L'shana Tovah Chaverim! {Happy New Year Friends!}
Its been a few years since we last met and there has been a reason. I have been taking time out to focus on my book I am working to publish in the coming year but I got so carried away, I have written 4 books thus far. However, there was a reason that took me out of sabbatical from Blogging (not to mentions Facebook's easy way to post stuff), but the start of this High Holy Day season came with many tribulations between my sanity as a Jew and the world's Christian outlook on said Jewishness. 3 years ago I even wrote a blog on this very platform how different it was to be a Jew in a Bible Belt state. But at least there, I was met with questions rather than condemnation. Here are my accounts;
Incident #1:
I pride myself on being very tolerate to everyone's religion. My grandmother taught me this a long time ago. I do not say "But my faith says differently..." or " If you say so..." because these statements say from the start "My faith is the truth and anything you say is false and I do not have to accept anything you say." This is the beginning of the end when it comes to trying to understand someone else's view point. And the former statement was uttered by a co-worker, the day Rosh Hashana started. I was explaining to my co-worker why I was taking the day off.
Its been a few years since we last met and there has been a reason. I have been taking time out to focus on my book I am working to publish in the coming year but I got so carried away, I have written 4 books thus far. However, there was a reason that took me out of sabbatical from Blogging (not to mentions Facebook's easy way to post stuff), but the start of this High Holy Day season came with many tribulations between my sanity as a Jew and the world's Christian outlook on said Jewishness. 3 years ago I even wrote a blog on this very platform how different it was to be a Jew in a Bible Belt state. But at least there, I was met with questions rather than condemnation. Here are my accounts;
Incident #1:
I pride myself on being very tolerate to everyone's religion. My grandmother taught me this a long time ago. I do not say "But my faith says differently..." or " If you say so..." because these statements say from the start "My faith is the truth and anything you say is false and I do not have to accept anything you say." This is the beginning of the end when it comes to trying to understand someone else's view point. And the former statement was uttered by a co-worker, the day Rosh Hashana started. I was explaining to my co-worker why I was taking the day off.
First, I explained to her the meaning behind the Jewish New Year and then I explained to her what we did the entire time of the High Holy Days. Her response was shocking. She started by telling me that the Jewish people have so many problems in our lives because we chose too many times to disobey G-d that G-d just gave all Christians the title of "The Chosen Ones". She went on to say the Bible says that Jesus was the one true G-d and that if my "church" doesnt accept that then we are nothing but unbelievers praying to, basically, the air. (Since, you know, Jesus and G-d are one and the same.) I told her that if G-d kept all his promises and that G-d doesnt change G-ds mind, then how come G-d wasnt fulfilling his convenant to the Jewish people that G-d chose according to her Bible. [Even though Jeremiah said that no matter how angry G-d got, the outstretched arm would never be taken from the Jews] I asked her how G-d could say one thing but turn his back on his creation? Her answer was one word: sin. The Jewish people were too sinful with the unbelief thing not helping. But she added, G-d still loves us just not our sin. (How very condescending)
Incident #2:
Leaving Tashlich service at the beach the following day (Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to cast," referring to the intent to cast away our sins via this meaningful and ancient Jewish custom ) a guy on his bike was following a group of us Jews leaving the pier. His message was short and simple, "JESUS WILL COME A SANITIZE THE WORLD OF UNBELIEVERS!" He went on to add that he would hate to be in our group when it happens. He personally asked me if I knew where the liquor store was since he knew we got drunk. I was on the phone so I just ignored him and kept my pace.
Incident #3:
Mere minutes from each other, I text a picture to my mother with the caption "Service at the Beach". She asked if anyone was being baptized. Half jokingly, I replied 'Wrong Religion' to which prompted a conversation of whether or not John the Baptist and Jesus baptized. She asked, "Werent they followers of the Jewish faith?" My first reaction was caught off-guard and I told her no. But coming to my senses, I added that they may have been born Jewish but they were not FOLLOWERS of Judaism. If that was the case, she too would be Jewish. Jesus and John were not the right people to compare Christianity to Judaism.
[There is no such thing as baptism in Judaism. There is, however, a ritual bathing called TEVILAH and this differs greatly than in Christianity. First, there is no one person that pushes you under and prays. YOU do all of that yourself. 2nd, you can do tevilah as many times as you want, whereas with baptism, you only do that once. Other differences include but not limited to; cutting your hair, nails, converting to Judaism, having sex, before Passover, after visiting a cemetery, taking of your shoes, etc all require a visit to the mikvah to do tevilah.]
This is when I blurted out that Jesus is not G-d in Judaism and that I do not serve anyone but G-D, she started saying "That's your right. If you say so..." I told her it was the best right I have every done and that it was Judaism that saved my life, not Christianity or Jesus. Instantly, the tone in her voice was the same tone my co-worker had and the dude on the bike. She reiterated the "If you say so..." and we left it at that.
These incidents have kept a constant thought in my mind; why is there so much ignorance toward Judaism from other Christians? My coworker even tried to pin us against Muslims but I had to tell her that Muslims call me their Cousin whereas her kind call me Satan's children. I felt as if my faith has been tested these couple of days, but not tested in my belief in it, but tested as in 'you've been studying and now here is the quiz'. It feels a bit overwhelming because this isnt the first time I have dealt with this kind of uneducated humans that say they are all loving but having even a hint of judgment is a crime against G-d in itself.
Incident #2:
Leaving Tashlich service at the beach the following day (Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to cast," referring to the intent to cast away our sins via this meaningful and ancient Jewish custom ) a guy on his bike was following a group of us Jews leaving the pier. His message was short and simple, "JESUS WILL COME A SANITIZE THE WORLD OF UNBELIEVERS!" He went on to add that he would hate to be in our group when it happens. He personally asked me if I knew where the liquor store was since he knew we got drunk. I was on the phone so I just ignored him and kept my pace.
Incident #3:
Mere minutes from each other, I text a picture to my mother with the caption "Service at the Beach". She asked if anyone was being baptized. Half jokingly, I replied 'Wrong Religion' to which prompted a conversation of whether or not John the Baptist and Jesus baptized. She asked, "Werent they followers of the Jewish faith?" My first reaction was caught off-guard and I told her no. But coming to my senses, I added that they may have been born Jewish but they were not FOLLOWERS of Judaism. If that was the case, she too would be Jewish. Jesus and John were not the right people to compare Christianity to Judaism.
[There is no such thing as baptism in Judaism. There is, however, a ritual bathing called TEVILAH and this differs greatly than in Christianity. First, there is no one person that pushes you under and prays. YOU do all of that yourself. 2nd, you can do tevilah as many times as you want, whereas with baptism, you only do that once. Other differences include but not limited to; cutting your hair, nails, converting to Judaism, having sex, before Passover, after visiting a cemetery, taking of your shoes, etc all require a visit to the mikvah to do tevilah.]
This is when I blurted out that Jesus is not G-d in Judaism and that I do not serve anyone but G-D, she started saying "That's your right. If you say so..." I told her it was the best right I have every done and that it was Judaism that saved my life, not Christianity or Jesus. Instantly, the tone in her voice was the same tone my co-worker had and the dude on the bike. She reiterated the "If you say so..." and we left it at that.
These incidents have kept a constant thought in my mind; why is there so much ignorance toward Judaism from other Christians? My coworker even tried to pin us against Muslims but I had to tell her that Muslims call me their Cousin whereas her kind call me Satan's children. I felt as if my faith has been tested these couple of days, but not tested in my belief in it, but tested as in 'you've been studying and now here is the quiz'. It feels a bit overwhelming because this isnt the first time I have dealt with this kind of uneducated humans that say they are all loving but having even a hint of judgment is a crime against G-d in itself.
My Rabbi said during his drash that we can't fix our own selves by justifying our negative actions because of someone else. We are the responsible party of our attitude and our life. And from his words I find comfort that we are all different. That I need not take offense to others not undestanding Judasim since all I can do is educate those willing to learn. I won't be getting irritated over these incidents because in this I find G-d in my people. Hate, judgment and ignorance are a stitch and oder under the nose of G-d. And only in complete love and understanding will we see G-d in each other.
May the world find G-d in each other this year and may we all know peace in our lifetime. Shana Tovah!
