Define: Blog
(from Wiktionary):
blogI point this out because it seems that my readers, except for Jessi, have missed this point. Of course, I suspect my readers are mostly web crawlers and bots, probably from Google, but still, SOMEONE should be commenting, right?
... website in which the author writes their opinions, impressions, etc. ... and receive[s] reactions and comments about them [emphasis added].
I've just returned from Stockholm, Sweden, where I didn't encounter many Jews, but did speak to a friend who's dating an American Jew that lives with her in Stockholm now. She commented how the Swedish Jews erred on the side of devoutly observant, but those rituals were vapid. My friend seemed to think it would make more sense to observe a more relaxed Judaism but focus on the meaning, and I couldn't agree more.
Observation of rituals you don't understand doesn't make you more Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. Understanding what it means to be a part of those faiths and internalizing that is what it's all about. Judaism is a framework of moral living and a culture connecting us to a long and deep past. Understanding and following that is what it's all about.
posted by Michael A. Seidman @ 10:35 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I've always argued that being Jewish is not about ritual, but about sharing a common experience and ancestry. While much of that common experience, in generations past, revolved around ritual, today's Jewishness seems much more focused on community.
Whether it's a positive or negative thing that much of Judaism seems to revolve around Long Island and Boca Raton is a subject for further discussion.
On a completely different note--Wiktionary is so cool. Personally, I've always been a webster.com girl, but *only* because Webster will pronounce words out loud for me, which can be good for a laugh. However, the wiki translation bank is truly a gem.
For me, I think community is important to have a meaningful experience. I enjoy celebrating holidays and observances, including ones that aren't part of my faith's calendar, when I share them with friends. One key thing I struggle to get my brain around is how religions that focus on ancestry and bloodlines can accept converts. To me it seems contradictory, although one could argue that until recently it's very hard to really trace ancestry too far back. Another thing is how to keep the faith when one disagrees or does not follow the tenets.
Discuss...
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