Wednesday, November 29, 2006

OK, I'll say it...

Actually, I HAVE to say it. Those Left Behind books are for ignorant people. They are crap. It is offensive to me that anyone with any sense at all can think that a God who is greater than the entire universe would care what club or organization or religion we would belong to on this one planet. And to think that anyone is going to suffer because they don't profess to believe in one philosophy -- even worse, to be AFRAID that bad things will happen because of that -- is just incredibly offensive.

And, having said that, here am I, committed to Judaism, going with my mom and some friends to see Chimes of Christmas at the IU Auditorium next week! And I even bought the tickets! My mom is Christian and my dad died several years ago. So, I don't want her to feel lonely around the holidays. And I will enjoy the music.

A creature of conflicts, that's me, I guess! But while I may enjoy the music and the memories of my childhood, I have no conflict about what I think. I think that any group which uses fear to make people belong to it is bad.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Article on Jewish Identity

Reading this article, I can understand why my mother-in-law told me, when I converted, that I never had to TELL anybody that I was a convert. I laughed at the time, but now I see what she meant...


from beliefnet.com


Monday, November 27, 2006
Jewish Genes vs. Jewish Identity
There have always been two sides to the "Who is a Jew?" question. There are those who identify Jews primarily through blood and genetics, and those who see being a Jew as being more about choosing to identify with the Jewish people and adopt a certain lifestyle.

With an intermarriage rate hovering around 50 percent, Diaspora Jewry has for the most part adopted choice and lifestyle as their determining criteria for who is a Jew. On the other hand, the Israeli chief rabbinate continues to privilege blood and genetics, rejecting Reform, Conservative, and even many Orthodox conversions.

This past week, the chief rabbinate's blood-and-genetics position was put on display.
After years of political negotiations, historical research, and genetic testing, Israel welcomed the Bnei Menashe. The Indian group, which claims to be descended from one of the 10 lost tribes, was allowed entry into the country under the Law of Return. At the same time, however, that the chief rabbinate was opening it arms, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar proposed denying the Law of Return to anyone not born of a Jewish mother. Only Jews born Jewish would be eligible for automatic citizenship; all others would have to apply through the regular channels.

Many in Israel laughed at the whole Bnei Menashe episode. One commentator in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz described the story of these long-lost Jews as comparable to fables such as "Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, or...Snow White's Seven Dwarfs."

But these commentators' criticisms are misplaced. Their issue should not be the absurdity of the Bnei Menashe story, but rather with a system that continues to privilege a form of identity that Jews worldwide are increasing moving away from. While the chief rabbinate continues to stress blood, Diaspora Jews are increasingly seeing Judaism as being about a way of life (and not about one's DNA).

posted by Rabbi Eliyahu Stern

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Jewish identity at OUR house!

I just had an experience in the past couple of days which made me think. My mom, who is not Jewish, went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought us a set of three small artificial evergreen trees, already threaded with white lights. She thought we would love to put them in our front yard. She said they were just trees, not Christmas trees. I said "They are Christmas trees." She said "No, they are not Christmas trees. The box does not say 'Christmas' on it." I told her that I would talk to my family but was pretty sure they would agree with me.

I told my family at home.

Our 14-year-old agreed that they look like Christmas trees.

Our 20-year-old said "If someone sees those in the front yard, they will absolutely assume that this household celebrates Christmas."

My husband Jordan said "Can you imagine what my parents would think?" (His mother grew up in Poland and associated Christmas trees with the Cossacks getting drunk at Christmas-time and going out to kill some Jews.)

I told my mom that our family is in agreement that we do not want to put Christmas trees in our front yard.

She said "Oh, Jordan doesn't like them?"

I said "No, I am Jewish and I don't like them!"

This exchange made me feel crazy.