Too many people never saw Torah’s beauty. Allison Josephs helps them discover it
Allison Josephs launched Jew in the City and its initiative, Project Makom, an outreach organization that works to reverse negative associations of frum Jews.
I was raised as a proud secular Jew. I didn’t know any frum Jews personally; all I knew about them were the rumors that swirled around society and what I saw in the headlines or on TV. I thought frum Jews were backward — misogynistic, fanatic, stuck in the past. I was proud to be part of Klal Yisrael but thought that observant Jews took it too far.
When I was eight, there was a kid in my school who was murdered by her father — the man went crazy and killed himself and his two children. My parents had raised my two sisters and me in a very happy home with lots of privileges. But when this triple murder occurred, I realized that nothing I’m doing matters, everything will be gone one day. What was the point of it all?
So there I was, eight years old, launched into an existential crisis. I had no idea there was any wisdom in my heritage — all I knew about was Jewish humor and gefilte fish. I knew there had to be some purpose in life, but had no idea what it was.
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