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.

Wedding

Spent the day AGAIN doing wedding stuff. We have one week until the big day. Much to my dismay I realized we picked a date that in the three weeks of Jewish mourning leading up to T'ish B'av. I will pray that this does not create some kind of hex on my daughter. Luckily she's not jewish so she doesn't really care although I do occasionally suggest that a seventh day adventist is just a Jewish Christian. Enough of that messianic stuff they are the real deal. But I ramble.

Happy to be off for the next two weeks, may have to get a part time job to pay for this wedding.

Shabbos

Good Shabbos all. I'm online and shouldn't be. Wanted to go to Erev Shabbat services tonight but didn't make it. Tomorrow night we are attending a benefit for my nephew's school. It is at Loveless Cafe and Allison Kraus will be performing. Not sure what she sings but I know I'll enjoy a night out with JR and my dad.

My dad seems to be coming out a little since my mother's passing in October. We made it through Thanksgiving and the holidays ok I suppose.

Met with the conservative Rabbi a couple of weeks ago. Torn as to what to do there.....I guess prayer will help me decide which direction to go at this point in my life. Plan on attending Chocolate Seder at The Temple on Sunday ....that should be interesting.

Sidney is moving out on the 8th. She's all grown up. later all

The Israelis

Had a great night tonight at the Schraugers. Met some very interesting people from Israel and also some great local people. gosh who wouldn't love the Israelis? They are intelligent, warriors, peace activists, nationalists and just great human beings who value life. I think they are fabulous. Again a great evening.

The Dream Act

http://dreamact.info/

This is my new project. I have a friend who is an illegal alien. He is a child in high school. Through no fault of his own he is in the US.

If anyone is reading this, for a moment put aside you bias towards illegal aliens and whatever you bring to the table. Imagine for a moment that your child has gone to school here most or part of their life. You have hopes and dreams for your child right? Your child has plans for their future , right? Maybe your child wants to be a lawyer, a doctor, a school teacher; well for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented children in the US this dream is an impossibility with our system the way it is now.

These children cannot go to college and if they are lucky enough to get into a college when they get out of school they are STILL illegal and will not be able to get a job! Our federal government has allowed these children to be educated until graduation from high school then they are hung out to dry. What are their options? Stay here, living in the shadows or go back to their PARENTS home country where they don't have a life. Their life is here. Please if you can look at this without bias , support the dream act. Look at the provisions in it and see if it is something you can support.

This Week

Well this has been a rather odd week.

Last Saturday I attended the funeral of a dear friend Jerrel Jeter. Jerrel was a great guy. I've known him since I was in 5th grade. He had lots of stumbles along the way after we became adults. He had finally gotten his life together, truly together and then BOOM the unexpected strikes. ILLNESS.

He had a wonderful wife, whom I didn't know but I can tell just from the short time I was around her in the past few weeks that she had helped him tremendously get on and stay on the right path. The only thing that has helped me with his passing is believing that G-d has a plan for our life. We may not know what it is or like it but it's the way it is. I can only hope that Sean, ( another friend who died about 6 years ago) was there waiting on him. Maybe he needed a friend to be there with him.

Yesterday I attended another funeral. This one was quite different. It was for Mrs. Scales who was almost 98. I can only assume that she accomplished untold amounts in her lifetime. It was a beautiful service and her family will miss her for sure, but 98 is a good long and fruitful life and I'm sure she outlived more people than I can even imagine.