Saturday, November 28, 2015

What is Orthodox?

  When the auspicious announcement went out the other day that announced that women can never be accepted as an orthodox Jewish rabbi I was unmoved. I guess this is because I have zero desire to be a rabbi.
     What bothered me more is the discussion of blogs and what is orthodox Judaism and what is not. I hate when people like to say that modern orthodoxy is almost conservative Judaism. It is not. Even in the stone age when I was a kid conservative Jews did not keep shabbos at all. Perhaps they kept kosher to some degree , but that's about it. A conservative shul  may have had more traditional service but they also  used a microphone on shabbos. It was a lot closer to reform Judaism. I do not think that much has changed except for the fact that conservative Jews have shifted more to the left and have become less observant. One could say that many orthodox Jews have shifted to the left and have created open orthodoxy or partnership minyans because the conservative Jewish movement is way too far to the left for them and they want to be more liberal than orthodox Judaism. Just because someone may be far to the left as far as being an orthodox Jew that does not mean they are interested in open orthodoxy or partnership minyanim. Then again, there are those who are not so strict as an orthodox Jew but not as lax as a conservative Jew . I think that open orthodoxy is filling that gap. A lot of it is about semantics. No on likes their brand of observance to be insulted, but in the end people will remain in the denomination they feel comfortable in and won't care much about what others think anyway.

Food Vs Drink

     I  know that this is a stereotype, but I think this one really rings true. Jewish people are all about the food and non - Jewish people are all about the drink as in alcoholic ones. For me this is true. I am Jewish and I prefer good food to good wine. Whenever I am somewhere where people are drinking alcoholic beverages excessively I always am secretly wondering what is it about them that makes them prefer drink over food. 

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Its all About the Pictures

      When I go on vacation I am always snapping photos. It is part of what makes vacation fun. Some think that photo taking prevents people from enjoying the moment. I strongly disagree. Taking photos is part of what makes the moment fun. I like seeing how great a photo I can create. It preserves the moments that will never return. When I am have forgotten my phone or camera I always regret the photos I was unable to take.


  I can't imagine not having these photos . I loved being where they were taken and I loved taking them. Its best to get LOTS of photos because you never know which ones will really come out well. 

Happy Thanksgiving!




Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

FOMO

     There is a disease some of my friends have that is called FOMO - Fear of Missing Out. Some have it more than others. Recently I spent time with a friend who suffers greatly from this syndrome. I found it exhausting. They had to stay until the end of every party , attend every single's event for fear of missing the one that could be the answer to all dreams. Am I really so cynical to believe that I should just attend those events I can sanely tolerate instead of trying to attend every event I hear of?
I don't have the energy for FOMO. Or maybe I realize that no matter how much one tries everything is not in my control and if I can't do EVERYTHING socially its okay. 

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Peace

     Right around 9/11 I was really enjoying living in NYC. Nothing like a massive  terror attack to ruin one's relationship with the city one lives in . Its taken me a long time to like it here again.
 I visited the Queen's Museum today which has a large sculpture of the world in front of it. It really made me think a lot about the world not just the city that I inhabit. Its a wondrous world that we all get to live in. We need peace here on earth  and to all try to get along. This of course is much easier said than done.  

Monday, November 2, 2015

Zoo

     I have been in New York for many years and had never been to the Bronx zoo until yesterday. Now that I have an IDNYC (NYC id ) card and am entitled to a one year membership to the Bronx zoo I decided it was high time I visit the Bronx zoo.



    As a kid in the Midwest the zoo was a big highlight of childhood. I went there often with my parents , grandparents, summer camp and school . It was relaxing and fun. Visiting the Bronx zoo yesterday brought back a lot of those memories.
      I think that  the zoo I went to as a child as well as the Bronx zoo had a similarity in construction. The tram was the same , the fast food areas were designed the same. The Bronx zoo seems smaller than the zoo I used to visit as a child, but I can't say for sure. They last time I went to the Midwestern zoo of my childhood I was a child which is more years ago than I would care to admit.
 I am not a pet lover but I do enjoy  seeing the peacefulness of animals in a zoo. I also loved the many photographic opportunities that were available.
     I am glad that the IDNYC  (New York City id card) facilitated my first visit to the Bronx zoo. It brought back so many good memories. I plan on going back soon, especially since I have a free membership for this year.