Standing By Your Sex-Hobbyist -Man; Because It's Your Fault Too?

CONVERSION - The 'Latent' Jewish Soul

I posted this in a comment at my blogging friend, Emily's blog: Becoming Jewish.

My brother told me a great joke once -
Mr. Schwartz dies - goes to heaven - and St. Peter meets him at the gate. “Mr. Schwartz, we’ve been waiting for you - come on in.”

Peter escorts Mr. Schwartz down a long hallway of rooms where people are partying like crazy. Over the door of each room it says: Hindu, Ba’hai, Shinto, Methodist, Presbyterian, and so on.

Peter says “come Mr. Schwartz our biggest room is for us Jews!! And there’s a party with food in there like you have never seen in your life!”

As he keeps walking - Peter turns to him and says “be totally quiet when we pass this next room.”

They pass and there are hundreds of people on their knees praying like crazy.
“Who are they?” asks Mr. Schwartz as they pass the room.

“Them?” says Peter “Oh those are the super right wing evangelical conservatives!

They think they’re the only ones up here.”

(its a JOKE people!)
Exclusivity versus Inclusivity in all faiths is problematic. There are Jews who will try to tell you HOW to be Jewish or that you aren't a 'good enough' Jew. With the conflicting holidays upon us and my own tiny family having only one Jew, me - this has been on my mind a lot. I will write more about this when I get home - and as my time allows. Until then I will use the wonderful writing of others that resonates with me:

As Nick Zaller says:

"I have been told over and over again that I am not a real Jew.

"The passion that I felt for ideas like tikkun olam (repairing the world) overflowed from somewhere deep within me. The words of the Kabbalah massaged my broken soul. I voraciously inhaled the wisdom of a tradition that has braved the most violent of storms.

I read the Book of Ruth again. And again. And the beauty of her choice overwhelms me and allows me to reaffirm my Judaism. Despite the words and actions of others, my faith is as unbroken as the tradition of which it is a part. I follow my people to the very beginning. Where it all started. I used to believe that half of my soul was at Mt. Sinai. And too many Jews have told me the same. They did not stand next to me at the mountain when the people of Israel were choosing their God. Yes, the people of Israel chose. And so have I chosen. This makes me one of the chosen people."

Zaller's full article here

But first, read Emily's GREAT post about WHO CHOSES TO CONVERT?

Also check this post by my friend at Keli Ata, who also made the jump from Catholicism to Judaism - as I am.