So here is a message exchange with an old and newly re-discovered friend of mine on facebook. Since it is composed mainly of me ranting I figured it would be appropriate here:
October 16 at 11:07pm
... I saw you mentioned something about what your name means in Hebrew - are you Jewish? I am. figured we could bond about something lol.
October 18 at 7:01am
Yes indeedee, I am Jewish. I had no idea that you were too! I kind of remember you wearing an israeli looking yarmulke in school once, but I thought that was your way of getting away with wearing hats in class. Heehee.
I like to think of myself more as culturally/ethnically Jewish rather then religiously Jewish. I definitely don't believe in any of it, and I actually feel wrong saying the prayers etc. at holidays since I don't. I'll only do it if it's rude not to (like at someone else's house or something). Now that I live in Brooklyn I am surrounded by Super Jews and actually have a whole new bunch of orthodox friends. I love questioning all of their totally over the top practices, but I think they get a kick out of how detached I am from the whole thing. Also, discussing the core philosophy of it all is always fun. My dad and I tend to do that a lot.
Did you have a Bar Mitzvah?
Yes indeedee, I am Jewish. I had no idea that you were too! I kind of remember you wearing an israeli looking yarmulke in school once, but I thought that was your way of getting away with wearing hats in class. Heehee.
I like to think of myself more as culturally/ethnically Jewish rather then religiously Jewish. I definitely don't believe in any of it, and I actually feel wrong saying the prayers etc. at holidays since I don't. I'll only do it if it's rude not to (like at someone else's house or something). Now that I live in Brooklyn I am surrounded by Super Jews and actually have a whole new bunch of orthodox friends. I love questioning all of their totally over the top practices, but I think they get a kick out of how detached I am from the whole thing. Also, discussing the core philosophy of it all is always fun. My dad and I tend to do that a lot.
Did you have a Bar Mitzvah?
October 18 at 7:21am
hahaha super Jews, I like that :) I actually am a practising Reform Jew but I do definitely see the extreme need to question and explore the factual basis of all religious claims. I too sometimes feel a bit disingenuous for reciting prayers; really the only ritual I steadfastly adhere to are the Sabbath rituals, but mostly because it was constantly what my parents did in our home. and yes, I was Bar Mitzvah'd :) My father is an orthodox Jew and my brother is an atheist. Go figure :) You, my darling, are fascinating to talk to :)
And I'm from ... - they say the Jews run Hollywood but that's nonsense - clearly we run Brooklyn :)
And I'm from ... - they say the Jews run Hollywood but that's nonsense - clearly we run Brooklyn :)
October 18 at 4:44pm
... They say there are more Jews in Brooklyn then there are in Israel. Speaking of Israel, have you ever been?
Sabbath rules are the best. I mean, how can you really argue against being forced to relax and hang out with your family and eat a lot once a week? Do you do the whole no electricity and no driving thing too? I have issues with people who set timers on their lights and ovens etc to get around these rules. To me it seems like that goes against some of the point of it all. So does covering your hair when you get married but wearing a wig that is probably nicer then your real hair. Too many contradictions.
I once tried to put a name to my religious beliefs, and since I like to think of myself as an amalgam (one of my favorite words) of Jewish, Hindu, agnostic,and Humanist, the best i came up with are:
Hindjewsticist
Jewdusticist
Hindmanostish
Hujewdunotishist. <--That might be my favorite.
Sabbath rules are the best. I mean, how can you really argue against being forced to relax and hang out with your family and eat a lot once a week? Do you do the whole no electricity and no driving thing too? I have issues with people who set timers on their lights and ovens etc to get around these rules. To me it seems like that goes against some of the point of it all. So does covering your hair when you get married but wearing a wig that is probably nicer then your real hair. Too many contradictions.
I once tried to put a name to my religious beliefs, and since I like to think of myself as an amalgam (one of my favorite words) of Jewish, Hindu, agnostic,and Humanist, the best i came up with are:
Hindjewsticist
Jewdusticist
Hindmanostish
Hujewdunotishist. <--That might be my favorite.
October 18 at 5:00pm
hahaha I love the interpolation of words, that's awesome! ... And I've never been to Israel, but I would love to go. I'm a firm believer in a Jewish state, but I do not believe in killing Palestinians to accomplish this. I believe Israel gas to begin to admit its culpability in the Mid-East crises.
No, on the Sabbath I don't observe the Rabbinic or Talmudic rules regarding no electricity. I think that if man's thinking has evolved and man is made in Gods image, its foolish to believe God hasn't evolved as well, and this realizes that such antiquated practices are impractical for modernity. I do believe in God and my Judaism, but this is 2009 and I don't think my beliefs can't be in line with the times in which I live, you know?
No, on the Sabbath I don't observe the Rabbinic or Talmudic rules regarding no electricity. I think that if man's thinking has evolved and man is made in Gods image, its foolish to believe God hasn't evolved as well, and this realizes that such antiquated practices are impractical for modernity. I do believe in God and my Judaism, but this is 2009 and I don't think my beliefs can't be in line with the times in which I live, you know?
October 22 at 6:56am
Hm. I am quite against the idea of a Jewish state (although to be fair I don't know exactly EXACTLY what that really means). It just seems to me like the more I learn about Jewish stuff the more it seems like most of the rules and practices are there just to keep the "chosen" separate from the goys. It just all seems like some super exclusive club. Like, why am I considered to be a full on a-ok Jewess, even though I don't practice or even believe in any of the stuff; but somebody who totally 100% believes in their heart of hearts in the one god and blah blah and does all of that kosher goodness or whathaveyou, but doesn't happen to come from a Jewish family (or even just doesn't have a Jewish mom), is just another gentile? It just all reminds me of the caste system in India. Oh and that group of people in Ethiopia who were converted back in the day by some crazy rabbi and he didn't do it special enough or something so now these people who have been practicing Judaism for generations can't be refugees in Israel (or something. Obviously I don't really know a whole lot about the subject)? That is just fucked up.
I mean, if god is one, then how can anything NOT be chosen? Saying that god is one indicates that all people everywhere, hell all things everywhere, are infused and chock full of god's goodness. Therefore I think that I am no more chosen then the next guy or the next banana or the next toaster.
Mm toast. Breakfast time!
I mean, if god is one, then how can anything NOT be chosen? Saying that god is one indicates that all people everywhere, hell all things everywhere, are infused and chock full of god's goodness. Therefore I think that I am no more chosen then the next guy or the next banana or the next toaster.
Mm toast. Breakfast time!
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