Junior Sami Goodman describes her experiences as a young Jewish woman inside and outside school.
“One of the favorite parts of my religion is how I can express it to others and introduce and teach them my faith journey,” Goodman said.
She is an advocate for her faith and the struggles Jewish people face day to day.
“This year, I have been placed in LFT, which is a Jewish youth group leaders federation,” Goodman said. “We get to travel to Washington, D.C., and speak to higher-up people about all the hardships we face day to day and how we can attempt to fix it all.”
Goodman enjoys so much about her faith, from rites of passage to holidays.
“When I was 13 (it was during COVID) I had my bat mitzvah, which wasn’t a traditionally normal one, but I read my sections of the Torah and then wrote a speech and interviewed an important woman I look up to in life,” Goodman said. “I shared the speech in front of family and friends and left many in tears.”
In addition to her bat mitzvah ceremony, Goodman very much enjoys celebrating the annual holidays that are part of the Jewish faith.
“I participate in most of the Jewish holidays,” Goodman said. “Hanukkah, Passover, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah. I usually have big celebrations with family and friends from Passover and Hanukkah and invite my non-practicing friends so they can have an understanding of my home life.”