interviewed by filkerdave
1. What's the hardest thing to reconcile about being observantly
Jewish in the SCA? (I know several people who do this, but given I'm not
a SCAdian myself, I'm curious!)
Almost all events take place on Shabbat. This poses both practical and spiritual challenges. Practically, there are many activities I can't take part in, including shopping, cooking, and taking or teaching some arts classes (in the "we'll make stuff" category), I have to have paid for the event in advance, which usually isn't an issue (I make reservations by policy anyway), but occasional events publish a policy of "no advance payment", and I have to get them to make an exception or not go.
And then there's the spiritual side: it just doesn't feel like Shabbat, usually. I do go to services in the morning first, so it's not that I'm missing that, but that I'm missing out on the rest of the experience. That might seem a little odd, as "the rest of the experience" is usually nothing special in my house, but it still makes a difference.
2. For that matter, what got you into the SCA in the first place and why have you stayed with it?
For how I got involved, see my first answer here. (Short form: guys in armor fighting!) Why do I stay? At this point, I'm mainly there for the people. I've got a lot of long-term friends who I mainly see in SCA contexts. I still enjoy the SCA, but it isn't the focus of my life that it once was. If I were to move to a place where I don't know the locals, I'd probably fade away except for Pennsic. Unless there was an appealing local music group. :-)
3. What's one aspect of Judaism that most colours your day-to-day life?
At the most basic level, brachot. When I get up I say an abbreviated morning service. When I eat I say brachot. When I study (and I try to get at least a few minutes a day) I say the blessing. Other things may come up during the day. It's not big, but it's often present.
At another level, kashrut. I'll eat dairy out, so I'm not hosed on the restaurant front, but my choices are of course restricted. At home, while keeping kosher is completely natural, preparing a meal still makes me notice it -- I have to choose the right utensils, dishes, and ingredients. So, not invasive but definitely present.
4. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Which one and why?
Tea for fulfilling the basic need of a tasty, hot, (preferably-caffeinated) beverage. Hot chocolate if I want to linger over something more decadent. (Definitely not coffee; can't stand the taste.)
5. You're getting to produce a filkish A Midsummer Night's Dream -- who do you cast?
This question is the cause of the delay in answering, in case you were wondering. :-) (That's not a complaint; it's just different, which is good.)
Standard disclaimer 1: this list is biased toward the subset of filkdom that I know. There are many, many people who might be more appropriate choices, and if I were really doing this I would solicit input.
Standard disclaimer 2: I'll probably think of a completely different cast immediately after posting this. Such are the ways of these kinds of questions. :-)
Almost all events take place on Shabbat. This poses both practical and spiritual challenges. Practically, there are many activities I can't take part in, including shopping, cooking, and taking or teaching some arts classes (in the "we'll make stuff" category), I have to have paid for the event in advance, which usually isn't an issue (I make reservations by policy anyway), but occasional events publish a policy of "no advance payment", and I have to get them to make an exception or not go.
And then there's the spiritual side: it just doesn't feel like Shabbat, usually. I do go to services in the morning first, so it's not that I'm missing that, but that I'm missing out on the rest of the experience. That might seem a little odd, as "the rest of the experience" is usually nothing special in my house, but it still makes a difference.
2. For that matter, what got you into the SCA in the first place and why have you stayed with it?
For how I got involved, see my first answer here. (Short form: guys in armor fighting!) Why do I stay? At this point, I'm mainly there for the people. I've got a lot of long-term friends who I mainly see in SCA contexts. I still enjoy the SCA, but it isn't the focus of my life that it once was. If I were to move to a place where I don't know the locals, I'd probably fade away except for Pennsic. Unless there was an appealing local music group. :-)
3. What's one aspect of Judaism that most colours your day-to-day life?
At the most basic level, brachot. When I get up I say an abbreviated morning service. When I eat I say brachot. When I study (and I try to get at least a few minutes a day) I say the blessing. Other things may come up during the day. It's not big, but it's often present.
At another level, kashrut. I'll eat dairy out, so I'm not hosed on the restaurant front, but my choices are of course restricted. At home, while keeping kosher is completely natural, preparing a meal still makes me notice it -- I have to choose the right utensils, dishes, and ingredients. So, not invasive but definitely present.
4. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Which one and why?
Tea for fulfilling the basic need of a tasty, hot, (preferably-caffeinated) beverage. Hot chocolate if I want to linger over something more decadent. (Definitely not coffee; can't stand the taste.)
5. You're getting to produce a filkish A Midsummer Night's Dream -- who do you cast?
This question is the cause of the delay in answering, in case you were wondering. :-) (That's not a complaint; it's just different, which is good.)
Standard disclaimer 1: this list is biased toward the subset of filkdom that I know. There are many, many people who might be more appropriate choices, and if I were really doing this I would solicit input.
Standard disclaimer 2: I'll probably think of a completely different cast immediately after posting this. Such are the ways of these kinds of questions. :-)
- Puck: Leslie Fish (yeah, Puck is written as male; so?)
- Oberon: Harold Feld
- Titania: Kathy Sobansky
- Hermia: Debbie Ohi
- Lysander: Dr. James
- Helena: Julia Ecklar
- Demetrius: Michael Greenstein (SCA: Michael Alewright) (local), or Steve MacDonald (to supply someone you've heard of)
- Nick Bottom: Decadent Dave Clement