Throughout my life, religion has been a frequently-ignored constant. Though both my parents were raised Jewish, I had a Bar Mitzvah, my father is president of my temple, and my sister was involved in a massive Jewish youth group, my faith has often been pushed aside to make room for the rest of life. In a world with a rapidly decreasing Jewish population numbering a meager fifteen million, I find myself feeling guilty for not embracing my faith, Because of my weakening connection to my Jewish identity as well as a general questioning of why God never seemed real to me, I will use this cohesive to explore both my own mistreatment and disregard of my heritage, and the community surrounding my dying religion. Through journalistic photographs showing the role of religion in my everyday life, expository depictions of the role Judaism is supposed to play, and banal documentation of the rich culture and confraternity I choose not to be a part of, I will explore why and how religion affects me – hopefully finding either satiation in lack of faith, or greater spirituality in the process.
