"You're Jewish now?"

• Target sells menorahs and Hanukkah swag? Holy Jewish Christmas, Batman! Interestingly enough, at the Culver City Target, the Hanukkah stuff is kept in the "party" aisle between the greeting cards and the school supplies...
  
• Merry mazel tov -- The OC may have been canceled, but interfaith families can still buy the gifts that keep on confusing.
• Jews, just skip the 12th fold.
• Giving converts a bad name.
• The return of bodily resurrection. Seriously?
• If you liked Bush, you'll love Guiliani.

wax on, wax off

O Jerusalem

Larry Collins

I finally got around to cracking Larry Collins' and Dominique Lapierre's classic 1972 book O Jerusalem!, an exhaustively researched, "day by day and minute by minute" account of Israel's War of Independence and the creation of the State of Israel. It's fascinating in its detail and its modern relevance in helping to understand the genesis of the current fractured state of affairs in the Middle East--particularly with regard to the British legacy and their principled role as post-WWI occupiers of Palestine. It's riveting.

An Amazon reviewer said it nicely:

"Most people who have not made it their specific study are relatively unaware of the creation of the state of Israel. Fortunately, there is this excellent account of the birth of Israel and the war that followed. This book does have a number of flaws, but despite this should be read by anyone looking for a fair account of the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict."

Sure, it's pro-Zionist for the most part, perhaps consciously or unconsciously in terms of telling the story of the founding of Israel--but thankfully, it falls well short of "good Jew, bad Arab" stereotypes. It includes accounts of both the Hadassah medical convoy massacre and the the Deir Yassin massacre, the latter off which I haven't read yet, but I know it's a controversial issue and the Israeli Foreign Ministry denies such a killing occurred. Including this incident, I think, at least shows good faith in intentions by the book's authors to be even-handed...

Of course, this book only scratches the surface of the conflict... I've spent some time with Wikipedia's Palestine pages (as I seem to have lived in a geopolitical cave for most of my life) and I'm researching other books on the subject. If you have a good recommendation, let me know.

As for the movie version (whose US release date is this month, and which I have not seen) -- not a lot of great reviews. The Jerusalem Post's Jonathan Tobin seems to sum it up in a 10/29 article: "The good news is that O Jerusalem's sheer unwatchability will minimize any damage it does with its muddle-headed even-handedness."

Here's the trailer.

And I would be remiss if I did not include the song going non-stop in my head:

In last night's class, Rabbi Singer made an interesting statement: in modern times, the "story" of the Jews has become the tragedy of the Shoah (Holocaust). But that's not the story we need to tell. We need to reclaim the story of Exodus as our central theme.

And so we spent an hour and a half--not nearly enough time--delving into the major thematic elements of Exodus.

For me--on so many levels, Exodus embodies the Jewish soul: a release from bondage (literally and/or metaphorically, take your pick); the willing, communal acceptance of this unique covenant--embodied in a revolutionary, egalitarian code that's binding forever, for all generations for the children of Israel.

I think this is very relevant to the Jewish convert--the wandering in the desert, coming to a place when/where you're ready to accept all this, being brought to your knees in awe--and then standing back up with your people...

Sorry to get a little horsey, but... yeah. It's like that for me.

We also spent a bit of time discussion the representation/role of women at the Sinai event. The Torah writer(s) may imply that women were not present, but some Rabbinic commentary theorize they were there.

(Side note here for my non-Jewish friends: Judaism is not a "biblical" religion--it's a Rabbinic religion. We don't care so much what the actual text says--although it's important--but what the Rabbinic interpretation/analysis has to say about it. And for Reform Jews, its potential meaning in modern times is much more relevant. And the Rabbis' interpretations may be disparate--arguments and POVs literally spanning hundreds, if not thousands of years. Often times, stories were created to help fill in the gaps of understanding; sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical in nature. This is called Midrash). OK, school's out!).

And so we read a poem: Merle Feld offers a bit of contemporary midrash regarding the role of women at Sinai in "We All Stood Together."

We All Stood Together
My brother and I were at Sinai
He kept a journal
of what he saw
of what he heard
of what it all meant to him
I wish I had such a record
of what happened to me
It seems like every time I want to write
I can't
I'm always holding a baby
one of my own
or one of my friend
always holding a baby
so my hands are never free
to write things down
And then
As time passes
the particulars
the hard data
the who what when where why
slip away from me
and all I'm left with is
the feeling
But feelings are just sounds
The vowel barking of a mute
my brother is so sure of what he heard
after all he's got a record of it
consonant after consonant after consonant
If we remembered it together
we could recreate holy time
sparks flying

A Spiritual Life: Exploring the Heart and Jewish Tradition (S U N Y Series in Modern Jewish Literatu

Saul Singer's column in yesterday's Jerusalem Post highlights a few (common?) responses from readers who objected to his claim that anti-conversion attitudes now threaten Jewish survival in the modern world.

There is nothing sacred about the birth connection. Just as born Jews migrate away from their birth religion toward nothing or another religion, there is at least some small proportion of non-Jews for whom Judaism is a much better fit.

Many converts feel they have come home to something that was always inside them. Others develop this feeling of belonging over time. Just because Jewishness may not always be "explainable in rational terms" does not mean that the only people with "Jewish souls" are born Jews.

THIS BRINGS US to the fear of "dilution." Sure, converts will, like born Jews, be spread out on the spectrum of observance and Jewish identity. But why are Jews so quick to assume that the supposed non-Jewishness of converts will affect Jewish culture, rather than vice versa?

Read the full article here.

I downloaded a great short film called "The Tribe" from the iTunes store today (only $1.99!)  It only scratches the surface of the topic it begins with--how the quintessential Aryan female ideal was created by a Jewish woman--a cultural outsider--and then takes a turn into much larger issues of modern Jewish assimilation and identity. It's way too too short. I wanted more. How we choose to identify and express--or not express--our Jewish identities make this period in American history very unique for The Tribe.

"What can the most successful doll on the planet show us about being Jewish today? Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film mixes old school narration with a new school visual style. The Tribe weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on an electric ride through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people-from Biblical times to present day. By tracing Barbie's history, the film sheds light on what it means to be an American Jew in the 21st Century."

There's a spoken word/poetry slam/rant toward the end of the film. The poet recalls a conversation where someone remarked to her that she "doesn't don't look Jewish." The poet proceeds to both lash out at this subtle, conversational antisemitism, as well as her own cowardice/shame of not speaking out against it, questioning her own identity and cultural allegiances. Ultimately, it ends with a deep, emotional affirmation of her Jewish identity, one that is rooted in modern American expression. "I don't look Jewish? Then you don't look. Period." I'm paraphrasing, but it struck a chord with me.

Totally worth the $1.99, whether you're Jewish or not.

Short-subject, digitally accessible and digestible films (under 20 minutes) like The Tribe are part of the current media revolution that's taking place on the web right now. I expect to see much more of this kind of entertainment in the near future...

I'm a child of the digital revolution through-and-through, but I still adore print media--newspapers, magazines, periodicals, etc. I scan the LA Times cover to cover before bed and find escapist pleasures in publications like Wired and dwell. Maybe it's precisely because I'm in a web media field that I still appreciate the printed stuff?

Crazy, crazy times--why is it so hard to settle down and catch your breath? School, work, the remodel, classes, homework... 

I've signed up for a "Part II" Intro to Judaism class at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills; however, if they can't get 10-12 students (the first class is this Thursday), the class will be canceled. Which would blow, because I'm really looking forward to it. I sure hope the requisite number of folks materialize... Note that this class is not just for potential converts, it could be a great "brush up" class for Jews as well.

From URJ site:

NEW THIS YEAR IN LOS ANGELES: Introduction to Judaism, Part II.  If you enjoyed Introduction to Judaism, or want to know more about the texts and history of the Jewish people, you may want to sign up for Introduction to Judaism, Part II, a year-long course taught by Rabbi Suzanne Singer, Director of the Introduction to Judaism program.  Classes begin October 4th, 2007, 7:30-9:00 PM, at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Tuition is: $250/year, $200/semester; $200/year, $150/semester for members of URJ-affiliated synagogues.  To register, please contact Rabbi Singer: (818) 907-8740, ssinger@urj.org.

Don't make me beg!

I've become quite interested in reading blog entries and articles about attitudes of born Jews toward Jews-by-choice.  While my own current experience would lump me, currently, with the more-or-less insecure (but not insincere!) lot of proselytes--I don't think I'd ever be mistaken for a Jew based on looks and I have a less-than-rudimentary Jewish education--I do think it's perfectly natural to feel this way at this point. I'm realizing that time, commitment and action are the only answers--if you want to be Jewish, do Jewish. Thick skin probably helps, too. In fact, it's required.

• Jewcy article from earlier this year, "The Etiquette of Welcoming Converts." The comments at the bottom are more fascinating than the article itself: it starts off with a rather well-known (and controversial) LA Jew-by-choice who says, quit whining -- "Jews have a long proud history and to think that anyone who converts can immediately appropriate this and walk around proclaiming his Jewishness is disconcerting. A convert has to earn his stripes. If he's not strong enough to deal with some skepticism and rudeness, then he's a wimp and the Jews don't need him." While that may seem harsh, there's some truth in there.
  
• One of these Jews is not like the other (again, Jewcy.com)
• Jewish Attitudes Toward Non-Jews from the ever-useful Jewfaq.com
• Recent article from the Just Making It Up blog
  
• Posts from Jews-by-Choice: Leah and an inspiring entry from Tikkun Ger

My new favorite response to the "Funny, you don't look Jewish!" comment is (thanks, Jewcy) -- "Well, I was born Jewish, but unfortunately my parents were Protestant."

It's really been stressing me out that I have not updated this blog most of the summer, and I apologize to the four or so people who actually read it (har har), but after the Idaho trip it was non-stop craziness: back-to-school time for my son, multiple family and friend birthdays, my niece's high school graduation, a home-remodeling-job-gone-bad to deal with...

And then the Holidays were here!

As this was my first experience with Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur--and now Sukkot--I approached it all very systematically: I bought books. Lots of them. I listened to Kol Nidre renditions, downloaded podcasts, finally committed Shehecheyanu in Hebrew to memory (hooray!), poured over the Machzor, pondered the meaning of repentance, bought a small shofar for my son, went with my family on an educational trip to a Jewish children's museum, spoke with/e-mailed rabbis, planned my fast...

What I didn't do, was buy a ticket. I guess I had hoped to find a "High Holidays for beginners" class, but I waited too long for that. So I was left scrambling to try and find free local services, and in the process I was politely reminded that I'm not Jewish yet (and I will never be in the eyes of some folks) and that if I did attend I could end up taking a seat from someone who is already Jewish and looking for a service... Ugh. Not exactly a confidence-builder, but not wholly unexpected, either.

But at a time when even the most non-religious Jews attend synagogue, I'm at home watching an online Kol Nidre webcast. Unacceptable, and I've been beating myself up over it all week. My confidence slipped momentarily, and I am determined not to let that happen again. After a very promising start with the Intro to Judaism classes, tons of book learnin', some online shul shopping and a various Shabbat services in the West Los Angeles area, I've recently found myself having a hard time overcoming this... shyness? Seriously?

It's not just shyness or standard introverted-ness. It's more like, sometimes I feel like I have a big, red, blinking sign on my forehead: am I sincere? Vote now! The irrational thoughts creep into my head whenever I enter an unfamiliar place, as if people are thinking: Who does this guy think he is? What is he doing here? Anyone know him here? Anyone? No? He must be lost. Can someone show him the door?

So, here it is, the heart of the issue: what's easy for me is exploring and manifesting Jewish rhythms in my life--the miztvot, obligations, rituals, the lunisolar calendar, Shabbat, the foods, traditions, teachings, philosophies, prayers and blessings--I'm right where I feel I need to be with those things. It's all extremely challenging and rewarding. These things belong in my life. But the fear of being perceived as insincere, or worse--a fraud--has haunted me of late, especially when I'm in the synagogue and surrounded by people who all greet each other by first names.

I know that I can't let this social awkwardness get in the way of one of the most important acts of my life. I must make the transition from private observance to public/community acceptance. But it's easier said than done when you don't know anyone who might assist in that transition.

It reminds me that I am starting from scratch, from nothing.

So I have a new mantra: I know I must swallow my insecurities and that I must be confident that I do indeed belong here. Yes, I will continue to make mistakes, faux pas, second-guess myself, make less-tolerant folks angry or indignant with my perceived (or real) chutzpah. That is guaranteed and I truly apologize in advance. But I will prove, through thought, deed and action that this is where I belong.

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Someone recently told me via e-mail that regardless of how/where I spent the Holidays, that she hoped it was meaningful. And despite my failure to attend synagogue this Holiday, it was meaningful. I experienced sincere introspection during Rosh Hashana and I fasted on Yom Kippur and sought to truly understand what the Holidays were really about: the purpose and need for atonement, self-examination, the seeking of forgiveness from those that have been wronged--and the process of connecting with a higher power through ritual and (ouch) community.  
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