reflections
it's been a bit of a crazy few weeks...or months whichever.
work is work.
this past weekend i went with the MIL and a family friend -G- to crown heights to attend Kinos- this weekend long convention of schulchas- the women of schliachs- the people who open/run/chabad houses, and thus this convention was dedicated to the women.
i came back saturday night and called my parents to tell them i had never been more glad i went to stern- simply due to the fact my jewish education was obviously much higher than anyone i encountered that weekend- and what i know is pretty limited!!
i found myself face to face with women who do really hard jobs (keeping communities together, being a rebbetzien)- but also women who aren't rabbi's wives but feel utterly compelled to become baal teshuva and don a sheitel- a wig- and call the Rebbe father. no thank you.
i also found myself discussing modern orthodoxy- which while i knew isn't "accepted" by most ultra orthodox- didn't really realize that it's not really a topic that most are educated on.
so as a result, i bit my tongue and kept quiet on topics like feminism, gay rights and politics.
talk about awkward.
i did run into an acquaintance from stern! she actually gave a talk about the chabad family in mumbai- which even just talking to her over shabbos was very moving, and we got to compare notes on our weekend.
yet i spent time with the MIL and that was good.
Yet she didn't stay for the sunday night dinner which apparently is the main attraction.
i didn't stay b/c i work!
it just seemed that the whole thing was really an adult NCSY (minus the modern ortho OU bent) 4 day long kumzits- ya know- pass the mic around, who can top sob story after sob story. yawn
and the sheitels- i bet that shop next to the children's museum hasn't done better business in years!
well that was fun and i'm glad it's over- and i was soooo glad to be home that saturday night- sunday i did french toast for the boys staying here.
and sunday- well work- and then i keep seeing these articles on women's conversions being repealed and i have to wonder- wtf is going on out there.
who are these rabbis who have decided to play gd.
so at times like this- i feel anxious and nervous and really alone- for a religion and people who supposedly are there for each other- talk about fails.
work is work.
this past weekend i went with the MIL and a family friend -G- to crown heights to attend Kinos- this weekend long convention of schulchas- the women of schliachs- the people who open/run/chabad houses, and thus this convention was dedicated to the women.
i came back saturday night and called my parents to tell them i had never been more glad i went to stern- simply due to the fact my jewish education was obviously much higher than anyone i encountered that weekend- and what i know is pretty limited!!
i found myself face to face with women who do really hard jobs (keeping communities together, being a rebbetzien)- but also women who aren't rabbi's wives but feel utterly compelled to become baal teshuva and don a sheitel- a wig- and call the Rebbe father. no thank you.
i also found myself discussing modern orthodoxy- which while i knew isn't "accepted" by most ultra orthodox- didn't really realize that it's not really a topic that most are educated on.
so as a result, i bit my tongue and kept quiet on topics like feminism, gay rights and politics.
talk about awkward.
i did run into an acquaintance from stern! she actually gave a talk about the chabad family in mumbai- which even just talking to her over shabbos was very moving, and we got to compare notes on our weekend.
yet i spent time with the MIL and that was good.
Yet she didn't stay for the sunday night dinner which apparently is the main attraction.
i didn't stay b/c i work!
it just seemed that the whole thing was really an adult NCSY (minus the modern ortho OU bent) 4 day long kumzits- ya know- pass the mic around, who can top sob story after sob story. yawn
and the sheitels- i bet that shop next to the children's museum hasn't done better business in years!
well that was fun and i'm glad it's over- and i was soooo glad to be home that saturday night- sunday i did french toast for the boys staying here.
and sunday- well work- and then i keep seeing these articles on women's conversions being repealed and i have to wonder- wtf is going on out there.
who are these rabbis who have decided to play gd.
so at times like this- i feel anxious and nervous and really alone- for a religion and people who supposedly are there for each other- talk about fails.