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: