(no subject)
Judaism and me, a neverending struggle.
So, everytime I think, 'hey, you know what, Orthodoxy sounds great' I have to go read posts where people have absolutely no tact and make anyone that practices Orthodox look evil. And I don't want to be associated with people like that, yet, if I become more religious, I will be anyway. I cannot win.
Like, it's one thing to talk about which converts are halachally valid (and I won't get into that 'cause I already pissed enough people off with my last entry on the topic), but it's another to start dismissing Jews of other sects. Whether or not they practice something that "you" may think of as heretical or false or what-have-you, they are still Jews. Not everyone started off religious. That's why there's the term Baal Teshuva in the first place! It is human nature to be interested in other things, to want to experience new things, to take what you learned as child, no matter how wonderful and nurturing your parents are and to say, 'screw this, I want something new, I want something different'. My parents did that. My uncle did that, now he keeps a kosher home and goes to shul every week. Isn't it the path, our life experiences, and knowing that someone tried out all the other stuff but eventually comes back. I mean, how more powerful can religion be, can Judaism be?
How amazing is it that people like me, raised in more-or-less secular homes want something more? That FFB people just consider normal day-to-day things inspire us to be better people, to be better Jews? To live life with meaning and take the traditions of our ancestors and devote our lives to Torah?
I dunno. I think some members of the frum community forget. They forget how powerful Judaism is, how powerful spirituality is, how powerful doing things that seem simple to many and routine is. And yet, we return, we want to learn more, and grow more and become more.
We are all Jews and we all may 'come back'. We all have the chance of being Baal Teshuva. Why then, do some of us continually make others feel less Jewish. See, Chabad does it right. Chabad makes you feel Jewish (while I don't agree with some of their practices, their house was the most comfortable place for me). They didn't say 'Ivy, singing is assur'. They said 'We are so happy to have you here. Your voice is beautiful.' And I got to sing with the women and it was nice and comfortable and Jewish. And now I want to study at an Orthodox Yeshiva in Jerusalem? That doesn't happen from judging others. I am guilty of it as well, but come on guys.
Why can't anyone see the possible flames of Jewish souls in everyone? Why do they continually try to put them out to make them feel more Jewish? We didn't survive as a people telling eachother we were not Jewish enough.
It makes me so sad.
So, everytime I think, 'hey, you know what, Orthodoxy sounds great' I have to go read posts where people have absolutely no tact and make anyone that practices Orthodox look evil. And I don't want to be associated with people like that, yet, if I become more religious, I will be anyway. I cannot win.
Like, it's one thing to talk about which converts are halachally valid (and I won't get into that 'cause I already pissed enough people off with my last entry on the topic), but it's another to start dismissing Jews of other sects. Whether or not they practice something that "you" may think of as heretical or false or what-have-you, they are still Jews. Not everyone started off religious. That's why there's the term Baal Teshuva in the first place! It is human nature to be interested in other things, to want to experience new things, to take what you learned as child, no matter how wonderful and nurturing your parents are and to say, 'screw this, I want something new, I want something different'. My parents did that. My uncle did that, now he keeps a kosher home and goes to shul every week. Isn't it the path, our life experiences, and knowing that someone tried out all the other stuff but eventually comes back. I mean, how more powerful can religion be, can Judaism be?
How amazing is it that people like me, raised in more-or-less secular homes want something more? That FFB people just consider normal day-to-day things inspire us to be better people, to be better Jews? To live life with meaning and take the traditions of our ancestors and devote our lives to Torah?
I dunno. I think some members of the frum community forget. They forget how powerful Judaism is, how powerful spirituality is, how powerful doing things that seem simple to many and routine is. And yet, we return, we want to learn more, and grow more and become more.
We are all Jews and we all may 'come back'. We all have the chance of being Baal Teshuva. Why then, do some of us continually make others feel less Jewish. See, Chabad does it right. Chabad makes you feel Jewish (while I don't agree with some of their practices, their house was the most comfortable place for me). They didn't say 'Ivy, singing is assur'. They said 'We are so happy to have you here. Your voice is beautiful.' And I got to sing with the women and it was nice and comfortable and Jewish. And now I want to study at an Orthodox Yeshiva in Jerusalem? That doesn't happen from judging others. I am guilty of it as well, but come on guys.
Why can't anyone see the possible flames of Jewish souls in everyone? Why do they continually try to put them out to make them feel more Jewish? We didn't survive as a people telling eachother we were not Jewish enough.
It makes me so sad.