Personal History Questions for Jews

Creating A Personal History Personal History Questions for Jews If you grew up Jewish here are some questions for you. Please feel free to add additional questions that would help a Jewish person write a more complete personal history.
 * Did you grow up in a Jewish or in a Gentile neighborhood?
 * Did you feel comfortable in Gentile neighborhoods?
 * Was your Jewish neighborhood a close one?
 * What languages were spoken in your Jewish neighborhood?
 * Did you only associate with other Jewish kids growing up?
 * Who were they and what are they doing today?
 * Why did your family settle in the area where you grew up?
 * Did they want to live somewhere else?
 * Being Jewish, did you feel separate from the community?
 * Did you very suffer any discrimination either in public schools or otherwise?
 * Did you ever wish you were not Jewish what may have made you feel that way?
 * How did you celebrate the various Jewish Holiday’s?
 * Which one is your favorite and why?
 * How did your family deal with the various non Jewish religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter?
 * What are your favorite Jewish foods?
 * Did your family eat “kosher”?
 * Do you do so today?
 * Describe your “Bar Mitzvah” or “Bat Mitzvah”?
 * Was there any occupations you could not go into because of your Jewish upbringing?
 * Was a “matchmaker” ever talked about in the selection of a spouse for you?
 * Did you ever know any family members married with the help of a matchmaker?
 * What domination (Orthodox, Reformed, etc) were you growing up?
 * What domination are you are present?
 * If different, why the change?
 * What is your feelings about other Jewish dominations?
 * Any remembrances on how some Jewish dominations treated other dominations?
 * Which Synagogue did you belong to as a child?
 * Do you belong to one today?
 * What is your activity in Synagogue today?
 * Did you or do you now wear any special articles of clothing?
 * Did you attend Hebrew school?
 * Can you read Hebrew now?
 * What is you attitude of the non-Jewish people?
 * Was there any particular family member that had the greatest influence on you as far as your attitude toward Judaism today?
 * What was the Sabbath like in your home? Describe in detail.
 * Have you read the Torah or any other sacred books of Judaism?
 * Any Rabbis you remember in particular and what was their influence?
 * Did you ever entertain the thought of being a Rabbi?
 * Did you ever investigate any other Jewish dominations and why?
 * Did you ever investigate any Christian dominations and why?
 * Did you ever investigate any other religions and why?
 * Did you ever attend any other the services of any other the above?
 * Describes your thoughts and feelings about your investigations.
 * Any feeling towards those who converted from Judaism to other religions?
 * Did you family change its name from the old country when they came to the US?
 * What was it?
 * Who changed it?
 * Did your family take pride in now being American Jews or did they still continue to look upon themselves as Russian Jews, Polish Jews, etc.
 * Was it easy for your ancestors to except the American culture?
 * Did your family ever talk about immigrating to Israel?
 * Do you have such thoughts? If not, why not?
 * Have you been to Israel and how did you feel being there?
 * How does having grown up in a Jewish family effect you today?
 * How would you characterize your family’s activity in Judaism as you were growing up?
 * How would characterize your family’s activity today?
 * Did it have any influence on your school activities that take place on Friday night?
 * Any relatives victims of the Holocaust?
 * Tell what you know about them and what areas they came from?
 * Any of your family past or present active in Zionism?
 * What is your attitude about the problems in the middle east?
 * How do you feel about your arab cousins
 * Other questions and notes: