By Andrea Kulikovsky, Executive Director, UJR-Amlat

I remember going to synagogue with my grandfather as a little girl. He was my hero, my safe harbor, and the synagogue was our space. He was also the head of the religious committee. At that time, our synagogue was divided into women’s and men’s sections, but I stayed with him and all the men and never felt awkward. After my grandfather died, I kept attending Shabbat services with a friend. I was part of the tnua (youth movement) and later became one of our temple’s first female members of the religious committee. I was following in my grandfather’s footsteps.