My grandmother serves as a role model for me to follow. She was a teacher in Iran for numerous years and was well respected among the community. My parents gave me the Hebrew name Malka, in honor of her. When I was younger, she was the first person to teach me "Shema Yisrael," the same way she taught my father, when he was younger. She taught me that it is important to pray to G-d and thank Him for all the things I am blessed with. She taught me the importance of tradition and I will always remember the first of many things I learned from her, reciting Shema. She taught me that a key to being a Jew is building a relationship with G-d. When I grow up, I hope to be just as great as she was, and still is. I hope to do as much good as she did, and still continues to do, despite her age.
    -- Sharleen grade 9

My maternal grandparents live about four hours away by car. Going to visit them is very special. I was about five years old the first time I can remember visiting my grandparents' house in Baltimore where my mother grew up. As usual, the trip was filled with educational experiences. After all, my grandparents were once both teachers, and they never miss an opportunity to infuse our visits with culture and history. The first thing my grandparents did was put on a number of funny movies for me to watch. Among the actors were Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. They wanted me to appreciate the comedy that they enjoyed when they were young. The next day my grandparents took me to the Baltimore zoo, and my grandfather told me that he grew up just across the street from Druid Hill Park where the zoo is. Later, on the way downtown, my grandfather pointed out the street where his father once had a well-known deli. Then we went to Fort McHenry so I could see firsthand where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. My visit with my grandparents taught me both about my family's heritage and a little bit of American history and culture.
    -- Jeremy grade 9

It is very important to have a close relationship with older generations; it is one of the only direct involvements we have with our history. My grandmother, Norma Steinberg, is very dear to me. I have a very strong relationship with her. It is through her that I am able to envision a world before my time, a world that is not very much different from mine. Since I was a toddler, I have always loved my grandmother and looked at her as though she was my second mother. It is only until recently that I have really formed a strong bond with her. This happened when I went down to Florida for vacation and stayed with two friends at my grandmother's house. This was really the first time that I have been able to talk to her and live with her without the intervention of my parents or other family members. We learnt a lot about each other throughout the week we spent together. One of the biggest things I learned in Florida was about the relationship my grandmother had with my grandfather, who is now deceased. I never really got to know my grandfather, Milton Steinberg. However, during the time I spent with my grandmother, she took me to places where my grandfather used to go and spend some time, maybe smoke a cigar. I began to understand how close the past really was to me. There was so much love in the places that we went to. Today I look at my grandmother as a young woman, who is very active and loves to talk about times in her life. I feel as if we are best friends who are sharing past stories, when in reality she is much older than me. I realize now how important a connection like this really is. It helps me connect with the past, serves as a framework of my present life, and makes me feel more confident about who I am and where I am from.
    -- Eytan grade 11