thread: 2005-08-09 : The New Open House 2: Religion
On 2005-08-10, Judd wrote:
I was sent to Hebrew school until I was thirteen. I knew I was a spiritual person but had some guilt that it had nothing to do with Temple. Looking back, Temple had more to do with convincing us that we should marry a nice Jewish girl and continue the cycle than anything spiritual.
Looking back I think I got Bar Mitzvah'ed more because of my parents and grandparents than anyone else.
But I liked it. I liked learning Hebrew and I liked learning what they were willing to teach me, which wasn't much.
I went to my cousin's kid's, Howard's, Bar Mitzvah and it was amazing. The kid talked about what his piece of the Torah was about and it was fascinating stuff. I have no idea what my Bar Mitzvah havtorah was about, not a clue. Why did they teach me to sing it but not to understand it?
I was a voracious student. I don't get it.
My cousin's kid had to go out into the community and do a mitzvah, make a difference. Rock the fuck on!
And now what?
Now I'm a non-practicing Jew who still calls himself a Jew even though I don't go to Temple and don't feel any real link with the Jewish community.
I have no idea what I'll tell my children if and when I have any.
And I still feel some greater force, some bigger dingus at work in my daily life. I'm not sure what that means.
Fuckit, let's game.
This makes jmn go "I call myself a Jew, too, even though I'm not religious and don't have much connection to other Jews I meet."
