I'm Jewish AMA

[Bobbiepin]

Just that really, brought up (relatively) orthodox if that makes a difference.

Please note, I have an opinion on the situation in the Middle East but I don't believe that Zionism is a part of Judaism and don't really want this to turn into a discussion over Israel.

Also, I can answer to my knowledge of the faith and my experiences, others may have differing understanding and wouldn't agree with my opinion.

@pilarternera thank you, I actually missed the part about rabbis performing bris.

Do you celebrate any festivities with Xmas?

Not really, but sort of. My family will get together for lunch but mostly because everything else is closed and its a good excuse to get family together. Often Channukah coincides with Christmas so we exchange presents and I buy Christmas gifts for my friends because they celebrate if. I've never had a Christmas tree (although my flatmates at uni put up a communal one in halls) or Christmas lights etc and I don't give out Christmas cards. I do bring in Channukah donuts for my colleagues though.

Actually I remember once our synagogue had a guy dress in a Santa suit and called him Father Channukah. It was intensely confusing.

Are you ashkenazi OP? Is there a lot of interaction between Jews of different backgrounds, or is it quite segregated? Part of my family is Sephardi and I am always struck by how different the culture and rituals are. I have never had chicken soup! Couscous was our 'celebration' dish.

Yes I'm Ashkenazi, my great grandmother was Polish and relatives on the other side I believe originated from Russia. I know two Sephardic families but otherwise don't have much to do with the Sephardic community but honestly I don't know why not! It's certainly through circumstance rather than avoidance. I am a fan of couscous but it's no substitute for a good bowl of chicken soup with kneidlah and lockshen!

Do you have any Muslim friends?

are you allowed to talk to others?

By others do you mean people who aren't Jews? If so, yes I can. I may not speak to a random person who says hi to me on the street though. Some ultra religious people may choose not speak to people out of their community though.

Do you have any Muslim friends?

Yes. There a lots of parallels between the faiths and despite conflict the majority of both faiths have no problem with each other. People getting on doesn't make the news though.

Sorry if this is too political but do the majority of Jews hate Palestinians? How do Jewish people who don't actually live in Israel feel about the conflict?

@motherduckling if they are Hasidic Jews most wouldn't say hi to me either. It's not because you are Muslim, it's because you are not Hasidic.

Sorry if this is too political but do the majority of Jews hate Palestinians? How do Jewish people who don't actually live in Israel feel about the conflict?

Considering the conflict isnt a part of our faith I can't make generalisations or speak for others. I can't imagine anyone hates Palestinians and I don't know any Jew that doesn't want peace. As for feelings towards the conflicts, I worry for my friends who live there. I was in the Galil when Gilad Shalit was kidnapped, my friends have fought in IDF and I met kids who live in Sderot who go to bed fully clothed wearing shoes because when the sirens go off they have 60 seconds to make it to a shelter. No child, anywhere, should go to bed worried that they may not make it through the night.

Do some branches of Judaism accept the children of Jewish fathers and gentile mothers as Jewish? And are the grandchildren then Jewish?

Do you speak Yiddish?

Do you have any advice for the children of non observant Jews who want to find out about their heritage?

What are your thoughts on Cohen being used as a first name?

I tried to explain to a colleague that Cohen is a very significant (last) name for Jewish people and a bit culturally ignorant to use it as a first. Her response was “ i don’t know any Jewish people”

I like the Jewish community but don't really know much about it.I knew a couple of Jewish men who lived in Manchester, and they'd had long unpronounceable names, which they replaced with English ones.

I've never been able to understand the prejudice against Jews. I don't know any of my family background, so I like the sense of community, tradition and history.

Thanks for doing the thread, this is all so interesting. Do you feel like religion is a huge part of your identity? Does it take over your life a bit. Do you feel like you sort of exist as a Jew or does your life run parallel? I'm probably not explaining properly I'm sort of trying to ask whether your identity as a Jew is the main part and effects everything else?

Do some branches of Judaism accept the children of Jewish fathers and gentile mothers as Jewish? And are the grandchildren then Jewish?

Orthodox Jews only consider children to be Jewish if the mother is. Many other branches will look to maternal grandparents. Reform and liberal I think will be satisfied with a Jewish father. A reform rabbi once told me that after the Holocaust its silly to be that picky.

Do you speak Yiddish?

The odd word here and there but no not really. I can read Hebrew and have some conversational modern Hebrew.

Do you have any advice for the children of non observant Jews who want to find out about their heritage?

I'd start with looking up your family tree (although that can be understandably difficult for lots of Jews). Knowing who you are is a lot about knowing where you came from. If you are interested in learning about the faith, I would contact a local Rabbi or Chabad centre. If your parents were United there is probably information on record which would be useful.

What are your thoughts on Cohen being used as a first name?
Personally I don't think it's appropriate but each to their own. It's a bit like a Christian calling their kid Mohammed.

I've never been able to understand the prejudice against Jews. I don't know any of my family background, so I like the sense of community, tradition and history.

Community, tradition and history is what it's all about really. Both my dh and I (although we have come to a less observant point in our lives) feel it is vital to teach our DD about her heritage because people died for this right and to ignore it would be to disgrace their memory. Most of my DH's family didn't make it out of Poland and DD has a right to know what her family died for.

Do you feel like religion is a huge part of your identity?
I think I get what you mean. Religion is not, but faith is and culture even more so. I do define myself as a Jew but no only as such. I am also a mother, a teacher, a feminist etc. The important part is that Judaism encourages this, rather than taking away from it. There are different rules for different people in the faith, for example women are not bound by timed prayer as they have other responsibilities- how could you say to a nursing mother to stop & pray? On the other hand, when that nursing mother wants to pray, it's is her husband's duty to care for the children so she is able to do so.

I teach Judaism as part of the RE curriculum and I’m particularly passionate about it due to the shocking anti semitism that still exists. The children often say they wish they were Jewish when learning about Shabbat and also Hannukah. They are jealous of your many festivals too!

Do you ever question some of the 'rules'? I ask as I was reading this thread earlier and you mentioned the meat/dairy issues. I can understand the rationale behind this historically when people did not have access to refrigerators and so on. However, given that it is now perfectly possible to maintain high standards of food hygiene to prevent contamination, I wonder if this is so pertinent as an act of faith?
[I am not religious, so hope I've not worded this in an offensive way. I ask as it seems to me that the various prohibited foods in different religions seem to arise as an attempt to not get food poisoning!]

I adore bagels, what do you put on yours? Always looking for ideas.

@oliviabonas that's lovely, thank you. When you think about it, having dedicated time each week to relax and connect with G-d and your family is lovely, especially in our busy hectic lives. I feel very lucky that I have so many memories of my dearly departes grandfather from Shabbat dinner.

@Bobbiepin - this chicken soup of which you speak....

Please can you share it with us?

@Bobbiepin - the recipe, not actual physical bowls of the stuff

@marklahmarklah yes, I think most of us question the rules at some point. Judaism is constant learning, the most religious study Torah constantly to understand more.

All Kashrush is to prevent illnesses, your body is sacred and should be cared for, however the meat/milk thing stems from a Torah portion that forbid boiling a calf in its mother's milk. Rabbi's have interpreted that as separating the two. If you want to be pedantic, putting cows milk cheese on chicken shouldn't be a problem but they've incorporated all meat to all milk. Otherwise seafood and pork are still harder to clean and prepare than other foods. Kashrush rules ensure every part of an animal is inspected to ensure it is healthy and clean before being sold as food. There is also salting processes that clean the food that aren't possible with shellfish and wouldn't rid infected pork of tapeworms. When you think of it, how many people do you know who have been sick from a dodgy prawn etc?