tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796296150112230934.post701165084745005138..comments2023-10-25T10:56:33.793-04:00Comments on Welcome Balance: Not The Chosen Peoples(b.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08633383652906692253noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796296150112230934.post-26359283492175504802008-04-18T16:39:00.000-04:002008-04-18T16:39:00.000-04:00short answer: I was raised MO on Wednesday evening...short answer: I was raised MO on Wednesday evenings, every other weekend and during the month of July. No category, no BT. Teshuvah is a daily and evolving, revolving, like Turn, Turn, Turn.s(b.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08633383652906692253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796296150112230934.post-52797518052965886032008-04-18T15:35:00.000-04:002008-04-18T15:35:00.000-04:00not a baal teshuva. I don't really fit into any ne...not a baal teshuva. I don't really fit into any neatly labeled boxes, when it comes to religion. There is wisdom from all over, and I appreciate that. My nationality is American (born here). My religion is Judaism (happy).<BR/><BR/>My folks divorced when I was 2 and a half. My dad is MO. My mom is traditional (I have a former stepfather with whom I am not in touch, but he wasn't really into religion and was around from when I was 5 until after I went to college. My dad remarried an awesome woman when I was 13; they have my sister together. They are MO [I would say more via email sarahbtsd at yahoo , if you want].<BR/><BR/>My mom was in the hospital a lot when I was a kid, and I didn't believe in much of anything for a long time. I was mad at God and felt religion was forced on me by my dad (I was a smartypants and left yeshiva after 2nd grade (due to unchallenging English curriculum), then went to prep school, then public school and eventually got a bachelor's degree. I'm still learning -- such is life). <BR/><BR/>My mom's traditional, not a shul-goer. I went to shul in the men's section with my dad. When they sent me upstairs after I turned 12, I lost interest in shul, and I knew nobody up there. I wasn't believing in much at that point, anyway. (like I said, my mom was sick a lot)<BR/><BR/>Some time during my high school years, a smart rav pointed out to me that religion exists independently of my father, so I've forged my own relationship with it, keeping the parts I like, not keeping the parts I don't.<BR/><BR/>I'm now 31, living on Long Island, which has no shortage of Jewish guys but lots of them don't really dig Judaism (or if they do, they're more observant than I am, so I feel awkward trying to meet them, usually).<BR/><BR/>I love music and camping at music festivals. I totally dig my personal relationship with Judaism, and I think that's a really personal thing for folks to figure out for themselves. I don't need initials (BT) to make my kitchen kosher so I can have my relatives who keep kosher over. I don't do what I do "because God said so," or for a good place in olam haba (to each his own, but it's not what will motivate me to do what I think is right).<BR/><BR/>I didn't know mussar was a word for a long time, it's just something I work on. For everything I read with which I disagree, there's something with which I agree. I like a lot of Breslov philosophy, but I don't agree w/their take on masturbation, for example. <BR/><BR/>I do my best to be tolerant of others as long as they don't tell me what to do or how to do it. I haven't worn skirts except at weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs since I left yeshiva. I hate being told what I have to do -- God sees me naked. Skirts are a social thing. I stay out of that social world, most times.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to marry a guy who actually digs and cares about Judaism; knows the difference between being observant and being religious; is fairly tolerant of how folks choose to observe (or not observe). I like pirkei avos, a little tanya, pliskin, twerski, carlebach, the local chabad guy's nice, too. (and who loves music and isn't burnt or an alcoholic [no offense, alcoholics, I've just been down that road too many times] and stuff), but enough about me.<BR/><BR/>Oh, wait, you asked about me. So, yeah, anything I do or believe or observe, it's my choice. I looked into it, I thought about it, God doesn't care if I do it -- I care if I do it. What do I do? Compared to some, not much. Compared to others, a ton. To me, just right, and that evolves. Goldilocks Judaism? Maybe. It feels right. Tikkun olam and being nice are a part of that. I'm me. I'm sarah. <BR/><BR/>Does that explain it, a little?s(b.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08633383652906692253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796296150112230934.post-82057734737816012582008-04-18T13:10:00.000-04:002008-04-18T13:10:00.000-04:00i can't quite place you in the scale of religiosit...i can't quite place you in the scale of religiosity...are you a Baal Teshuva?Jewish Sceptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11262751671021588424noreply@blogger.com