Happy Jewish New Year everyone! Shana Tova & Happy Rosh Hashanah!
I already had two kids before I knew that a Jewish new year existed, much less spawned greeting cards. The-Guy-Who-Knows-A-Song-About-A-Chicken at least knew the Jewish New Year/Rosh Hashanah in childhood.
But then I sent two kids through Jewish preschool and I teach Jewish preschool, so I think we're sort of neck and neck when it comes to Jewish ignorance.
I'd explain why I've been absent from Blogsburg this week, but then I'd have to complain about work in public, which might be against my religion. I think. But as I stated above, I wouldn't really know. And so that means I only do stuff that's against my religion sometimes. Or maybe that means I do it often, but discreetly.
Or maybe I mostly do that kind of stuff unknowingly. And then my gal has to tell me. Like Thursday when we had this conversation about shacking up with The-Guy-Who-Knows-A-Song-About-A-Chicken:
Her - "That's against Jewish law, y'know."
Me - "Really? How do you know? Did you find that out in Sunday school?
Her - "In school, in Understanding Judaism class"
Oh. Well. Crap. I was hoping that was mostly a Christian sin.
In any case, I haven't had a whole heck of a lot of free time this week AND Older Gal's been asking me to blog some stories about when the younger kids were even younger than they are now. And since today is a Jewish holiday, I'll start with a Jewish one.
This I know for certain about Judaism - Saturday is Shabbat, the sabbath, what Sunday is to Christians. So one Saturday night I hear my boy crying in his bed. He's maybe four at the time, maybe three. I wake him just enough to stop the crying and he goes back to sleep.
The next morning I ask him, "Why were you crying in the night last night, do you remember?" He answered sleepily, "I think I was a little bit sad because Shabbat is over."
My boy's teachers had apparently been hard at work making certain his Jewish education was on par for a three or four year old. I can only hope I'm indoctrinating my own charges half as effectively. Because I'm the teacher, after all. Crap. Maybe I better go study.
11 comments:
I regularly teach university students things that I know very little about. As long as you stay a step ahead of your charges it will all be OK.
Your son complains about the end of Shabbat? Can you imagine how God must have felt after creating the world and then resting for one day? Looking around the world today, looks like God still has a case of the Sundays.
Happy New Year!
Ah yes...the 'shacking up' sin....I think that one goes just about across the board doesn't it? Mind you, I argue that marriage is a state of mind anyway. The 'marriage' of biblical times is not the same as the legal marriage of today. Who's to say what 'married' means anyway? Two people standing up at a pub and vowing eternal monogamy and stuff could just as easily be 'marriage' as long as they meant it and did it.
:-) Because I worked at a fundamental Christian school, Himself and I had a theologically shaky few weeks when we first bought our house because there was that delicate time after we moved in but before we got married at our housewarming (surprise!). My principal very tactfully did not quiz me on the sleeping arrangements. Because you KNOW I was in the spare room then. Right?
AFM- Yeah, I worked that way for the first couple years. I had to read a lot especially when I first started teaching Sunday school to Kindergartners. But at this point I've at least got it down at a preschool level. It's the adult sinning that escapes me, apparently. :-0 :-0 :-0
People - So you're saying God's not dead, He's just tired? As far as my boy being sad about the end of Shabbat, I can totally understand. To me Sunday is the day for shifting back into the week. Make sure the laundry's done, so I don't have to do it after a long work day, that kind of thing. Friday nights and Saturdays though, those are easy to enjoy. Easy commandment. And Happy New year!!
Arizaphale - I sleep in the guest room too, of course. :-0 "As long as they said it and did it", yeah, I guess so. I have a friend who's been not married for over 15 years. They have four kids together and a house and call each other husband and wife. And since the kids belong to the both of them, I guess it doesn't make so much difference. And legally they're married anyway. They just never said the words in front of everybody and God and a clergy person.
Shana Tova!
Is there anything that's fun and not against some religious or moral principles.
You've got to get that Jewish guilt in early.
Love, a guilt filled Catholic!
Happy New Year. So. 'Fess up. Are you going to 'live in sin' or not?
Happy New Year!! Wow! Sad Shabbat is over? Wow!
That is devoted young Jewish boy.
Now on the shacking up thing, I haave never heard of anyone getting up in arms over it in my shul. You're not with the Hasidim or something are you?
SJ - Singing? Oh not even that! My gal tells me the girls aren't allowed to sing around boys in her school.
Kerry - Yeah, and my gal served me up a heaping dose! Wait a cotton pickin' moment! I thought it was supposed to be ME serving up the guilt to HER!
DJ Kirkby - 24 more days and we'll have lived in sin for an entire year.
Ricardo - I don't *think* anyone's actually up in arms. Their school isn't Hasidic, but it is Orthodox. I don't think anyone gave my gal a hard time about it, I think they just talked about it in class.
Too many religions....too many holidays.....can't we just all lump them together into "Religious Appreciation Week"?
Bruce - I guess. Then you could have equal opportunity sinning. Or something. :)
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