Visiting the Holidays
I've been Jewish only for a few years. Somewhere around seven. That's a pretty decent number I think. I really do feel jewish these days. I rather like it, too. The only problem I have is with some of the holidays. It's not a problem with the holidays themselves, it's just that I have the problem with the holidays. It's me, not them. For example, I don't know, Yom Kippur (it was yesterday.) I still kind of feel like those are my wife's holidays, not mine. I know that's not fair, and I certainly try to participate and be a part of the holiday, but I still don't feel like it's my holiday. I just don't have much of a history with it.
For example, let's pretend I was still Christian. (Not a person named "Christian" but of the Christianity persuasion.) On Christmas I would feel at home with that holiday. I know how it rolls. I know it's history, but more importantly, I have a history with it. I have fond childhood memories. I have years and years of background with it. We're old friends.
Yom Kippur... I don't really have that much background with it. I know what it is. I know what it's for. I understand why we do it and what it means. It's just that I don't have any real memories with it. It's just kind of a day. In fact, I have two memories that really stand out. One is of some fat guy singing "Kol Nidre" and reminding me heavily of "Old Man River." The other is of falling asleep during the service in Florida when we were down there for Yom Kippur a few years ago. That's not really much in the way of memories considering I've been doing this for seven years.
Granted, I'm trying to build those memories. I am working at paying attention and trying to really take part. I'm particularly doing so with my son, but so far my son doesn't probably have much of an impression. I mean, he's four. He just knows I took him to Temple and he sat there in the sanctuary for about 45 minutes before we wondered outside and played. Bam. That's Yom Kippur. He doens't pick up on the details of the holidays. He doesn't realize it's about fasting to atone for our sins. He doesn't realize it involves appealing to the vending machine overlords and asking that they spare our lives and only take our quarters. He will. I will be part of that, but at this point, it's still just someone else's holiday.
For example, let's pretend I was still Christian. (Not a person named "Christian" but of the Christianity persuasion.) On Christmas I would feel at home with that holiday. I know how it rolls. I know it's history, but more importantly, I have a history with it. I have fond childhood memories. I have years and years of background with it. We're old friends.
Yom Kippur... I don't really have that much background with it. I know what it is. I know what it's for. I understand why we do it and what it means. It's just that I don't have any real memories with it. It's just kind of a day. In fact, I have two memories that really stand out. One is of some fat guy singing "Kol Nidre" and reminding me heavily of "Old Man River." The other is of falling asleep during the service in Florida when we were down there for Yom Kippur a few years ago. That's not really much in the way of memories considering I've been doing this for seven years.
Granted, I'm trying to build those memories. I am working at paying attention and trying to really take part. I'm particularly doing so with my son, but so far my son doesn't probably have much of an impression. I mean, he's four. He just knows I took him to Temple and he sat there in the sanctuary for about 45 minutes before we wondered outside and played. Bam. That's Yom Kippur. He doens't pick up on the details of the holidays. He doesn't realize it's about fasting to atone for our sins. He doesn't realize it involves appealing to the vending machine overlords and asking that they spare our lives and only take our quarters. He will. I will be part of that, but at this point, it's still just someone else's holiday.