Jew… ish. Although raised with Judaism as his household religion, senior Randy Rosenstein celebrates both Christian and Jewish holidays. Going to the synagogue on high holidays such as Hanukkah, Rosenstein feels a strong pull to his heritage, but continues to respect his mother’s Christianity as well.
Having a Jewish father and a mother, who converted back to Christianity following a divorce, Rosenstein relates to both.
“I’m not walking around like an orthodox Jewish guy,” Rosenstein said, “but I celebrate both my Jewish [heritage] and Christianity.”
While participating in Jewish traditions with his sister and father, he commits himself to lighting the Menorah instead of eating Kosher; the traditional Jewish diet that excludes unsavory foods like the pairing of dairy and meat and seafood. He mentions cheeseburgers keeping a special place in his heart and regular diet, and also enjoys seafood.
“I love crab legs, and shrimp is pretty good,” Rosenstein said.
One day in particular, however, he had to eat Kosher. On his 13 birthday, Rosenstein participated in the traditional celebration of a Bar Mitzvah. After years of learning Hebrew in school, he recited around four hours worth of the language for his birthday celebration.
“After it was done, my legs felt like weights,” Rosenstein said. “It paid off though.”
In celebration of his entering manhood, Rosenstein received lavish gifts at the party. Among these, he got $4,000, a Ford Mustang and a dirt bike. The Mustang fueled his love for cars, which inspires him to work on and even collect cars. His current projects include the Mustang he drives to school; a black ‘09 with red racing stripes, multiple decals, and a long list of engine work.
“I feel that the craftsmanship I input into the vehicle I’m operating gives me a sense of entitlement,” Rosenstein said.
Along with his taste for finer things in cars comes his love for style. Rosenstein cherishes his extensive collection of high-quality socks and also enjoys the Chubbies brand shorts that have recently gained popularity. He tends to favor a more professional look for school.
“I like to look exquisite and unique,” Rosenstein said. “I like to express myself in a business-like manner.”
As for how he plans to raise his own children, Rosenstein han an open approach. He hopes to teach them both Christian and Jewish religions, and then leave the rest to them.
“If I had kids, I would expose them to both and then over time they would choose,” Rosenstein said.
