Pesach

Pesach is coming Pesach is coming Pesach is coming.  !!!!!  Where do we start?  I think the spring cleaning that most non-jews do originated from the frenzy we go into trying to remove the Chametz http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chametz from our pantries and our lives (this tidbit was taken from my one of two rabbi's Kliel Rose).  As usual I have started a diet and am actually doing well on it so far.  I haven't lost any weight but I'm eating healthier.  We happen to be "boarding" in someone else's home right now so this year will be a bit of a challenge to kosher my home for passover.  I also do want to remove the Chametz from my life.  All the unneeded baggage we all carry around every day.  I believe I am finished, I'm ready to get rid of some bags  how about you?

What do you do in a situation like this?  So far I'm come up with the idea to get my sections of the house kosher for Pesach.  I will do this a little at a time beginning in the next week of so.  Wish me luck and sanity.

Here are a couple of great links for Passover goodies to get you through the matzah heaven we are about to embark upon.

Yummy matzaroni and cheese!!!!

http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/free-stuff-alert-passover-made-easy-cookbook/attachment/matzaroni-cheese/

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/category/passover/page/2/

Dreamers and DACA

Today I received another notification about a law our esteemed legislators were thinking about introducing.  You see our legislators want DACA eligible youth not to have access to drivers licenses.

Let me give you a brief explanation of DACA.  It means Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.  It applies to a minuscule amount of undocumented youth. It allows young people of a certain age to apply for a 2 year work visa so they can avoid arrest by being in the United States illegally.
Here is a link for a more in depth explanation:

http://immigrationequality.org/issues/immigration-basics/daca/

These children were brought here through no fault of their own.  Now let me explain to you the reasons I believe they should be allowed to take the test and get drivers licenses.

1.  The state of Tennessee has no authority to pick and choose which green cards, visas, documentation the federal government approves for non-citizens. This is pure discrimination.
2.  Allowing all residents legal or non-legal to get a drivers license makes our streets safer because if they have to take the test  THEY WILL LEARN THE DRIVING LAWS.  DUH!
3.  Allowing these young folks to get drivers licenses will increase the number who purchase auto insurance.  YES  wouldn't it be nice to have everyone on the road insured?
4.  These kids are marrying American citizens, and NO they do not get citizenship when that happens.  That is a MYTH.
5.  By not allowing these kids to get a drivers license and purchase tags the state of TN is losing valuable tax revenue.  But what the heck who needs extra money right?
6.  Drivers license's for DACA recipients are not a magnet.  THEY'RE ALREADY HERE!!!!!

Well back to the reason for this post, I contacted Joe Carr today who was kind enough to return my call.  After a vigorous back and forth (as Hillary Clinton would say) we agreed to disagree but he suggested I contact Jim Tracy (not a fan) and see if I could make comments before The Transportation Committee about this bill  SB209 .   I sent Jim Tracy and email and wow someone from his office actually called me back..  Long story short the bill has been dropped for now by the sponsor.  Lets hope it stays that way.



In conclusion I'd like to say these children are here to stay , they are not leaving, they have been raised as Americans, they're native country is foreign to them, please have a heart.

My grandchildren.

My little Isaac is being raised with a jewish influence, Sofia is being raised as Seventh Day Adventist, closing thing Christianity has to being jewish.

Why do so many Jews take their culture for granted?  I have many friends who basically know ZERO about their religion.  Converts have to work so hard to be accepted and get through the conversion even though it says in the Torah that they are to be accepted even if they know very little and are not ready to observe all the mitzvot.  

I know people who have moved here from predominantly Jewish communities and have a rude awakening when arriving in Middle Tennessee.  They long for the latkes on demand and the kosher delis of their past.  Things you have taken for granted your whole life suddenly have disappeared.  So basically what I am saying is don't take your culture or birthright for granted.  Embrace it.  I have a friend who was afraid to put her menorah up.  I suppose she thought someone would burn a cross in her yard but actually we don't do that in Tennessee anymore.

I am working towards conversion and hope I make it.  It has been several long years of studying and praying and learning and I have loved every minute of it.  One of the funniest things is when I tell a Jewish person that I go to an orthodox Shul.  They look at me like I have two heads.  You can see them thinking "oh crap I need to get away from this nut!'  It's amusing but annoying at times.  Wish me luck everyone on my travels through my journey to judaism.

Well went back to the doctor before going on my trip to Israel and have gained another 10 pounds.  I don't know how this is possible but the scales don't lie.  Today I'm trying to start my diet again.  We'll see how it goes.  Here is the link to the program I've signed up for.


http://rawfoodrehab.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beginning-a-raw-vegan-diet

Debs Life

Why is it that Jewish people know so little about their religion?  I am not saying all of them but many.  If you weren't raised in a religious home I thought at least most Jews would do the holidays and actually know what they mean.  I guess it is similar to Christmas in the Christian religion.  They celebrate it but don't go to church on most of their holidays.  It is very hard to understand at times why converts have to go through so much to be converted yet people born jewish basically don't have to know anything about who they are to stay with the tribe.

This has been a real conundrum for me.  You see it is not normal for people in Tennessee to "choose" to be jewish.  It is hard for me to watch people move here from places like New York, Miami, Atlanta, anywhere there is a substantial jewish population and arrive here and realize they have taken their culture for granted.  I have one person who was afraid to put her menorah up for fear of the neighbors.  Not that the neighbors would do anything it's just that stereotype people have about people from the south.  For the most part no one really gives a darn if you are jewish or have a menorah, they are probably more curious than anything.  Happy Chanukah and please share my blog.