Reflection

I thought I would use my last blog entry to reflect on this past semester and my time taking F359, Exploring Jewish Identity Today.  I was really excited to take this course, for I knew quite a few people who took it last Spring and really enjoyed the class.  I was really excited because I had heard how interactive and not based on listening to a teacher lecturing.

I've gotten the opportunity to learn a lot of new things and expand my learning on topics that I might have already known.  It was a great class, and I encourage anyone who can to take it in the future.  I hope that I will be able to use my newfound knowledge in the future as I continue my undergraduate studies as a Jewish Studies major.

Remember The 6 Million...

The other day was Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Commemorated all over the world, it is the day in which people all over the world remember the six million lives lost during the Holocaust, and pray for peace and hope in the future.  It only seemed fitting that we spent Monday in class discussing the Holocaust and how it is portrayed in American society today.

I actually found it quite interesting to compare the five different Holocaust museums and memorials.  The only one of those that I had been to was the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, so it was really interesting to see how they all were similar and yet also quite different.  It was cool to see how different locations embrace the Holocaust in different ways.  For instance, in Los Angeles, they really just focus on the Holocaust when it happened and nothing before or after.  On the other hand, in New York, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, it does not focus so much on the Holocaust but rather emphasizes on the idea of differentiating between the past, the present and the future.  There is a huge emphasis on Jewish renewal and maintaining Jewish values and ideals after the Holocaust, something I really liked learning about.

I am not related to anyone in the Holocaust, but I know people who were in it and just hearing their stories makes me feel a connection to them.  Like discussed in class, you do not have to be personally connected to the Holocaust to feel a connection.  The Holocaust helped the Jewish people as a whole, and it is important for Jews from all over to understand that they will always have a connection to the Holocaust.

SaveHUC.com

Last week, the HUC, or the Hebrew Union College, which is the Reform center for Rabbinical studies, made an announcement that they might be closing the doors of their Cincinnati location, the heart and soul of the HUC.  When I heard this, I was shocked and in disbelief.  Yes, the HUC also has locations in Israel, Los Angeles & New York, but Cincinnati is where it all began.  It's the largest of the campuses, and since it is located in the midwest it is considered to be the central campus.  Before reading further into the issue and why the HUC is considering closing the Cincinnati location, I felt as if they would be making a terrible decision in doing so.

It wasn't until I discovered the website SaveHUC.com, which was created just recently, that I learned more about why the HUC wants to do this.  The main reason is that the HUC is facing a huge debt, so it might lead to closing not only one, but two of the four campuses.  Ideally, people would like to see campuses on each of the coasts, because of the heavier Jewish populations located there.  I understand why this would be the preferred way of picking which campuses remain, but at the same time I still do not necessarily agree with it.

The HUC-Cincinnati campus is central to the well-being of Reform Jewish life during and after graduating college.  It is the birthplace of the Reform Rabbincal schooling system, and by shutting it down you are shutting down history for the Hebrew Union College.  I do hope that people realize that when determining if, and which ones, any of the locations need to be closed.  Yes, it's a shame that they are so much in debt - but what about the future for Reform Judaism?

Hangover Hillel?

This morning, I woke up and one of my friends asked me if I would like to go with her to an event at Hillel called "Hangover Hillel."  Initially, the thought of curing a hangover at Hillel made me laugh - but when I thought about it more, I was soon puzzled by the idea that Hillel would associate themselves with the unhealthy habits associated with Indiana University's Little 500.  Are they doing it for kicks, or is there a real purpose behind the event?  I understand that it's a good way for those involved in Hillel to come together after a fun weekend of watching the races, but what Jewish values are involved behind it?  To me, I see none.  I see it as a way to promote Hillel, but nothing more.

Personally, I would recommend that those involved in planning in the event possibly rethink what they want to get out of the event.  I completely understand wanting to spread the word about Hillel, but what Jewish context is there behind it?  Or do those think it is not necessary to have Jewish context behind an event sponsored by the Jewish center on campus?  I hope this event was planned with good intentions, and not just as a joke way to celebrate the end of the Little 500 weekend.

Jews and Genes

What connection is there between Jews and genetics?  Better yet, is there an actual link between the two?  Does being Jewish mean you come with certain genes, and if you are not Jewish you lack in those genes?  All of these are really great questions, but will there ever be a solid answer?  In my opinion, probably not.  It is such a controversial issue as it is, so reaching some conclusion about it seems quite far fetched.

What makes a Jew different than others?  Personally, I think it's not the physical, genetical details but the emotional and belief systems the person holds.  It is very clear that Jews and Christians, share quite different beliefs and do things in different manners.  But that does not necessarily mean that Jews share the same genetic background.  Everyone has different traits to distinguish themselves to be unique, and there is no exception based off of religion or what not.

Consider this some food for thought - what makes a Jew stand out?  Do genes really matter or not?

Celebrating Passover AND Easter

This year, I had a quite different experience celebrating Passover - because I also had the chance to experience what it's like to celebrate Easter with one of my sorority sisters in South Bend.

The week started off normally, with attending a seder at Hillel.  I decided not to keep Passover this year for personal reasons, and most people I talked to seemed not to mind in the slightest, which was a relief; for last year, when living on the Jewish Studies FIG floor, I felt like I was looked down upon for not doing things such as keeping Passover and what not.

I then, this past weekend, went to my friends' house in South Bend to "celebrate" Easter with her.  I do not personally believe I celebrated, but I was there with her family, and even went to church.  Her family is Lutheran, and her dad is actually the pastor at their church.  I will admit, I was definitely nervous at first and had no idea what to expect.  I've been to church when I was younger, but only once or twice.  However, when I was there I didn't feel any pressure or worry whatsoever.  My friend Amanda guided me throughout the service, and at parts during communion it felt normal to stay in my seat, and not go up to the front of the room.  I actually really enjoyed sitting through the Easter service, because it made me more aware of other religions and their customs and traditions.

I encourage everyone to try something new in their lives, especially pertaining to another religion.  Try attending sunday Mass or go meet someone who works at a church.  Learn more about other religions, because like it did with me, it really opens up your eyes.

Creating a Jewish Studies Curriculum

I really enjoyed working in groups on Monday to create a Jewish Studies curriculum for a secular university.  It was really interesting to develop a good program for Jewish Studies students.  I myself am a Jewish Studies major, and there are definitely things about the current curriculum that could use some improvement here at Indiana University.

One thing that was discussed that I strongly agreed with in my group was the need to have a core curriculum, and then to break things down into more specific concentrations, based on the needs of individual students.  I, for instance, am interested in becoming a Jewish professional, and I feel like in order to achieve that I need to take more classes aimed towards that, perhaps through SPEA or the Kelley school.  I feel like that having classes to suit different interests, such as Jewish professionalism or rabbinical and cantorial students would make more students at a given university be interested in learning more about the Jewish Studies program.

Maybe those who have changes should discuss and meet with the Jewish Studies department.  I, in fact, am planning on doing that when I meet next with Carolyn Lipson-Walker.  I feel it is very important to give input on the Jewish Studies program, because there is always room for improvement.

Queer Judaism

After being mentioned in class, I decided to read the article "Synagogues working to be more open to gays" on the JTA news website.  I found the article quite interesting, because I personally believe that any human being should be allowed the right to belong to a synagogue, no matter what their race, sexual identification or background is.  Denying someone the right to belong to a synagogue because they consider themselves to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual is ridiculous, or so I think so.

What struck me most interesting was the comments left on this article about allowing gays into synagogues.  One person wrote "homosexuality is an abomination before G-d," following a response of "People have a right to be homosexuals, Jewish leaders don't have a right to destroy Judaism to appease crazy homosexuals."  I think this is an outright terrible message, and I do not think those people understand that homosexuals are just like any other human being, just with a different sexual belief.

I could go on and on about the issue of queer Judaism, or how I believe there should be no issues.  Let them do what they want.  They are humans, and just because they have different sexual desires does not mean they are the root of all evil.  Let them live a normal life, for they shouldn't have it any other way.

Paskudnyak - A Short Story

I chose to read the story "Paskudnyak" for our class discussion on Jewish fiction.  It is written by Sonia Pilcer, and is part of a compilation of Jewish fiction.  It is first important to know what Paskudnyak means.  It is from Polish and Ukrainian language, and means "a man or woman who is nasty, mean, odious, contemptible, rotten, vulgar, insensitive and dirty."

From the first line of the story, I could tell that it would be one with many Jewish references.  "We live in Brooklyn," it says, an area in New York that has always been prominent with Jews.  The characters in the story also have very European and possibly Yiddish names, such as Genia, Heniek and Zosha.

The way the story is written and what the characters do and how they interact with others brings out a lot of things that could be seen as Jewish.  Jews are all about storytelling and what not, and I think this story is a perfect example of the love Jews have for telling stories from the past, like the narrator is in this story.  

The story takes place in the 1960s, soon after the Holocaust.  To me, the most interesting thing about the story is that Zosha, who is brought up in a Polish-Jewish family rebels against all she has been taught to join a Latino gang.  This is something that is not common at the time, and to hear it from a Jewish perspective makes it all the more interesting and compelling to read.  It is not your typical Jewish story, but I believe it just adds to the excitement in reading it.

I hope that in class I will be able to learn about each story, and learn what distinguishes fiction to be Jewish, and if there are stories that are more subtle about the religious background in which the story is set to.

The Tribe

The first time I watched the film The Tribe was my senior year of high school.  I went to a Jewish high school, and every year we were required to take a Jewish law/studies class, and that year I was in Introduction to Jewish Thought.  On the very last day of the class, our teacher showed us the film as a good way to wrap up class.  I then watched it again last semester, in my American Jewish Thought class with Professor Magid.  

In my opinion, The Tribe is a great short film that uses such interesting techniques to describe the Jewish population today, especially in America.  I particularly enjoy how the Jews are compared to Barbie dolls. Like Barbie dolls, over the years Jews have evolved and grown to fit the American stereotype, and often loose most of the attributes to distinguish themselves to be unique or different.  

The filming techniques are very interesting and not often seen in most films and movies.  The producers and directors use a combination of photography and animation, not an actual streaming video, which I think is very unusual - but at the same time, really helps establish meaning and the point of the film.  

I believe that discussing this short film in class will be very interesting.  I think a lot of different ideas will come out of class, and many that are different my preconceived ideas.  I am excited to learn what other people think about the movie, especially if this is the first time they have stached it.

Jews and the Theater

I've grown up appreciating theater, whether it be dramatic or musical.  My mom grew up on Long Island, and would go see Broadway shows with her family quite often.  My dad grew up seeing a lot of plays with his family up in Oregon, a rich and cultural environment.  Of course there is Fiddler on the Roof and plays about Anne Frank which are often seen as stereotypical Jewish theater, but until exploring the internet I was not fully aware that Judaism was brought to light in many other plays, dramas and musicals.

The website Jewish-Theatre.com is quite an interesting and informative website, in my opinion.  The front page has a lot news articles that somehow tie Judaism and theater together.  There are also job and writing opportunities, and a lot of research about theater throughout the world, with a concentration in Europe it seems.  Their advertisements are mostly geared for those living in Europe.  For example, there is an ad for UCL's Jewish studies and Hebrew program, which is the University College London, where in fact my brother studied abroad last spring.  It seems as if there is not a lot of focus on American Jewish theater, which then makes me question if there is much of American Jewish theater community.

I also really enjoyed looking at Yuri Lane's website.  I think beatboxing is an awesome way of expressing yourself, and to put a Jewish and Hebrew twist on it makes it much more fascinating since I can relate myself to the music in a way.  Yuri Lane seems to be very talented, and I wish I had heard of his work before.

For me, the whole concept of taking theater and putting a Jewish "twist" on it is really interesting.  I hope that in class tomorrow we will take a closer look at things such as Yuri Lane and Caroline or Change.  

Judaism on the Web

In class today, the topic of having a virtual minyan came up and whether or not it was acceptable according to Jewish practice.  I thought the whole idea was very fascinating.  Has our generation reached the point that they will use the internet as a way to practice ritual and prayer?  This boggles my mind that people would take such extreme measures to observe a daily ritual.

I assumed minyans were still formed in traditional ways - with 10 men.  However, it struck me to be interesting when a fellow peer of mine, in class today, described how at his synagogue, people are able to "call-in" to participate in a minyan.  Should be this allowed?  Personally, I do not think so.  According to Jewish law, using forms of technology is not an acceptable way of prayer since the internet and technology does not have a soul, hence taking away from the spirituality of the minyan.

In my personal opinion, there are certain aspects of Judaism that are getting lost through the internet; however, I do believe most people still treat Judaism with respect and value its meaning and celebrate Judaism in the appropriate manner.  I do not agree that creating virtual minyans accomplish anything religious-wise, but in fact it tears the community apart.  That is not what Judaism wants out of its community.  Hopefully one day people will realize that meaning is being lost, and go back to more traditional roots to fulfill the words of the Torah.

Let My People Go

The Let My People Go CD is very interesting and eclectic, to say the least.  Referred to as "a Jewish and African American celebration of freedom," it is apparent that Kim & Reggie Harris are trying very hard to create music that combines Jewish and African American musical styles.

The cover of the CD has as picture of a matzah wrapped in a cloth, also known as the afikoman during the Jewish holiday of Passover.  While there is no indication that this is a Passover CD, this CD is apparently one praising freedom of the Jews from Egypt.  While each song has a Hebrew title, there is English apparent in almost every song.  It is a CD full of richness and diversity, and I can understand why so many people feel a connection this kind of music.

Honestly, this wasn't what I was expecting.  I was expecting more of a Hebrew gospel CD.  However, I am glad that this music is full of history and culture.  It is a very unique way of bringing cultures and ideals together, and it is a quite effective way of doing so.

 

Jewish Philanthropies

I am majoring in Jewish Studies and minoring in non-profit management through SPEA, so I'm pretty much I'm all about Jewish philanthropy.  In fact, I would love to work at somewhere like the Jewish Federation when I'm older.  As weird and silly as it sounds, it is like two of my favorite things combined.  I cherish my Judaism and my religion, and I love to help people out and make an impact on the world.  

I was really excited to be able to check out a bunch of different websites about Jewish philanthropy - but as I begun to read through them, I realized I didn't have the right expectations of what would be on these websites.  It seemed as each website was a blog, or promoting other blogs.  I wanted information about Jewish philanthropies - and was even hoping that I could possibly find one that I wanted to get involved with.  However, I seemed to be unsuccessful in that search.  I think that while these sites were overall very interesting and did have a lot of information and resources, each of them could have talked a little more about what Jewish philanthropies are and what they have to offer.  I felt there was a lack of description for that.

I think that it is important to understand how Jewish philanthropies work and what is unique about each of them.  Also, it is important to know that there are different levels of philanthropies, each offering services and benefits for different groups of people.  

This kind of stuff is something I am really interested in learning more about - and hopefully I can eventually find more descriptive information about philanthropies, while still having a lot of resources available.

Chabad

Growing up in Los Angeles, I'm used to be surrounded by Chabad.  Their annual telethon is advertised all over the city, and they go to extremes to promote Hasidic Judaism.  I have one vivid memory of an encounter with Chabad - when I was only around 10 years old.  My grandparents were in town over winter break, and we went out to a very nice restaurant for dinner.  The moment we stepped outside to get our car, my family was bombarded with members of Chabad shoving pamphlets and Hanukkah gifts in our faces, and then drove away in what they called the Hanukkah-Mobile.  We took them, and I never really thought much of it.  Years later, I have more of an understanding of why that occurred and how it represents Chabad as a whole.

Chabad, to me, is a very interesting group of Hasidic Jews.  It is hard to comprehend what they really are all about - and it shows on their official websites.  What really struck me as interesting was the lack of context and organizational flow on both chabad.org and chabad.edu.  Chabad.org is a very disorganized website - one where it takes 10 separate links to reach the page you would like to reach.  Chabad.edu has no real information about what Chabad has to offer - it is a bunch of different resources for people to find out, but you can't find out unless you use the resources.

I feel like overall, Chabad tries to hide a big part of their message and what they believe in.  Either that, or they try very hard to get people to believe what they believe.  I feel like there is no middleground.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel that this is a very dysfunctional way to organize a religious group, making it hard for people to know what really to believe.

A Different Kind of Judaism

Reconstructionist, Renewal and Cultural Judaism are 3 types of Judaism that very few people have ever heard of - and if people have heard those terms before, chances are they have no idea what each one means.

Reconstructionist Judaism was under the ideals of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan in 1955, and it focus on the idea that it is essential to base Judaism off of folklore and how people currently work and act, hence creating unique ways of looking at Judaism.  Renewal Judaism was founded in 1962 by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, who aimed to bring a larger idea of spirituality and artistry to Judaism, through mediums such as dance, music and social action.  Cultural Judaism, which is also known as Secular or Humanist Judaism, is the more recent "phenomenon" of Judaism, which opened its first center around 5 years ago.  Cultural Judaism sees religion as part of Judaism, but not as the one thing that determines what makes someone or something Jewish; therefore, preaching to those who might not practice Judaism on a religious basis.

A question that was brought up throughout class today was "What makes these groups Jewish?  Why do we identify them as Jewish if they don't necessarily believe in the things we believe in?"  It is essential to look at these groups and appreciate what they believe, not try to find all the faults they have.  These different groups, movements or whatever term you feel most appropriately fits them, celebrate being Jewish in different ways.  It does bring up the question of what makes one person "more Jewish" than the next, but in reality, people will always believe in different things.  And instead of putting them down, embrace what they have to offer.

The Complexity of Orthodox Judaism

When first going onto the Orthodox Union's website, www.ou.org, I felt like there a hundred things being thrown out at me.  It's not necessarily a clustered website, but it is one in which it seems like there could potentially be a little too much for one site.  I initially thought that it was just me overreacting about how much there is in such little space, but as I continue to think about it, I do believe in fact that the website does reflect the ideas of Orthodox Judaism.  Of the interaction I've had with Orthodox Judaism, they often tend to throw many ideas out at you at once.

The website is very different than the Reform and Conservative websites.  I have noticed a trend between the three - the Reform website has the least information, followed by the Conservative website having a pretty standard amount of information, and lastly there is the Orthodox movement - which has a website with an overwhelming amount of information.  For me, it's not easy to follow with so much information.  I feel like there should be a good starting point in terms of exploring the website, when in fact I have no idea where to begin.

Interestingly enough, one of the first things that caught my eye on the website was on the right side of the page - a link for "Kosher Alerts."  It amused me at first, but then I realized that for some people, this is crucial for their way of living.  Underneath, it listed recent food items, such as Pillsbury Sweet Minis and TRU Chocolate, the two newest items that have been deemed "not Kosher" by the Orthodox Union.  I realized that perhaps many people rely on this website for information on a daily basis, and for me to judge that is completely wrong.

I tried to learn more about Orthodox Judaism, but after a while I just got completely frusturated with the website and gave up.  I probably shouldn't have done that, but I do not think websites that do that to an individual are not helpful.  I do not completely know if this is a way of getting people NOT to be part of the Orthodox community or what, but there is a lack of communication between the Orthodox movement and the rest of society.

There's More Than Ramah?

When I lived on the Jewish Studies floor last year, I was surrounded by Conservative Jews who all attended Camp Ramah.  It was if they lived and breathed Ramah, and it's all I heard about.  My roommate and I would often joke about how we were the "odd ones out," for we both grew up in the Reform movement.  Some of my floor-mates convinced me to try going to Conservative services at Hillel, and once again I felt like the "odd one out," since I didn't know half of the prayers and Hebrew being said.  I knew there was something more, but I felt as if no matter what, I would never truly fit in with the ideas of Conservative Judaism.  

While exploring the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's website, it struck my attention that the words "Come home to Conservative Judaism" are often displayed on the top of the page.  It was a lot different than the Reform Judaism website, for I felt more disconnected, lost and confused about what was going and what was trying to be said or expressed.  While there were things that made sense to me and I agreed with, the majority of the website made no sense.  If I were someone exploring my choices of Judaism, I do not think this website is a great example of Conservative Judaism.  It should make it look appealing, yet I do not get that feel from the site.  

However, I did enjoy exploring the ShefaNetwork website.  It reminded me of the Reform Judaism blog website, but offering Conservative perspectives on major issues that could be brought up in Judaism.  I know there is more than being part of USY and going to Ramah over the summer, but this really brought to my attention all that Conservative Judaism has to offer.  I do not think one branch of Judaism is better than the others, and I think it is crucial to learn about the different types of Judaism.  I felt like I've been trapped in a Reform bubble, and the website did help to open my eyes to see what is out there.

Reform Judaism

I've grown up as a Reform Jew.  Ever since the days of Mommy & Me at my synagogue in Los Angeles, CA, I've been a Reform Jew, or at least of what I remember.  I did it all - Sunday School, Hebrew School, Bat Mitzvah, post-Bat Mitzvah education, all the way to confirmation.  I also attend a URJ affiliated camp in Northern California, Camp Newman-Swig.  

In class today, we talked a lot about the website reformjudaism.org, and how it depicts Reform Judaism.  A quote that was brought up was "choice through knowledge," one which I think is very important when discussing what Reform Judaism is and how it is important to understanding the overall concept of Judaism in America.  Many believe that the reason why the Reform movement is so large is due to the fact that so many people can find one small thing to relate to, and automatically decide Reform Judaism is the path for them; however, I think differently.  Even though I grew up in the Reform movement, I think a huge part of deciding if Reform Judaism is the best choice for me is education behind the ideals of Reform Judaism.  There is so much that Reform Judaism has to offer, yet people really have to understand it and not just assume it's the right thing for them.

When living on the Jewish Studies FIG last year, I encountered some people who doubted my own religious beliefs.  They truly didn't understand how I could be a Reform Jew and do things I do to celebrate and practice Judaism.  I do understand they have different morals and beliefs, but what really struck me was how they seemed so ignorant to the idea that Reform Judaism has a lot to offer.  I truly appreciate the fact that while many of us in this class have different religious beliefs, we still respect each other for doing things differently.  Reform Judaism is not a bad thing or is not the wrong way to go - it's a more liberal, modern way of Judaism that has to be accepted by individuals, and the larger community.

Introduction

Hi there,

Just a brief introduction - my name is Lauren, and I'm a sophomore at IU.  I'm majoring in Jewish Studies and minoring in non-profit management and history.  I am a member of the sorority Alpha Delta Pi, and I'm currently in charge of the Jewish Life Council at Hillel.  I'm from Los Angeles, CA, and attended Milken Community High School, a private Jewish high school in the area.  I was never really involved with youth groups, but I've grown up attending Jewish summer camps.  I attended Camp Hess Kramer for 4 years, and this past summer was my 8th summer attending URJ Camp Newman/Swig, which is affiliated with the Reform movement.  This was my second summer as a counselor, and also did the Avodah (work) and CIT programs there.

I decided to take this class for a few reasons.  I knew people who took it last year and really loved the uniqueness of the class.  As a Jewish Studies major, it is important to find classes for my major that I really can see myself enjoying and that can help relate to my future.  I'm really excited for all that will come out of this course, and I hope this semester is great for everyone!