Ask A Jew?

[rjamz]

Jun 21, 2013 12:47:38 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Thank you! I don't know if I will or not, but I am thinking about it. Maybe if I end up putting J in preschool there, I can get to know some people and then go after that. I like a lot of the things the website and the URJ website say about their beliefs and practices, but I guess my biggest hangup is... well, Jesus. lol. No matter where I am with my beliefs about God and salvation, I'm probably always going to like him.

Lol, yeah, Jesus will always be where we differ (though he did seem like a great guy and I do have some heretical questions about whether he was really a true prophet and if for political reasons it was denied. Anyyyyyyway) like imimahoney said, in a reform synagogue, he probably wouldn't even be mentioned. Try to bring him up in an Orthodox (or most Conservative) synagogue and you would be told that he's really not our thing. But Reform Judaism is a lot about culture.

Reform Judaism has an interesting history in Germany, actually. Very traditional Reform communities are actually very austere and rigid in their beliefs, but those are becoming less and less common.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

rjamz ...

Are there any black Jews?

(I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but I am dying to know.)

[rjamz]

Jun 25, 2013 7:56:57 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

rjamz ...

Are there any black Jews?

(I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but I am dying to know.)

Yup, but not many. Some are converts, some are descended from slaves who were owned by Jews and some are Ethiopian Jews who believe they are one of the lost tribes

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[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jun 25, 2013 10:38:37 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jun 25, 2013 7:56:57 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

rjamz ...

Are there any black Jews?

(I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but I am dying to know.)

Yup, but not many. Some are converts, some are descended from slaves who were owned by Jews and some are Ethiopian Jews who believe they are one of the lost tribes

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Decended from slaves who were owned by Jews? So interesting! So, were the slaves of Jews automatically considered Jewish?

[rjamz]

Jun 25, 2013 10:55:19 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jun 25, 2013 10:38:37 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Yup, but not many. Some are converts, some are descended from slaves who were owned by Jews and some are Ethiopian Jews who believe they are one of the lost tribes

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Decended from slaves who were owned by Jews? So interesting! So, were the slaves of Jews automatically considered Jewish?

That i'm not sure about it. It isn't super common, but I know one family whose ancestors adopted Judaism bc their owners were Jewish

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[imimahoney]

Jun 25, 2013 7:56:57 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

rjamz ...

Are there any black Jews?

(I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but I am dying to know.)

Most black Jews are from adoption, conversion or intermarriage. I have several friends who are black, Jewish and adopted. Ethiopian Jews are a relatively small community in Israel and some have migrated to the United States. There are several communities in Africa that practice Jewish traditions and rituals but who are unsure of their exact connection to lineage. Like Rjamz mentioned, they are most likely members of the lost tribes. 

As for Jews and slaves, slaves often adopted the religion of their masters. While most were Christian there were (and still are) several very large Jewish communities down south. In and around Atlanta and New Orleans in particular. 

[katfco]

What do you mean, lost tribes? Is that in addition to the 12 or one of the 12?

[rjamz]

Jun 27, 2013 7:07:11 GMT -5 katfco said:

What do you mean, lost tribes? Is that in addition to the 12 or one of the 12?

One of the 12. There are 10 Lost Tribes. As you know, the Israelites were split into 12 tribes. Each of those tribes was apportioned a piece of land in Canaan. 10 of those Tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel in the North, and 2 formed the Kingdom of Judah in the South.

The Assyrians (I think) conquered the Kingdom of Israel in the North and those 10 tribes were "lost" - they were absorbed into the lands of their conquers.

There's thought that they were dispersed all over. Many groups have claimed to be part of the Lost Tribes including a sect of Ethiopians and some Japanese (I met them when I was there, it was really cool). In particular, the Ethiopians practice many aspects of Judaism without calling it Judaism. A lot of them move to Israel now, where they are officially converted to Judaism.

[katfco]

Jun 27, 2013 9:59:00 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jun 27, 2013 7:07:11 GMT -5 katfco said:

What do you mean, lost tribes? Is that in addition to the 12 or one of the 12?

One of the 12. There are 10 Lost Tribes. As you know, the Israelites were split into 12 tribes. Each of those tribes was apportioned a piece of land in Canaan. 10 of those Tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel in the North, and 2 formed the Kingdom of Judah in the South.

The Assyrians (I think) conquered the Kingdom of Israel in the North and those 10 tribes were "lost" - they were absorbed into the lands of their conquers.

There's thought that they were dispersed all over. Many groups have claimed to be part of the Lost Tribes including a sect of Ethiopians and some Japanese (I met them when I was there, it was really cool). In particular, the Ethiopians practice many aspects of Judaism without calling it Judaism. A lot of them move to Israel now, where they are officially converted to Judaism.

Huh. That's interesting. So they said the tribes of Israel were lost, but what about those from Judah that were taken away when Babylon conquered Judah? Weren't they scattered too?

[rjamz]

Jun 27, 2013 10:07:25 GMT -5 katfco said:

Jun 27, 2013 9:59:00 GMT -5 rjamz said:

One of the 12. There are 10 Lost Tribes. As you know, the Israelites were split into 12 tribes. Each of those tribes was apportioned a piece of land in Canaan. 10 of those Tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel in the North, and 2 formed the Kingdom of Judah in the South.

The Assyrians (I think) conquered the Kingdom of Israel in the North and those 10 tribes were "lost" - they were absorbed into the lands of their conquers.

There's thought that they were dispersed all over. Many groups have claimed to be part of the Lost Tribes including a sect of Ethiopians and some Japanese (I met them when I was there, it was really cool). In particular, the Ethiopians practice many aspects of Judaism without calling it Judaism. A lot of them move to Israel now, where they are officially converted to Judaism.

Huh. That's interesting. So they said the tribes of Israel were lost, but what about those from Judah that were taken away when Babylon conquered Judah? Weren't they scattered too?

Since they returned to Israel after the exile, they aren't considered "lost." All Jews now are considered to be part of those 2 tribes

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Do your pets also have to keep kosher? rjamz

[The Foozzler]

Jul 11, 2013 14:43:33 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Do your pets also have to keep kosher? rjamz

Not rjamz, I assume she is still day drinking! However,mi do know the answer to this one!

Nope! The Torah actually specifies that we are supposed to feed unkosher meat to the dogs. The only big issue with dog food comes during Passover when you are not allowed to bring anything leavened like bread into your house. They do make dog food for this occasion. 

[rjamz]

Jul 11, 2013 15:58:20 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Jul 11, 2013 14:43:33 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Do your pets also have to keep kosher? rjamz

Not rjamz, I assume she is still day drinking! However,mi do know the answer to this one!

Nope! The Torah actually specifies that we are supposed to feed unkosher meat to the dogs. The only big issue with dog food comes during Passover when you are not allowed to bring anything leavened like bread into your house. They do make dog food for this occasion. 

All of this. Suzie's food is technically kosher though since it's just salmon and sweet potatoes.

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[UnicornDog]

I thought I would add this to the conversation:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/black-and-jewish-10-celeb_n_1408357.html

It is driving me crazy right now, but a few years ago I read a short story or piece of journalism by a black woman who went to Israel to visit her childhood best friend, who had moved there under right of return. I can't remember if she was also among the chosen people, or if just her friend was. Anyhow she talks a lot about Beta Israel, the Ethiopian Jews, and the history and relationships between the (sometimes overtly racist) European Jews in Israel and the Falasha. Stupid wine is making me forget where I read it, I think it may have been McSweeneys', or the O Henry Awards, or a compilation like Kings of Nonfiction. Anyhow I hope I remember so people can read it. It was written so well and was also so informative.

[orriskitten]

Jul 11, 2013 15:58:20 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Jul 11, 2013 14:43:33 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Do your pets also have to keep kosher? rjamz

Not rjamz, I assume she is still day drinking! However,mi do know the answer to this one!

Nope! The Torah actually specifies that we are supposed to feed unkosher meat to the dogs. The only big issue with dog food comes during Passover when you are not allowed to bring anything leavened like bread into your house. They do make dog food for this occasion. 

Confession time! I may have mentioned this in the past...

When I was 12, I participated in the Maccabi games (Jewish teen Olympic game type things) and had a host family that kept kosher. My teammate and I accidentally de-kosherized (if that is a word?) one of their sinks with dog food. We dumped the left over meat food into the dairy sink. The next day we went to do it again, but the hostess stopped us before we could. We never told.

In relation to that- how would one make the sink kosher for dairy again? I know rjamz has mentioned making utensils/kitchenware kosher, but how does it work with sinks and counter tops and things you can't boil or toss in the trash?

[The Foozzler]

Jul 13, 2013 9:02:17 GMT -5 orriskitten said:

Jul 11, 2013 15:58:20 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Not rjamz, I assume she is still day drinking! However,mi do know the answer to this one!

Nope! The Torah actually specifies that we are supposed to feed unkosher meat to the dogs. The only big issue with dog food comes during Passover when you are not allowed to bring anything leavened like bread into your house. They do make dog food for this occasion. 

Confession time! I may have mentioned this in the past...

When I was 12, I participated in the Maccabi games (Jewish teen Olympic game type things) and had a host family that kept kosher. My teammate and I accidentally de-kosherized (if that is a word?) one of their sinks with dog food. We dumped the left over meat food into the dairy sink. The next day we went to do it again, but the hostess stopped us before we could. We never told.

In relation to that- how would one make the sink kosher for dairy again? I know rjamz has mentioned making utensils/kitchenware kosher, but how does it work with sinks and counter tops and things you can't boil or toss in the trash?

I believe you kosher a sink with boiling water poured in it. Boiling water is usually the answer to koshering most things.

i am going to tag rjamz on this one because I am not positive.

[rjamz]

Jul 13, 2013 9:48:26 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Jul 13, 2013 9:02:17 GMT -5 orriskitten said:

Confession time! I may have mentioned this in the past...

When I was 12, I participated in the Maccabi games (Jewish teen Olympic game type things) and had a host family that kept kosher. My teammate and I accidentally de-kosherized (if that is a word?) one of their sinks with dog food. We dumped the left over meat food into the dairy sink. The next day we went to do it again, but the hostess stopped us before we could. We never told.

In relation to that- how would one make the sink kosher for dairy again? I know rjamz has mentioned making utensils/kitchenware kosher, but how does it work with sinks and counter tops and things you can't boil or toss in the trash?

I believe you kosher a sink with boiling water poured in it. Boiling water is usually the answer to koshering most things.

i am going to tag rjamz on this one because I am not positive.

Depends on what the sink is made out of. If it's a stainless steel, then yup, boiling water. If it's a porcelain sink, then it can't be made kosher again.

[Deleted]

Jul 11, 2013 16:22:07 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 11, 2013 15:58:20 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Not rjamz, I assume she is still day drinking! However,mi do know the answer to this one!

Nope! The Torah actually specifies that we are supposed to feed unkosher meat to the dogs. The only big issue with dog food comes during Passover when you are not allowed to bring anything leavened like bread into your house. They do make dog food for this occasion. 

All of this. Suzie's food is technically kosher though since it's just salmon and sweet potatoes.

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I love that the dog keeps kosher too 
Even unintentionally.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 13, 2013 9:56:23 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 13, 2013 9:48:26 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

I believe you kosher a sink with boiling water poured in it. Boiling water is usually the answer to koshering most things.

i am going to tag rjamz on this one because I am not positive.

Depends on what the sink is made out of. If it's a stainless steel, then yup, boiling water. If it's a porcelain sink, then it can't be made kosher again.

Why not?

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2013 5:26:32 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jul 13, 2013 9:56:23 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Depends on what the sink is made out of. If it's a stainless steel, then yup, boiling water. If it's a porcelain sink, then it can't be made kosher again.

Why not?

I'm going to guess because porcelain is a porous stone and the water might not remove all of the unkosher material.

[rjamz]

Jul 14, 2013 5:58:31 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Jul 14, 2013 5:26:32 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Why not?

I'm going to guess because porcelain is a porous stone and the water might not remove all of the unkosher material.

Indeed!

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[The Foozzler]

Jul 14, 2013 6:51:24 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 14, 2013 5:58:31 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

I'm going to guess because porcelain is a porous stone and the water might not remove all of the unkosher material.

Indeed!

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So if you had a porcelain sink and someone accidentally did something to make it unkosher, would you buy a new sink?

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2013 6:51:24 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 14, 2013 5:58:31 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

I'm going to guess because porcelain is a porous stone and the water might not remove all of the unkosher material.

Indeed!

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Yes! All that study of religious history is really paying off!

[rjamz]

Jul 14, 2013 7:19:37 GMT -5 The Foozzler said:

Jul 14, 2013 6:51:24 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Indeed!

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So if you had a porcelain sink and someone accidentally did something to make it unkosher, would you buy a new sink?

Me? No. I would put a rubber mat/metal grate on the bottom and switch it out for meat and dairy. That's what most people do who buy houses with porcelain sinks or who have rentals with them.

[rjamz]

Jul 14, 2013 7:26:47 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Jul 14, 2013 6:51:24 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Indeed!

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Yes! All that study of religious history is really paying off!

High five!

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Can you eat gelatin? Is there such a thing as Jew-safe gelatin? I'm obviously eating gummy bears. rjamz

[rjamz]

Jul 19, 2013 13:28:09 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Can you eat gelatin? Is there such a thing as Jew-safe gelatin? I'm obviously eating gummy bears. rjamz

Nein, my German friend.

Well that's not entirely true. We can't eat pig gelatin. But we can eat fish gelatin and the stuff made from seaweed. It's not very chewy though and makes for some very stiff gummy bears. They're getting better at it though

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 19, 2013 13:49:01 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 19, 2013 13:28:09 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Can you eat gelatin? Is there such a thing as Jew-safe gelatin? I'm obviously eating gummy bears. rjamz

Nein, my German friend.

Well that's not entirely true. We can't eat pig gelatin. But we can eat fish gelatin and the stuff made from seaweed. It's not very chewy though and makes for some very stiff gummy bears. They're getting better at it though

What do you do if you accidentally eat something non kosher? Do you have to be rekosherized somehow?

[rjamz]

Jul 19, 2013 13:53:02 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jul 19, 2013 13:49:01 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Nein, my German friend.

Well that's not entirely true. We can't eat pig gelatin. But we can eat fish gelatin and the stuff made from seaweed. It's not very chewy though and makes for some very stiff gummy bears. They're getting better at it though

What do you do if you accidentally eat something non kosher? Do you have to be rekosherized somehow?

If it's an accident, it's an accident. No harm.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 19, 2013 14:20:59 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Jul 19, 2013 13:53:02 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

What do you do if you accidentally eat something non kosher? Do you have to be rekosherized somehow?

If it's an accident, it's an accident. No harm.

What if it's on purpose? (huh)