Helene Linn: A Profile in Jewish Life
Name and Current Locale: Helene Linn, Chester, VT
What you are doing now: Enjoying Vermont, contributing my services to Shir Shalom and to individuals needing assistance under the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal family and medical leave act and occupational safety and health issues.
What do you do beyond your work? I have been a musician since the age of 11 and continue to play woodwind instruments. Additionally I am a voracious reader and apply some of that as an aggressive Scrabble player.
What was your upbringing like? I grew up in Baltimore, Chicago and Miami. I had the fortune of being raised in an observant Jewish family and had a self realization and strong self identity as a Jewish individual as young as seven years old. We observed the Sabbath and attended synagogues consistently each Sabbath and for all holidays. Even though I never lived in a Jewish neighborhood except as a toddler, my extraordinary mother made certain I knew what it meant and the importance of being Jewish.
How would you describe your connection to Jewish life now? Complete.
How has your Jewish identity evolved over time? It has become stronger with each passing decade. When I was younger I went through a period of being an agnostic and then an atheist and then returned to my religion. Some of that was attributable to learning about the Holocaust. I could not understand how God deserted us.
One interesting Jewish experience in your life: At the age of eight I was stoned by a group of juveniles who were hunting for a Jew and succeeded in finding me. I carry the scars of 29 stitches on my head and the experience of escaping them. My mother thoroughly and patiently explained that they had been taught to hate, that no one is born hating. They returned the next day to frighten me further. Later I used it as a teaching tool.
How has your Jewish identity made a difference in your current life? In every way possible. I have dealt with antisemitism throughout my life.
What do you think is special about Jewish life in Vermont? My impression has been that there is a bubble of protection here in Vermont; however, sadly, I am seeing that it may no longer be in place.
What you value most about your Jewish experiences: I am very proud to be a Jew.
Anything else you want to communicate to people in the JCVT community? I believe that it is critical that we teach our youngsters a self identity and an education regarding what it means to be a Jew and the heritage of Judaism. This is a responsibility that we must embrace. An additional responsibility is our responsibility towards the state of Israel.
