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.
 * 1) Did you grow up in a Jewish or in a Gentile neighborhood?
 * 2) Did you feel comfortable in Gentile neighborhoods?
 * 3) Was your Jewish neighborhood a close one?
 * 4) What languages were spoken in your Jewish neighborhood?
 * 5) Did you only associate with other Jewish kids growing up?
 * 6) Who were they and what are they doing today?
 * 7) Why did your family settle in the area where you grew up?
 * 8) Did they want to live somewhere else?
 * 9) Being Jewish, did you feel separate from the community?
 * 10) Did you very suffer any discrimination either in public schools or otherwise?
 * 11) Did you ever wish you were not Jewish what may have made you feel that way?
 * 12) How did you celebrate the various Jewish Holiday’s?
 * 13) Which one is your favorite and why?
 * 14) How did your family deal with the various non Jewish religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter?
 * 15) What are your favorite Jewish foods?
 * 16) Did your family eat “kosher”?
 * 17) Do you do so today?
 * 18) Describe your “Bar Mitzvah” or “Bat Mitzvah”?
 * 19) Was there any occupations you could not go into because of your Jewish upbringing?
 * 20) Was a “matchmaker” ever talked about in the selection of a spouse for you?
 * 21) Did you ever know any family members married with the help of a matchmaker?
 * 22) What domination (Orthodox, Reformed, etc) were you growing up?
 * 23) What domination are you are present?
 * 24) If different, why the change?
 * 25) What is your feelings about other Jewish dominations?
 * 26) Any remembrances on how some Jewish dominations treated other dominations?
 * 27) Which Synagogue did you belong to as a child?
 * 28) Do you belong to one today?
 * 29) What is your activity in Synagogue today?
 * 30) Did you or do you now wear any special articles of clothing?
 * 31) Did you attend Hebrew school?
 * 32) Can you read Hebrew now?
 * 33) What is you attitude of the non-Jewish people?
 * 34) Was there any particular family member that had the greatest influence on you as far as your attitude toward Judaism today?
 * 35) What was the Sabbath like in your home? Describe in detail.
 * 36) Have you read the Torah or any other sacred books of Judaism?
 * 37) Any Rabbis you remember in particular and what was their influence?
 * 38) Did you ever entertain the thought of being a Rabbi?
 * 39) Did you ever investigate any other Jewish dominations and why?
 * 40) Did you ever investigate any Christian dominations and why?
 * 41) Did you ever investigate any other religions and why?
 * 42) Did you ever attend any other the services of any other the above?
 * 43) Describes your thoughts and feelings about your investigations.
 * 44) Any feeling towards those who converted from Judaism to other religions?
 * 45) Did you family change its name from the old country when they came to the US?
 * 46) What was it?
 * 47) Who changed it?
 * 48) 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.
 * 49) Was it easy for your ancestors to except the American culture?
 * 50) Did your family ever talk about immigrating to Israel?
 * 51) Do you have such thoughts? If not, why not?
 * 52) Have you been to Israel and how did you feel being there?
 * 53) How does having grown up in a Jewish family effect you today?
 * 54) How would you characterize your family’s activity in Judaism as you were growing up?
 * 55) How would characterize your family’s activity today?
 * 56) Did it have any influence on your school activities that take place on Friday night?
 * 57) Any relatives victims of the Holocaust?
 * 58) Tell what you know about them and what areas they came from?
 * 59) Any of your family past or present active in Zionism?
 * 60) What is your attitude about the problems in the middle east?
 * 61) How do you feel about your arab cousins
 * 62) Other questions and notes: