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Hannukah 2011

This is a picture I took at the Tomb of Rachel

Okay, so Hanukkah has come and gone and I didn't even write about it so I thought I would at least say something here. Now that I've had a Hannukah here in Israel I will say this. I have much more respect for Jews in the States. I mean Hannukah is a minor holiday for Judaism but for Americans it is a very big deal. When I was living there I often wondered why? Why do so many of us make Hannukah a big party. I, now, appreciate the fact that the social pressure on American Jews is great. The one way American Jews can define their faith, is during the pressures of the Christian festival. So, this year it caused me to pause and both appreciate being here and appreciate the struggle even I had while in the States. This fact exactly illustrates the struggle the Maccabies had against the Greeks. The Jews were surrounded by a culture that denied their right to practice their own religion and socially made it taboo. During this time Israel saw many of it's own people taking part in the practice of the Greeks . They were called Hellenist Jews. I remembered being in the States and seeing some Jews actually taking part in Christmas. At the time I didn't think anything about it. It seemed fine and harmless. The Jews who did celebrate it didn't believe in the religious part of it so what was the harm. I realize now the danger. It doesn't take believing in it to cause Jews to go away from our own way of life and faith. It is our actions that make the difference no matter the intention behind it. So, I dedicate this entry to my brothers and sisters in America and pray that they will stay strong and faithful until a time when they themselves can come back home to live.


(They fact is here in Israel, for most Israelis it is barely a thought except for one thing. This phenomenon has a name...it is called...  Sufganiot... aka... DOUGHNUTS! Yes you heard it correctly. While in the states most of us had Latkes... Here in Israel it is doughnuts. During Hannukah they are everywhere. Children know that during this time they will get more sugar in one week than they will get for the whole year. It's funny how it works. Everywhere you turn and in every store you can imagine they are there. Women complain but then give in to the pressure of  'The Doughnut'. lol )

The Kippah delima, Jerusalem style

  Okay, So, I'm not really going to get into being religious ( I will save that for a more serious post...if I get around to writing a 'serious' post) but there is something I wanted mention here.  As the title post says, Kippah wearing is an interesting phenomenon here in Jerusalem. I remember being in the states and it being a huge deal for men. Do you wear a kippah or not? If you aren't completely observant is it right to wear one what if you are going to a non-kosher restaurant? If you aren't at the level of Keeping  Shabbat what do you do?  Should you take off the kippah at some point in order not to be mistaken for an observant Jew? I have to say once I made it here to Jerusalem I was relieved to find this is  not a big deal here...or is it?

Kippah- This is a sort of a hat men and occasionally women wear on their head as a sign they are mindful of who is above them... and no I don't mean their husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend or even their boss.
Observant- This is a word we use to describe those who live according to Jewish Law. Some use the word religious but that sometimes has a different meaning in the Jewish world as you will see. 
Shabbat- This is what some knows as the Sabbath in English. This is the day which starts around sun down friday night and ends when three stars are visible in the sky...roughly. (Please folks don't write to me complaining about my definitions. They are my own definitions and are not meant to be Halacha. To my readers: I will define this word another time.) 
Haradie- These are people who are very religious and feel others should be like them. Okay not all of them but many of them. lol
Hasidim-These people are similar to Haradie in dress but are very different in their teaching and practice. I will not go into it but the easiest difference is Hasidim have a 'Rebbe' who they greatly believe in as a whole. They seperate themselves into groups that come from certain parts of Eastern Europe. 
HASHEM- This is the word observant people use to mention G-d. Ha Shem in Hebrew means, the name and we use it in order to pay proper respect the the various names of G-d in Hebrew.  

   Here in Jerusalem people wear kippot all the time. I don't mean everyone does but many do. Initially that was great. All these people must really have 'spiritual' lives right? Not necessarily. So, for those that care, here's the deal. I think I have narrowed it down enough to come up with a guide. Please feel free to tell me I'm way off if you like but here is what I see and hear in Jerusalem.

    Like the colors of the rainbow there are many colors a kippah might be. Literally they come in every color but for many people not all kippahs are created equal. Having lived here in Jerusalem for two months now there seems to be a sort of color coding for kippahs and what they say about the observance of the wearer. This is not to say I think this way but for the people I have asked and those I have over heard it is a reality. Even if it's only in the observers mind. So, here it goes...

    My favorite color is black so no big deal right? So, I get a black kippah and start wearing it. Now, religious people look at me funny when I sit next to a girl  on the bus or do anything that isn't what they do. when I say religious people I mean those who go beyond observance to a kind of 'super' Jew. Okay, I'm being ficitious but they do try to go further than what is required. These people are called Haradie. (not sure how to spell it in English) They dress in all black except for a white shirt (the men) and the women cover themselves from their ankles to just past the elbows and everything in between. Now, the simple act of wearing a black kippah put me in a different 'bracket' in the eyes of the 'public'. There is another group of people who dress similar and the only real way you can tell them apart is the differences in the actual hats they wear. This group is called Hasidim.  There are times when I'm sitting at the bus stop watching them pass by and wonder which group would win a fight, a race, a basketball game or a game of scrabble. Okay, I'm getting off the subject. So, those who wear black kippot (plural form of kippah) are assumed to be of a more religious nature. From there we go to the white kippah. This white kippah is usually worn by Sphardi men. The color does not denote level of observance. Largely it is a sign to the public that they are in fact sphardi and proud of it. Usually the size of the white kippah is what matters when talking about observance. The smaller the kippah the less observant. (I'm not saying this is how it always is, just a generalization) I have seen some kippahs that are only slightly bigger than  a postage stamp. Very funny to see. Then some white kippahs are the size of a head wrap. The larger ones are usually worn by those who think of themselves as very observant or spiritual and are often engaged in studying Kabbalah although not always. There is also a kind of kippah called na nakers. Well, that's what I call them anyway. This is a type of Hasidic group here. they look like skii caps. They have strings that come down the sides of the head. I don't know why. Perhaps when I find out why I will write about it.

   Then there are the kippahs that are solid colors. they are usually leather and are on the small side and are held on with a hair clip or two. I've heard these are modern orthodox but who the hell really knows. lol  They are usually well dressed and have a bit of money it seems to me. After that there are the kippahs that are the hallmark of Modern Orthodox. These are solid color in the middle and around the edges there is a woven pattern. They are usually knit and medium to small. After that you have the multi-colored kippahs. If they are knit then they are usually still modern orthodox. Then you have the crocheted kippahs. These are people who are usually observant but a little on the hippy side, which I sort of like. They are laid back and a little 'in the clouds'. The crocheted kippot are usually very large and some even lean toward  rastafarian hats.

I must say here there are a very small number of women who wear kippot but very few. It is handy for saying blessings though because traditionally we are not to say any name of G-d with our heads uncovered. (Women's fashion in observance is interesting as well but that is for another post.)

The funny thing about kippot here is more than the level of observance of the wearer you can tell what kind of family they come from. If nothing else, observant or not, in Jerusalem, people  wear kippot because they always have and that is why they wear it still. It is my opinion that while it's unfortunate that not everyone is so spiritual as to wear it with the mind set of Hashem it is still good to see because I think, no matter how secular someone is it is difficult to make the effort to wear a kippah without having,at least, a fleeting thought of the divine.

Here I am

  So, I now live in Israel which is something I never thought I would sasy. As a Jew in the States I never really felt the same way as many do about moving to Israel. I know it is a mitzvah and an obligation if at all possible to live here but I never really cared about such things. Now that I  am here that has changed. I've  heard the stories of other people far more talented than myself sacrificing their standard of living and security of life just to live here. I've  been impressed with the shear number of people who are determined to make it here no matter what. I know that for many non-Jews this sounds a bit crazy. Why would we come to this land, with enemies all around us and the world dying to get rid of us, and struggle to make it here when we had perfectly legitimate lives in other countries? Well, the truth is not all of us have had as great a life as we American Jews have enjoyed. In the States we take it for granted that Israel is here. We are in a type of Ivory tower far removed from the struggle here. Despite that many of us do end up  drawn to this land. It has been in our family for thousands of years. It is our home. It is where we long to be. It is where many of us... belong.