Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Going to the bris today and feeling like my own sons' were a million years ago.  B was really the only one who had the traditional bris: our house, 40 people, catered by Joan & Gary's, I cried through the prayers and left the room during the actual circumcision.  And A's was at our house with a mohel, and my parents and that was it.  For G, we just had the doctor do it at the hospital.  We had no real Jewish community at that point.  We didn't belong to a synagogue.  We didn't have a ton of friends.  We had no Jewish relatives who would come for it, other than K.  L  had already died.  And we had a big naming for E at Baltimore Hebrew, and then a party at home.  It's such a weird tradition.  A medical procedure where we all observe, clap, sing, and then eat.  Weird.  I am feeling such a meh feeling over the whole Judaism thing as of late.  I have no interest in doing more study, or being more observant.  I'm glad I converted.  I like our Jewish community.  I am glad we raised the kids with something.  But currently I am in the "I just don't care" phase.  Perhaps once I start going to more services with all the upcoming bnai mitzvot and prepping A for his I will get more into it.  Or not.  It's not that I doubt the existence of a plan, or God-or the feeling that we're all interconnected-but I don't need to follow the tenets of Judaism for all of that.  And I don't know that studying more about Judaism, or somehow getting more into it, is the way.  I also think the whole Jesus thing-that he is somehow the only Real way to God-is cuckoo.  Eating certain foods, or praying certain things, or belief in a specific thing-I guess I'm too much of a cynic-but I don't think that is "it".    Believe whatever you want, but don't impose those beliefs on others.  I'm really more "Golden Rule"-do unto others.  Be a kind person, try to help others.  The End.