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On cultural living.
It occurs to me this year I haven't talked much about Pesach. Possibly because this year it hasn't been a major impact, and I haven't had to adjust very much - I've altered my eating patterns a bit, and cleaned out the kitchen and my room, but for the most part I'm operating as I usually do. And - well, two years ago when I explained to one teacher why I didn't think I'd be able to attend one class event because it was on the day of the second seder, she looked at me like she had no idea what I was talking about. Maybe she didn't. I don't dress the part of an observant Jew, and I don't go to services as often as I feel I should. One of the reasons I keep as kosher as I can - budgets keeping me from getting two sets of plates, two sets of pots and pans, two microwave ovens and all that - is that it's something I can do to stay connected to my culture without much effort. Basically, all I need to do is say I'm vegetarian, and that keeps people from wondering why I'm juggling around so many possible menu options or asking about chicken stock for the soup.
Right now I'm living in a neighborhood surrounded by an eruv. I know people don't know what that is. Several times this past week I've explained the five major grain prohibitions for Pesach, and why different groups of Jews forbid the eating of "little things" and why others don't. This fuzzy detail, incidentally, is why I haven't thrown out some cups of yogurt made with rice starch and just kept them in the fridge, though I'd rather have realized this in advance and eaten them beforehand. But being in an area where it's not uncommon to see women in wigs and young men with their fringes makes it easy for me to take it for granted that I've got a choice of several synagogues within walking distance, that it's a sensible business decision for a large grocery store to ensure its bakery is kosher, that there are more people around me that are like me than just those who go to the Hillel or Chabad houses on campus.
Some days I feel like I need to do more: light the Friday night candles, go to an Orthodox shul on Saturday morning, buy that second set of plates, read the books even if they're in translation. And when I do, I wonder if other religions have this sort of continuum and internal pressures. There are plenty of things I can do on my own, like the ubiquitous Hanukkah candles or the less-discussed salting of meat to remove blood, and there's other things which have to be done as part of a community, like the celebration of receiving the Torah or asking four questions. When I grew up I had my family, and now that I'm living apart from them I need to find other people who know how to welcome the Sabbath Bride.
Right now I'm living in a neighborhood surrounded by an eruv. I know people don't know what that is. Several times this past week I've explained the five major grain prohibitions for Pesach, and why different groups of Jews forbid the eating of "little things" and why others don't. This fuzzy detail, incidentally, is why I haven't thrown out some cups of yogurt made with rice starch and just kept them in the fridge, though I'd rather have realized this in advance and eaten them beforehand. But being in an area where it's not uncommon to see women in wigs and young men with their fringes makes it easy for me to take it for granted that I've got a choice of several synagogues within walking distance, that it's a sensible business decision for a large grocery store to ensure its bakery is kosher, that there are more people around me that are like me than just those who go to the Hillel or Chabad houses on campus.
Some days I feel like I need to do more: light the Friday night candles, go to an Orthodox shul on Saturday morning, buy that second set of plates, read the books even if they're in translation. And when I do, I wonder if other religions have this sort of continuum and internal pressures. There are plenty of things I can do on my own, like the ubiquitous Hanukkah candles or the less-discussed salting of meat to remove blood, and there's other things which have to be done as part of a community, like the celebration of receiving the Torah or asking four questions. When I grew up I had my family, and now that I'm living apart from them I need to find other people who know how to welcome the Sabbath Bride.
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:-)
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Rituals are good things. I hope you are able to find them as you need. <3