Let's get some good discussions going here, it doesn't have to be just about books!  Post a New Topic about something that interests you!

And to get it started, let's introduce ourselves a little.  Where are you from? religious or non? which movement do you belong to, or none at all?  did you grow up in one and then switch? how does our religion or culture effect your everyday life? applesauce or sourcream, or both?   :-)   You get the picture!

For me, I'm a transplanted Bostonian lving now in a comparative Jewish wasteland.  There are a lot of things I love about the community here, but I miss the sheer numbers, and I really miss Yiddish!  I think I've forgotten all I knew.

I'm Reform, and largely Shabbos-observant.  I guess I'm pretty religious, though it's all relative, right?  I love Torah, not because I think it's the word of God, which I don't; but because it's the history of our people, and we've been living and dying for it for millenia.   What's true or isn't, what really happened or didn't  - none of that matters - it's just who we are.

I think the biggest effect of Judaism on my life has been to instill in me from an early age the need for tikkun olam, which is what made me a policital activist.

And both, of course - definitly both!!

Shavua Tov everyone!

Hi! Just thought I'd pop in here and introduce myself. I'm Ivy, 47 years old, born and raised Jewish in NY and now live in Az. I'll try to stop by here more often and peek in and see what's going on.

Happy Mother's Day to you Jewish Mama's! (And those who aren't too!)

Hi! I moved to middle Georgia from Sacramento CA.  Oh, how I miss the city life -- museums, concerts, culture seven days a week.  We have a very small Jewish community here. I'm Reform. Was Conservative in CA. I visit Israel frequently. I love the vibrancy of Tel Aviv. My mother taught me tikkun olam from early on in life. I love my religion and my culture. My work takes me to many Arab countries and I love it. We have one-on-one heart-to-heart discussions. I have met so many wonderful people the world over.

Betty (Elisheva)

Hello ,

I am a Philadelphia native (now in the suburbs) who was raised in a Jewish neighborhood.  I was so sheltered that I didn't become aware of Christians til I was about 10 years old.  Not a good way to grow up.

I'm retired, have one daughter who is a computer geek employed by our school system.  I lost my parents when I was young (both by the time I was 30).  I had a brother who married out of the religion and there was a lotta tsores with my parents after that.  I'm not very religious but am proud of my ethnic background - Also enjoy reading about Jewish women (especially in the period when the majority of Jewish immigrants came here from Europe.

Just finished an interesting book.  CHARITY GIRL by Michael Lowenthal.  Sorry, I can't post it - got it from the library.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE YIDDISHE MOMMAS

Shalom y'all!

Jacob here, reporting from Amherst, Massachusetts, where I attend UMass a junior theatre major (returning home to Baltimore, Maryland soon though)...born and raised Orthodox and I guess I still am.

Any questions...just email me!

Hey Jacob, long time no see!!  PM me sometime and let me know how school is going for you.

I grew up on Long Island in a Conservative Jewish household.  I now live in NJ (didn't go too far...), and am a Reform Jew.  I generally go to Temple every Friday night.  I chose the reform Synagogue based on the warmth of that particular synagogue as a whole, as well as the fact that DH is Catholic, and the Reform movement accepts intermarriage.  We are raising our sons Jewish.

Ivy, I have family that were NY-ers who are now in Tucson!

Hi all. 

I grew up in NJ and I am still here!  I've always been a part of the Reform Movement.  I was a NFTY kid and met my husband at a Winter Conclave!  I am now the Educator at a Reform Synagogue's Religious School.  I love what I do!!  It would be fun to get to know some more of you here in this forum.

Sheryl, where in Jersey are you?

Hi Lisa, I see you're in Hillsborough--I'm not far from you.  I have family in Hillsborough, so I'm up  there every so often.

Sheryl, I used to work in Plainsboro.  What congregation are you affiliated with?

I go to Beth Chaim, in West Windsor.  They are so nice there!

I butted in on this Forum because I have enjoyed quite a few books that had to do with Judaism, such as Max Dimont's Jews, God, and History, and Henry Roth's Call It Sleep, for examples.  My formal church connection is with a Unitarian-Universalist fellowship.  This puts me in a strange place as regards creed or dogma---neither a Christian nor a Jew.  It has sometimes gotten tedious for me, to try to explain my religious stance to questioners.  I suppose it would be easier if U-U's were a creedal lot, but it's a non-creedal community, as some of you probably know already. 

A couple of sidelights:  I love Yiddish, and own (and dip into occasionally) copies of both of Leo Rosten's books of the Yiddish language ( The Joys of Yiddish and that other one...I forget the title)   I think Yiddish enriches English.  My kids insist that I am a real "Jewish mother" (capable of causing children to feel guilt, even long distance!)  And I know how to cook some Kosher specialties....kugel, blintzes, etc.  

And I believe that religious people of the West should freely acknowledge their debt  to the Jews, in religious history, for advancing the world-view from a panoply of capricious gods and goddesses to one of a single deity of moral/ethical principles.

Hi

 I am Dana and i live in Atco, NJ . which is in Camden county NJ .

Glad to hear  from all of you. It seems like a lot of us our in NJ

maybe we can have a NJ get together for paperbackswap and we can swap in person

I was raised COnservative, had a Bas Mitzvah. had a Jewish wedding, have a Jewish husband.

I feel more spiritual now. than religious. Do not attend shul every week.

Found it to political and clicish

hope to see alot more posting

Ierested in reading Jewish theme books and also SPirituality and mystism too

Hi Dana.  A NJ meeting would probably be fun!

Sheryl, I had a feeling  :)  That is where my dad and step-mom belong.  I know the Educator, Anne, fairly well.  Glad you enjoy it there!

Nice to see everyone here.  Hope we can have some regular chats.

I know there was talk of a 2nd NJ get-together.  I'll PM the NJ area Chapter leader.

Bonnie, thanks for a very nice post.  I'll have to check out some of the books you mentioned.

hi eberyone a Nj get togehter would be nice

please post after you hear  back form the NJ chapter leader

ALso Please4 check out my shelf always open for a deal

thanks

Bonnie - Welcome, anyone who can make kugel and blintzes is ok with me!!  ;-)  

I'm so glad to see everyone here, hope we can use this forum for lots of good discussions.  Any of you have spend much time in the CMT forum, or the Religion one, knows those can often get over-the-top christian, so it's wonderful to have a safe place to chat without getting preached at.

I'm jealous of all of you still on the East Coast!  When I lived there, and had so much opportunity, I wasn't at all religious, strictly secular.  Now I'd give anything to have all the choices I had back then.  Oh well, isn't that the way it goes?  As they say, youth is wasted on the young!

Hey, Jeanne S.------I also have a wonderful recipe for Esau's Pottage.  Every time I make it, it gets expeditiously eaten up, here.  One of those who like it a lot is my Swedish-American husband, son of an immigrant.  It's for that dear man that I keep a jar of pickled herring in the fridge at all times, even though the smell knocks me out!

I'm in Bucks County - just across the bridge from Jersey.  If the get together is in S. Jersey, I might be able to make it.  :)

I emailed Brook, the NJ chapter leader, who said that she's planning something for June and to check the Local Area Chapters boards soon for more info.  Phyllis, our last one was in Princeton/West Windsor, so you could definitely come in from Bucks.

Sounds like we should start a Jewish recipe thread. 

Sounds like we should start a Jewish recipe thread. 

Excellent idea!!  If one of you cooks wants to start it, maybe we could ask R if it could be "pinned," or whatever you call it.

Hi

i am inerested in us having a recipe link sounds like a great idea.

Just discovered this forum tonight!  I grew up in Brooklyn and New Jersey (Monmouth County for all you other Jerseyites in this forum!) and moved to Tampa when I was in high school, where I was active in SEFTY.   After time in Alabama and Massachusetts for college and grad school and then 10 years in Georgia, I finally settled here in Jacksonville, Florida 13 years ago.  My family was Conservative at first but later shifted to Reform.  I am semi-observant--haven't been to Temple much since my youngest had her Bat Mitzvah 3 years ago, but still observe the holidays.  My husband is not Jewish (he's not really anything!) but we had a Jewish wedding and  we raised our children as Jewish (they both had Bat Mitzvahs).  Now though I seem to be the only one in the house that really practices anything.  It's a bit discouraging at times......

Hi Robin!

I'm so glad you found us!

I know that after my Bat Mitzvah and through college I wasn't very observant.  Then as an adult some events in my life caused me to turn back to my religion, and I've been here ever since!  Part of what made me not-as-observant those teenage and college years was the fact that everyone acted as if the Bat Mitzvah was the culmination of your Jewish education.   But the temple I go to now stresses how learning is lifelong.  I'm guessing that once your kids get a little older, they'll probably turn back to the religion again. 

Again, Welcome!

WARNING! WARNING! A CHRISTIAN HAS SNUCK INTO YOUR MIDST! LOL!

Don't worry; not here to preach!  And I'm not trying to crash the party.  I've loved Israel and "things Jewish" since I was a teen and began reading books on the Holocaust and the birth of the State of Israel.  I long to visit Israel and would LOVE to take a working vacation and live on a kibbutz for a while. 

I've felt, most of my life, that I probably am Jewish, with family names like Foreman and Moseman, but have been told that I'm probably not Jewish enough to CALL myself Jewish, so I won't.  :-}  Weird, huh?

I'm 51 and live in the northwoods of Minnesota in a very small town.  I was born in southeast Texas, near Houston.

Glad to meet you all!