Black Jews

I was very interested in todays discussion, because I have never been exposed to Black Jews in America. As I mentioned in class, I have seen many Ethiopian Jews in Israel, but I have yet to see Black Jews in a synagouge. I decided to google Black Jews and the first hit was a website, www.BlackJews.org which I decided to look at in order to learn more about this Jewish community in America.

The first two lines of the website state that while it is a website for all to read, it is a, "gateway for people of color who wish to connect with others who share their faith and can identify with their experiences". I found this wording interesting considering that the term "color" is no longer used to describe Black people. The introductory page of the website addresses the issue of race, and compares itself to Joseph who wore a "coat of many colors". I took this to mean that Black Jews deal with both racial and religious issues, as opposed to a White Jew.

I was interested in seeing where different Black Jewish synagouges were located, but the page would not load. I would be extremely interested in attending a service, not because I think it would differ from one I have attended, but because I feel like a different atmosphere with different kinds of Jews would allow me to broaden my religious experiences.

How do you prove your a Jew?

I read an article in the NY times which asks how someone knows they are a Jew.  I began to think, I know my mom and dad are both Jewish, I know all 4 of my grandparents are Jewish, I'm Jewish, and so is my brother.  Why would I need to prove myself?   I have a  strong Jewish identity and have been raised to follow the principles of Judaism.  Still, in Israel.. would I need to prove I am Jewish?  The article discusses how a women wants to marry, but cannot since there is not proof her mother is Jewish.  Her mother came went to Israel from America and raised her children who served for Israel in the army.  Israel is their home and Judaism is their religion, so why does there need to be proof?  After the presentation of formal documents, the Rabbi's were able to tell that this women was Jewish.  They made a decision in 20 minutes, where finding the evidence took close to 2 weeks.  How can one make a decision so quickly?  Why does so much needed to be proved to be seen as Jewish?

Mala's Wisdom

I was having an online conversation with my best friend from high school who happens to be one of the most opinionated people I have ever met, and believes she is right on all accounts.  (great person to argue with.. just kidding)

She asked me who I liked Hillary or Obama.  I really have no experience with either candidate, I know that I will probably vote for the one whose I feel is more favorable to Israel.  She explained to me why she likes Hillary and not Obama:

She says that Obama is interested in bridging the gap between Blacks and Jews, while Hillary is not saying she needs to bridge the gap between women and men.  Im not saying she is right by any means, but I began to think about how this ethnicity and gender factor plays a role in who will be voted for.  We never before had a Black or women democratic candidate, or any party for that matter.  I wonder, is ones ethnicity or ones gender going to lead to a nomination?  Will people be able to put that aside and assess the bigger picture?

Moses.. High?

My friend sent me an article which offered the idea that Moses could have been high on drugs when he received the Ten Commandments from God and when he saw the Burning Bush.  The author of the article makes the claim that Moses could have taken mind altering substances while on Sinai which could have caused him to have a psychedelic effect.  

The question that came to mind when I first read this was: WHAT??

Could this article mean that the accounts from Sinai which we read and study today are all false and were just imagined?  I do not believe this article is true, but decided to share it on my blog because of how far fetched I thought it to be.  I have included the article in a link below

Beliefnet.com

I decided to google Jewish Identity and came across a quiz which addresses just that. I was asked a series of 22 questions and the results are supposed to tell me what kind of Jew I am, and what I can do to improve myself as a Jew (if there is room for improvement). I had to take the quiz because of how comical this all seems to me. A 5 minute 22 question quiz can tell you what kind of Jew you are. The quiz is called, "What am I, Chopped Liver?" and can be found by typing it into the search bar.

The questions ranged from asking about my affliliation to whether or not I would care if my children married non-Jewish. I answered all truthfully and recieved feedback and results.

I am consiered to be a "Tzimmes Jew" which is defined by the website as, "Like this Sabbath-evening fruit and sweet-potato side dish, your Jewish identity is highly traditional, even as it adapts with changing times. A basic recipe is supplemented with various individualistic flourishes. Judaism plays an integral role in your life, though your identity is not defined solely by it."

I read this several times and finally thought to myself, "this makes sense!" This little blurp comparing me to sweet potatoes goes really well with how I identify myself. Before I did the quiz I thought that such a complex answer could never be constructed, but it hit the nail right on the head. My Jewish identity is highly traditional which comes from the way I was raised. Judaism plays a role in my life, but not all decisions I make are in accordance with the religion. Judaism is a part of my identity, but not the whole piece.

I would be interested to see whether these questions and this blurb can serve as an explanation of anyone else's Jewish identities.

http://www.beliefnet.com/section/quiz/index.asp?sectionID=10005&surveyID=76