexico. They ended up in Mexico City, where my grandfather was born.Ìý

As a teenager, my grandfather left Mexico to make a new life in the United States. When my dad tells the story, he always shares that my grandfather’s only belongings when he entered the country were the watch he got for his bar mitzvah, the clothes on his back, and one stick of salami. Once he arrived in the United States, he found a lawyer who was willing to trade his services for my grandfather’s one valuable possession: his bar mitzvah watch. So he gave it to the lawyer, and the lawyer helped him get his citizenship.

That watch became a symbol in our family, and ended up starting a tradition. My father received a watch for his bar mitzvah, and eventually, so did I. In fact, the one I received has my grandfather’s original watch band, which he was allowed to keep, and the watch face is the one he eventually replaced for himself almost 70 years ago. I wore it proudly at my bar mitzvah, along with my grandfather’s , a ritual garment. That day is still one of my most powerful memories: I was reading the Torah, wearing my grandfather’s watch and tzitzit, and bearing his name. It was like he was there in the room with me, watching his legacy take shape. 

When I finished reading the Torah portion, I hugged my dad, and cried at that feeling of connection. That moment opened my eyes to the element of my Jewish identity that I treasure the most: no matter how tough any day gets, thanks to the sacrifices of my great-grandparents and my grandfather Oscar, I have a deep connection to a Jewish community that has my back, no matter what.

My grandfather died when my dad was in his early twenties, but I don’t think he could have imagined the life I live today. He never went to college, though my father did. Today, my sister attends Harvard University, and I’m studying mathematical data, science, and economics modified with computer science at Dartmouth College. 

Jewish student life at Dartmouth is amazing, with a large Hillel community and so much programming that’s available to Jewish students. One of my favorite things to do is to stop by the Hillel offices to talk to the Hillel director — he’s a great resource, but also just asks such wonderful questions. I love the way he makes me think about Judaism and life.

ÌýAs a Hillel scholarship recipient, I feel a sense of gratitude to the organization —Ìýand knowing thºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ is part of what makes my life at Dartmouth possible makes me feel like I really have the support of the Jewish community, like they came together to help me achieve my dreams.

When I think about my grandfather today, I sometimes wonder what he would think of his legacy. Not just what he built, through his own successful businesses, or what my dad built through his career, but what my sister and I are building through our education and our commitment to Jewish life.Ìý

If I could talk to him today, I’d ask if he was proud of me. I think he would be. I’m certainly proud of him — and even prouder to carry his name, each and every day.

Oscar is a 2024 recipient of the Lilly E. Reiser Undergraduate Student Award, which awards eight incoming college students with up to $10,000 for every year for their undergraduate degree up to four years. Find out more about ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ scholarships today.

The post Carrying a Family Name and Legacy – and Building a New Future appeared first on ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ.

Birthright Israel

Campus Trip

Dartmouth College

Trip Dates

3/16/2025-3/27/2025

Departure Location

NY Area

Campus Contact Info

Maya Sakran, maya@uvhillel.org

This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel

The gift of a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to an innovative partnership between Jewish philanthropists, Jewish communities and Federations, the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, tens of thousands of alumni, their families, and individual donors from around the world who believe in our mission.

The post Dartmouth College appeared first on ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ.