Today was the toughest day to observe my Kohen roots for the tradition divided me from my family. A Kohen is related to Aaron, Moses’s brother and is such has a special religious role as well as restrictions one of them is not to be in contact with the dead except immediate family. My wonderful Aunt is not considered immediate family by religious authority and as such I was not permitted to go to the funeral or grave site even though she was also my mother’s identical twin. While I observed this faithful pattern the other Kohen’s in the family didn’t honor this tradition which I felt might put a barrier between the faith and my family. Thank G-D this didn’t occur as I worked to do whatever I could in order to show that I truly cared deeply and felt their pain. Whether it be helping set up the Shiva, purchasing items for those who couldn’t eat otherwise or just being an extra warm hand when a cold wind passed it was great to be able to assist in some way. Faith can create barriers to some but my family found a way for us reach over those barriers with love and greater understanding.