Late to the post but I found this one moving. It also reflects many of my thoughts as I've become a mother. Much to my children's chagrin, we are making them go to weekly language school and I am pushing for them to go to religious classes once a week once old enough. I tell my husband I want to provide scaffolding for my children so that they can build upon their ethnic and religious roots. Continuity with the past and our ancestry is important, especially in a modern world where everyone is always focused on the future.
Oct 11, 2022·edited Oct 11, 2022Liked by Misha Saul
My parents had an interesting take. Soviet immigrants, they ended up sending me to a religious orthodox school in the US. This was quite difficult for me, as I became more religious than them, and also often felt shame. Then I chose to go to a secular school and over time, became less religious (actually becoming and choosing not be religious were instantaneous, but the practice gains steam and drops away at a slower rate - for example, I still do not eat pig). Then later, my mother became religious and would get frustrated that I wasn't. I ended up marrying someone jewish who is not super interested in keeping the practice, so I probably have more dispute with him than I would with my Colombian boyfriend who wanted to convert to Judaism. All that being said, the Jewish practice is varied, and with different levels of religiousness, can make t very hard to match the "practice" of Judaism even within a family, especially when the practice is new generationally speaking.
Misha, a gitten moed! I got here via Scott Alexander. I'm enjoying your posts, especially this one. Forgive the naked self-promotion, but I've written a book called Judaism Straight Up: Why Real Religion Endures that I think will resonate. This review in the Jewish Review of Books should give you the flavor: https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/9532/when-heidi-met-shimen/
Late to the post but I found this one moving. It also reflects many of my thoughts as I've become a mother. Much to my children's chagrin, we are making them go to weekly language school and I am pushing for them to go to religious classes once a week once old enough. I tell my husband I want to provide scaffolding for my children so that they can build upon their ethnic and religious roots. Continuity with the past and our ancestry is important, especially in a modern world where everyone is always focused on the future.
My parents had an interesting take. Soviet immigrants, they ended up sending me to a religious orthodox school in the US. This was quite difficult for me, as I became more religious than them, and also often felt shame. Then I chose to go to a secular school and over time, became less religious (actually becoming and choosing not be religious were instantaneous, but the practice gains steam and drops away at a slower rate - for example, I still do not eat pig). Then later, my mother became religious and would get frustrated that I wasn't. I ended up marrying someone jewish who is not super interested in keeping the practice, so I probably have more dispute with him than I would with my Colombian boyfriend who wanted to convert to Judaism. All that being said, the Jewish practice is varied, and with different levels of religiousness, can make t very hard to match the "practice" of Judaism even within a family, especially when the practice is new generationally speaking.
Misha, a gitten moed! I got here via Scott Alexander. I'm enjoying your posts, especially this one. Forgive the naked self-promotion, but I've written a book called Judaism Straight Up: Why Real Religion Endures that I think will resonate. This review in the Jewish Review of Books should give you the flavor: https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/9532/when-heidi-met-shimen/
I'm happy to send you a copy.
Are you doing this progression with Chabad? A modern orthodox shul? Something else?
My wife and I are at the beginning of a similar journey. Thanks!