But that's what puzzled me. My friends are definitely "observant" Jews, ie, "observant" meaning keeping a kosher kitchen, observing Shabbat, sending the children to Hebrew school, spending a lot of time (several times a week in one case, a couple of times in the other) at the synagogue, praying, studying Hebrew (even the adults.) One of the children will go to a Jewish camp where they study Torah this summer.
That list is foreign to me. My husband and I not only spend a lot of time with them, I am routinely invited to certain fun occasions at one of their synagogues. This year and last I attended Purim Spiel, for example. Everyone, including the rabbi there, knows me and greets me warmly. A doctor I met at the synagogue, hearing in August that I had been hospitalized, dropped by to see me at the hospital, telling the nurses to take very good care of me (in a jocular way, but the nurses were especially attentive after that!) The young daughter of one of my friends asked her mother, "Mom, what exactly are N and E, are they members of our family, or what?" One of my friends has an unmarried sister who dates non-Jews. The idea of not "fixing up" a Jewish friend with a non-Jewish friend is totally strange to me, and would be to them. (They would prefer she marry a Jew, because it's important to them that the children be raised Jewish; but they care most about what kind of person the man is.)
And the idea that you aren't supposed to reciprocate social invitations by a Jew is wildly off the wall! I don't know any Orthodox Jews, but my friends are Conservative, and they would sure be amazed to hear I could hang out there but they shouldn't hang out here. We all have Thanksgiving dinner together usually. Not attend a Jewish wedding? I've attended a half dozen, at least. My non-Jewish husband played a ceremonial role in the bris of the now five year old son of one of these friends.
I think the word "observant" is being translated, in that piece, as "Orthodox," or even ultra-Orthodox. My friends are very, very observant Jews by any ordinary definition of the word. That list has nothing to do with the way they live their lives.
BTW, I call them "religious fanatics," and roll my eyes and say, "Unfortunately, there's no God," when they declare their intention to pray for me. They think it's hilarious, and pray anyway.
A shared sense of humor is everything among friends.
Edit: I just remembered something I thought was funny. When the now nine year old daughter was six or seven, and was told that N and E didn't believe in God, she was amazed, and asked, "Are they Pagans?" |
