The below was written for Update by Elisa Held Nelson, a member of The Birmingham Jewish Federation's Board of Directors and a participant in The BJF's new Leadership Writing Project.

By Elisa Held Nelson

I always dreamed of having a family and moving back to Birmingham. Growing up in Birmingham, I loved having my family around -- grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...the whole nine yards.

The memories of eating dinner every Friday night at my grandparents' house, seeing my parents and grandparents in the stands at all of my sporting events, and just hanging out and spending time with my cousins, are ones I always will cherish. Who wouldn't want the same for their own children?

After graduating college from The University of Georgia and settling down in Atlanta, I never thought this dream would turn into a reality. My husband, Aaron, and I got married in 2003 and had our first son, Reed, in 2007. We loved the neighborhood we lived in, had wonderful friends, and there was no reason to leave except for our desire to be closer to family.

STRONG BONDS

A little over two years ago, Aaron and I picked up our life and moved to Birmingham with our young son. Nothing other than our love for family and the desire to raise our children around family brought us here. This decision has been a dream come true!

My parents, Ginger and Jerry Held, always have been significant role models in my life. I was taught from a very young age the importance of love and being with family. They not only created the strong bond that holds our family together, but through their involvement in our community, they showed me what being Jewish meant. Their belief in creating a strong Jewish identity is the key to their dedication and passion for helping others.

I may not have been the role model student at Sunday school or jumping for joy at the thought of going to Hebrew school. However, I always knew that it was important for me to learn about my religion so that someday I could grow up and teach my children about being Jewish, just like my parents did for me. And while it's hard to believe, those days are already here.

When Aaron, Reed, and I moved here, I wasn't really sure where to start. We were living with my parents while looking for a house and trying to find our way. It wasn't easy. It was very different living in Birmingham at this stage in my life.

I wasn't in high school anymore; I was older and more mature, with a family of my own. And before I knew it, we were expecting again...this time with twins.

PERFECT FIT, PERFECT TIME

Not long after the twins were born, I became involved with The Birmingham Jewish Federation. It was the perfect fit at the perfect time. As Reed started his final year of preschool, we realized that the time was here to start teaching him life's lessons, including the importance of our religion. And, as my folks taught me, there's no better way to teach your children about Judaism than through your own actions and deeds.

The BJF has not only allowed Aaron and me to begin to establish our own Jewish identity within the community, but through various people and events, we have met some wonderful families. While we continue to learn new things about The BJF everyday (in so many ways!), we feel very fortunate to be part of such a fantastic and meaningful organization.

We are looking forward to our continued BJF involvement as we prepare to embark on a new Federation journey -- my parents, brothers Layne and Brian, Brian's wife Katie, and my husband Aaron and I will be leading The BJF's 2013 Campaign. Involving our family together in this campaign leadership role is one more reflection of The BJF's new Intergenerational Leadership Strategy. We are excited to have the challenge and opportunity to learn from the leadership of my parents and our increased involvement in The BJF.

As I finish writing this piece -- the twins, Morgan and Alexa, asleep in their cribs and Reed attempting to go to sleep in his bed -- my emotions are overflowing. It is exciting to think about my children growing up in the same strong Jewish community that I did.

The memories come flooding back as I think about the fact that Reed attends preschool just down the street from where I went as a child, that my children will play sports at the same places I did and that they will be a part of this amazing Jewish community. Reed, Morgan and Alexa will grow up in "my Temple," attend "my religious school" and get to know "my rabbi," the one who Bat Mitzvahed me and officiated at my wedding.

I never thought this is how my life would turn out, but dreams do come true. When Aaron and I think about what the future holds for us here in Birmingham, we are very excited and ready to embrace it!