Absent at Work

I used to work at a Jewish non-profit, and never expected that through work I could find community and acceptance and the freedom to embrace being Jewish. It’s an odd feeling to have a sense of belonging in a professional context. It wasn’t until I left the organization and started working for typical companies that I realized how meaningful the experience was. As. Jew in any other professional context, I feel absent. Taking time off for holidays is an exception, talking about the needs of our community doesn’t occur, and there is no symbolism that acknowledges our existence. I don’t mean to sound extreme, but when I shifted to working for non-secular organizations, I lost part of my religious identity and practice because it wasn’t normalized. Instead, being Jewish and committing to practice became harder. It meant asking for time off during busy periods, and engaging with colleagues and environments where our religious experiences were taboo. Let’s say and other major issue is how mainstream religious holidays always took precedent-everyone celebrates Christmas, but no one made any recognition of Hanukkah, or other major Jewish holidays and events. It wasn’t until recently when I was reunited with a former colleague who worked with me at a Jewish University that I remembered how much I was missing by how professional society doesn’t recognize our religion. Even though I may bring in a Jewish treat for a holiday party, it’s still there days after. I am saddened, and feel absent at work because of these experiences.