Who am I?

My name is Daniel Mancuso and I’m from Orlando, Florida. I always found coming up with definitions challenging, trying to get to the essence of something seems to be reductive in many instances. In trying to define myself I seem to come across a similar struggle. I normally point to the various characteristics that make me up, such as my hobbies and goals. Since around 2nd grade I played violin and though I don’t play much anymore I’m still fond of orchestras. I also enjoy art, as of recently I’ve been getting more into urban sketching and watercolor, a lot of which consist of the many lakes around where I live. Though these are my interest they aren’t my gap year’s focus. I plan on going to Jerusalem from the start of September until June to study in Yeshiva. Yeshiva, like a collage, is a place for in-depth study except with a focus on Judaism. In the broadest sense, my goal for this year is to learn more about what it means to be Jewish. Coming out of this year I expect to find the skills and knowledge to be able to navigate the Jewish world and religion. So while I can’t be defined by many things, Judaism is one aspect of my life that defines me.