My family doesn’t have an heirloom. Yes, we have my maternal great-grandmother’s pearl necklaces and my paternal great-grandmother’s snuff box engraved with the skyline of Jerusalem, but nothing that my cousins and I are likely to fight over someday. An heirloom, to me, is something cherished and coveted by generations. Without it, what connects me to those before me—the people to whom I owe my existence, but who feel so distant that I no longer know where they belong on my 8.5″ × 11″ family tree?
As this issue took shape, I found my answer. More valuable than any jewel or trinket, a true legacy lies in the love and tradition passed down over time. This issue, titled “Kesher,” the Hebrew word for connection, speaks to those ties built both horizontally and vertically within the fabric of Jewish life.
It is intentional that our second issue explores that web. As the “HaTanin Journal” builds a legacy of its own, we hope to draw inspiration from the people and values that have shaped us. The stories inside invite you to ponder what love and legacy are—and how they have sustained us as individuals and a community. Our graphic design complements the fragmentation and intertwining that so often define community; it reminds us that no puzzle is complete without each piece.
As you read these pages, I encourage you to consider your nexus—the place you occupy—in the larger Jewish story. Allow the cutouts to guide you along the way.
B’kesher, with connection,
Molly Seghi
Editor-in-Chief, “HaTanin Journal”