What Judaism is to Me

Judaism has always been a big part of my life from the time I was born. I am both ethniclly and religiously Jewish. From second through fifth grade I attended a Jewish day school, the worst experiences of my life happened there. I stood out a lot, even if we all wore uniforms. I was always the quiet kid. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in third grade. The main thing that school taught me is what Judaism is, ironically. It is not a stuck up religion full of rich assholes who are all doctors or lawyers. Those people may masqueraded claiming to be Jewish, but their not. I think the first thing that I find disturbing is giving to charity is not supposed to come with bragging rights. It is supposed to be anonymous. When I donate money maybe a few people will know. Another thing I find extremely wrong is when people have a superiority complex about going to synagogue more often and keeping Kosher. There is nothing mandating you copy the Torah word for word. Last time I checked sacrificing animals didn't make you a better Jew, though it says to do so in the Old Testament. We also don't leave fields to follow every seventh year, nor do we think it is okay to keep a slave for seven years.

Judaism is centered around one thing: פיקוח נפש (Pikuach nefesh), protecting life. Kashrut is based around principles of food safety. No shellfish comes from the fact many are allergic to shellfish. No pork comes from the fact that if you don't cook pork exactly right it is very is to become sickened from it. Separation of meat and dairy comes from the fact that when mixed together they spoil quicker. The idea of leaving no permeant marks on your body is to reduce the risk of infection. Even the small (and often mistranslated) clause in which it mentions men shouldn't have sex with other men can be explained by the simple fact aht anal sex carries and extremely high risk of HIV. The commandment against adultery and no premarital sex prevents against STDs (or STIs if you prefer) Remember these rules were laid down for people walking across a desert for forty years to reach a place that was still desert like and no one had medical knowledge. Most of Leviticus is about avoiding contracting leprosy.

I am a very religious and spiritual person. My beliefs align themselves more with pantheism mixed with animism rather than "westernized" judaism. To quote Black Veil Brides "The kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you. Not in a mansion of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood and God is there. Lift a stone and you will find God." That quote explains what I believe perfectly. I have recently been faced with a string of deaths and near deaths of my family and my friends families. To me praying in a way we usually think about is a moot point. Some written prayers are nice and all, but I feel meditation and prayers written by myself are much more meaningful and powerful. A lot of what I believe spurs from the fact I'm a Sephardic Jew versus an Ashkenazi Jew.

I am not what many concive as a perfect Jew. I don't keep Kosher strictly. I haven't really ever ate pork and I haven't had a real cheeseburger since second grade. I've been a vegitarian for about two years now. I don't go to Synoguage often, and I don't recite specific prayers. I feel that I can connect to a higher power when I need to. Visiting the Vietnam Memorial was very powerful for me. I could feel the emotion there. I could feel a connection by touching the wall. Many of my classmates found it odd that I was quiet and took time to read the names and appreciate the ambiance there.

I might write an article on this at some point. (Probably won't for a while, though since one of the editors pissed me off and didn't really do their job.)