Religion (Poll)

[Vito]

I was raised Catholic but I am a non-denominational Christian, so I checked other

[SW]

I am Catholic

But what do you mean with "Other"?

[HiWarp]

Funny how there's no "muslim" option.

[RON_PATEL]

Many JTFers, myself included, practise more than one faith without any contradiction. Take me for example. My grandfather was orthodox Jew from Baghdad before he moved to Persia and then Bombay. He met and married my grandmother from India who was Hindu. My mothers family feld Persia for India and still belong to the rare Zoroastrian faith (the largest community of which is still active in Bombay) Living in secular India I practise all three faiths, Judaism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. Every man, woman and child is a product of his environment and religion is just one aspect of faith. Spirituality is much deeper and more important that ritual practices. Nationalism is the main ideology of our times and and China and India are at the forefront of this movement along with the good old US of A.

Shalom
RON

[Zelhar]

Many JTFers, myself included, practise more than one faith without any contradiction. Take me for example. My grandfather was orthodox Jew from Baghdad before he moved to Persia and then Bombay. He met and married my grandmother from India who was Hindu. My mothers family feld Persia for India and still belong to the rare Zoroastrian faith (the largest community of which is still active in Bombay) Living in secular India I practise all three faiths, Judaism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. Every man, woman and child is a product of his environment and religion is just one aspect of faith. Spirituality is much deeper and more important that ritual practices. Nationalism is the main ideology of our times and and China and India are at the forefront of this movement along with the good old US of A.

Shalom
RON

Shalom Ron, What do you mean by practicing the 3 religions ?
According to Judaism, You, as a gentile,  are not expected to observe the 7 laws of Noach.  It might be possible to practice some other religion and still observe the 7 noachide laws. However surely it is impossible to practice Judaism together with another religion.

[RON_PATEL]

Shalom Zelhar:

You are right in that its not mandatory to observe the seven laws of Noahide but most gentiles in my country follow these anyways knowingly or unknowingly (muslims excpeted). Its just the way we are brought up...more like a tradition, not religion. Also you do realize that being Jewish does not only mean rituals and being part of a large tribe or being born to a Jewish mom. These are very important but it is more important to FEEL Jewish before you can BE Jewish. It means being identified as part of a group that has been persecuted and killed throughout history for being who they are. I have met many self-hating Jews in my life who even land up hating other Jews. I do not consider them Jewish even though the establishment here is forced to do so.To accept a Jewish identity therefore is to embrace much more than the seven laws!

Shalom and God bless
RON

[Dr. Dan]

Well, I used to go to a Synogogue that was part of the conserved movement..and I'm certianly not an Orthodox Jew...so at best, I'm a sefardic traditional Jew...which isn't a choice up there...Sefardic should be  a choice..and maybe Jew of an unaffiliated movement.

[Dr. Dan]

I am Baal Teshuva who came back to Orthodox observance about seven years ago. I think that Orthodox is the truest form of Jewish observance and don't really understand why the other categories even exist {other than the yetzer hara}.

WHat makes the most sense to me is the following for JEws:

Sefardic
Orthodox
Traditional non-orthodox
Secular

[muman613]

I am Baal Teshuva who came back to Orthodox observance about seven years ago. I think that Orthodox is the truest form of Jewish observance and don't really understand why the other categories even exist {other than the yetzer hara}.

WHat makes the most sense to me is the following for JEws:

Sefardic
Orthodox
Traditional non-orthodox
Secular

The Torah was given to ALL Jews at Mount Sinai. When Judaism was created there was not multiple different categories of Jews. Everyone has to obey the commandments, or else you are not a Jew. If you were a Jew and you disobeyed the commands you were liable for punishment. Reform was only created about seventy years ago and conservative after that. These 'categories' of Judaism were only invented in the last century. Before this every Jew was a Torah Jew which is what Hashem expects from us. The reform movement hurt the Jewish people very much and some even blame the holocausts occurrence on the fact that Germany was the place the reform movement started.

I dont think Sefardic is different from Orthodox. I daven in an Orthodox shul where both Ashkenaz and Sefardic nusach are observed. There is not very much difference between the two, only the minhags {customs} are slightly different.

[Dr. Dan]

I am Baal Teshuva who came back to Orthodox observance about seven years ago. I think that Orthodox is the truest form of Jewish observance and don't really understand why the other categories even exist {other than the yetzer hara}.

WHat makes the most sense to me is the following for JEws:

Sefardic
Orthodox
Traditional non-orthodox
Secular

The Torah was given to ALL Jews at Mount Sinai. When Judaism was created there was not multiple different categories of Jews. Everyone has to obey the commandments, or else you are not a Jew. If you were a Jew and you disobeyed the commands you were liable for punishment. Reform was only created about seventy years ago and conservative after that. These 'categories' of Judaism were only invented in the last century. Before this every Jew was a Torah Jew which is what Hashem expects from us. The reform movement hurt the Jewish people very much and some even blame the holocausts occurrence on the fact that Germany was the place the reform movement started.

I dont think Sefardic is different from Orthodox. I daven in an Orthodox shul where both Ashkenaz and Sefardic nusach are observed. There is not very much difference between the two, only the minhags {customs} are slightly different.

I think you are technically correct...a Jew is a Jew...and the ideal form of Judaism is Orthodox Ashkenazi/Sefardic.  But not everyone is ideal. I was merely stating that if one chooses to put a choice for orthodox jew, they should add traditional non orthodox such as people like me, and secular.  Not every Jew is going to be an orthodox Jew...and many of them are probably doing some soul searching throughout their lives to find their answer.  HOwever, if the poll simply says Jewish...then there is no need to spell out what type of Jewish.

[Zelhar]

I am Baal Teshuva who came back to Orthodox observance about seven years ago. I think that Orthodox is the truest form of Jewish observance and don't really understand why the other categories even exist {other than the yetzer hara}.

WHat makes the most sense to me is the following for JEws:

Sefardic
Orthodox
Traditional non-orthodox
Secular

The masortic (traditional) Jews in Israel consider themselves orthodox. There are no 'masorti' rabbis.

[Dr. Dan]

I am Baal Teshuva who came back to Orthodox observance about seven years ago. I think that Orthodox is the truest form of Jewish observance and don't really understand why the other categories even exist {other than the yetzer hara}.

WHat makes the most sense to me is the following for JEws:

Sefardic
Orthodox
Traditional non-orthodox
Secular

The masortic (traditional) Jews in Israel consider themselves orthodox. There are no 'masorti' rabbis.

A traditional Jew should know better to go to an orthodox rabbi... if to any rabbi.  If a Jew who called himself traditional non orthodox went to a non orthodox rabbi, I would place them in the secular category...or simply unaffiliated Jew who tries to be traditional.