L'dor V'dor: From Generation to Generation by Alexis

L'dor V'dor: From Generation to Generation by Alexis - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

Embracing my Jewish identity, especially through working with younger students who are less familiar with the religion beyond the basics, is deeply meaningful to me. Since seventh grade, I have served as a madricha (teaching assistant) to a first-grade Hebrew School class at my synagogue. In this role, I help run lessons and plan activities about the Hebrew alphabet, traditions, stories, and music in my classes.

While initially it was a way for me to take on a leadership role in my synagogue, it has become much more than that. It has introduced me to the depth that comes with the concept of L’dor V’dor, a powerful phrase in Judaism that directly translates to “from generation to generation.” It teaches us that not only do we inherit the traditions from the generations that came before us, but we also have a responsibility to continue and pass on those traditions to the generations that follow us. I adore the students I work with, and it is a privilege to get to share those values with them every Sunday. It means so much to see the impact that my presence in their class has on them, and how I get to be a part of their beginning to discover their own Jewish identity. Stepping up and taking on a leadership role in this setting has strengthened my own Jewish identity, something I take great pride in, cherish, and love sharing with others.

Through these students, I have also learned that sometimes it is not necessarily about doing something grand for the community. It is sometimes about being there for the students, it is about helping the students grow. It can be introducing the new letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the corresponding words, the significance of a Jewish holiday or Bible story, or something as simple as leading them through an art project. I serve as a role model in their class; not only as an older teenager, but as a high school senior embracing her Jewish identity, already charting a leadership path for myself as I move away for college in the fall.

As I look to the future, I hope to make a difference in the community, as well as the world of journalism. I hope to major in journalism in college, becoming a lifelong journalist rooted in Washington, D.C. Most importantly, I hope to never lose my Jewish identity and connection to judaism. The concept of L’dor V’dor will continue to be a guiding light in my life, allowing me to take on leadership positions in college to pass on the values and concepts that my mentors and educators passed on to me, allowing me to help the younger generations of the world find their place in the world and their connection to the community.

My experience as a madricha and my experience as a student journalist have both shown me that there are many different ways that one can make a difference in the community. These two experiences have helped mold the person I am becoming, and have given me the inspiration to continue to make a difference in the world, no matter where my path takes me.