Recently, I was called a maverick by a friend of mine. Why? Because years ago I broke away from the mold. This friend of mine was explaining to me why I felt sidelined by my siblings, and why it seemed like they gang up on me. The fact is, I took a different course than the rest of my family. I took a different course than my Jewish-American mainstream society, too, where expectations were to go to college, get a career, marry and grow a family IN AMERICA. To stay an American Jew, a Conservative Jew.

And, to have American Jew-ish Dreams, and American Jew-ish Goals, and American Jew-ish Hobbies, raise American Jew-ish Children, and suffer American Jew-ish Concerns & Problems.

But I escaped that. I moved to Israel at 21, and became Observant, or in American Language – Orthodox.

In the society of my family and friends, this was FOREIGN and FROWNED upon. But I didn’t let it stop me. It’s not that I didn’t care…I did. It was hard to go against the grain, to go against my parents and my siblings and my friends. I admit that. It was hard, uncomfortable, lonely. But I didn’t want to........

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