Judaism v Zionism

[ishmael]

I'm a Jew. I didn't know it until fairly recently, and I do my best to practice Christianity, but my Jewishness is a strong part of me.

What is the place of the State of Israel? When you look on the map it's a tiny sliver of land set aside by some well-meaning folk as a sort of reparation for the horrors suffered during Nazism. Religious overtones are rife. A part of the Christian apocalypse is that the Jew will return to Zion.

I, honestly, don't know what to make of the whole schmere. It's an ongoing bone of contention, and it isn't going away.

[Tom Montgomery]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Your mother was Jewish?

Tell us more! How did you find out?

[ishmael]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Yes, Tom, my mother was Jewish. She was as clueless as I was, but Judaism, being handed on by the mothers, makes me a Jew.

Our ancestors, trying to pass in a very Christian world, hid it. It was only after a bit of digging into the past that I figured it out.

[Tom Montgomery]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

You mother did not know she was Jewish? Unbeknownst to her, her mother was Jewish?

Tell us more. How did you find out?

A great story. Care to share it?

[Kevin T]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Yes, Tom, my mother was Jewish. She was as clueless as I was, but Judaism, being handed on by the mothers, makes me a Jew.

Our ancestors, trying to pass in a very Christian world, hid it. It was only after a bit of digging into the past that I figured it out.

Mazel tov

[Tom Montgomery]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Yes, Tom, my mother was Jewish. She was as clueless as I was, but Judaism, being handed on by the mothers, makes me a Jew.

Our ancestors, trying to pass in a very Christian world, hid it. It was only after a bit of digging into the past that I figured it out.

You want to be a writer? There is your novel. Have at it.

[ahp]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

I do not believe that one inherits ones religion. A person is what they believe and profess to be. If I were to trace my religious inheritance back through enough mothers I would be worshiping Wotan or Hern the Hunter, or Lug. I don't. I also don't believe that a particular piece of real estate is necessary for my faith.

[Mad Scientist]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

...I, honestly, don't know what to make of the whole schmere.

You just found out about your Jewishness, and you`re using Yiddish already. Well done!

Tom

[hokiefan]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

I do not believe that one inherits ones religion. A person is what they believe and profess to be. If I were to trace my religious inheritance back through enough mothers I would be worshiping Wotan or Hern the Hunter, or Lug. I don't. I also don't believe that a particular piece of real estate is necessary for my faith.

Jews in general consider the children of a Jewish woman to be Jews whether they practice or not.

Cheers,

Bobby

[LeeG]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

so MANY questions

[Mrleft8]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Oy Vey! Don't worry about me....I'll just sit in the dark.... No no no! Don't bother to come visit and change that burned out light bulb....What's another 2 months? It'll still be burned out in a couple of months when your wife lets you come visit your poor old mother...
Put on some shoes! You'll catch cold walking around in your stocking feet!

[purri]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Do you do Jewish angst well?

[ishmael]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

Tom,

Near as I can figure, the last people in the family to practice Judaism were my great grandparents on my mother's side. We're talking nineteenth century Ohio. I didn't find any record of formal conversion, I think they just stopped going to temple and started going to church. It was probably good for business, LOL.

Um, doing some geneology is good. I don't know about race much, but finding this tidbit had some pieces fall into order. I'd dated some Jewish women, went to temple with them occaissionally, and more than one had said to me, "Are you sure you're not Jewish?" I don't know what that says, but there it is. Of course, I said yes, I'm not Jewish, because I wasn't aware of it.

Is it terribly important in the grand scheme of things? Nah, but it is interesting, and it does bring to mind questions of racial origin. Start down that road and it can turn sour and people p***y pretty quickly, which is too bad.

[Mrleft8]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

You do know that a jewish husband is required by jewish law to "please his wife" when ever they have sex. I might be wrong with this part but....If he fails to please her after a specific but short period of time, the wife can walk away with no retribution...

[ishmael]

Re: Judaism v Zionism

I'd never heard that before, Doug, but it sounds like a fairly good rule. Maybe not the part about leaving if it doesn't happen within a specified time.