Can you define Judaism?

On a recent visit to the GP with my son, the  Dr asked us where we were from.  My initial reaction was to say London, but we were in London, talking with English accents, so I asked her to clarify what she meant. “You both have such a lot of curly hair” she said, “ I just wondered …..”  My immediate response, as though I’d now understood what she was referring to, was “We’re Jewish”, which seemed to satisfy her, but I came away wondering why it had, as actually I’m not a religious Jew at all and what does curly hair have to do with a religion?

Ask a group of people what does being Jewish mean to them, some will say it is a religion, some a race and some a culture, so which one is it, or is it all three?  The simple answer is that it is not that simple.

Living in the UK in the 21^st Century, many Jews, particularly the younger generation are struggling with their Jewish identity, and we are seeing an increasing rate of assimilation as Jews intermarry or abandon Judaism altogether. Is it that Jews feel if they do not follow the religion, attend synagogue regularly and celebrate the festivals, they can no longer consider themselves Jewish, or is there a cultural element that still helps them to retain their Jewish identity?

From my point of view, I am not religious, do not attend synagogue and increasingly do not celebrate the festivals, but there is still a strong sense of Jewish identity within me which I hope I am passing on to my children. I eat bagels, chopped liver, gefilte fish and kneidlach and I don’t eat bacon.  I feel an affinity with Jewish comedians, artists and actors and love watching programmes such as “Who do You Think you Are?” where someone famous explores their Jewish heritage, and I tell the Dr I’m Jewish, when she asks about my curly hair!

So when I read an article this morning about Punk Jews, a documentary about different groups of Jews, exploring their identities together through cultural activities, I realised that the London Jewish Cultural Centre is doing just that. We provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to explore their Jewish identity and of course, and just as importantly, for non Jewish people to learn more about our heritage.

As the LJCC is independent and inclusive, we welcome Jews and non Jews of all affiliations, recognising that Jewish identity can be explored through culture as well as religion. For such a minority group, a relatively large number of Jewish actors, comedians and artists of all types have enjoyed huge success around the world, contributing to a rich and varied cultural heritage.

The new term starts this week, and we have a very exciting programme of activities lined up for the autumn term covering language, literature, film, art, comedy, music, dance, history and of course the all important food!

Come and explore with us and learn more about what Judaism means to you. How do you define Judaism?

Jewish culture around the world

Synagogue in Bridgetown, Barbados

As the summer draws to a close and thoughts start to return to school, work and winter, I thought it might be interesting to compare some summer travel experiences in relation to Jewish culture.

One evening whilst on holiday in Italy, my family and I found ourselves sharing a table with a family of three women, the grandmother, mother and daughter, who said they were from Los Angeles, a fact that their accents clearly betrayed as not entirely true. As we chatted, it became clear that they were Jewish immigrants from Uzbekistan and they had moved to the United States after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  What was originally intended as a quick supper before heading off for the evening, turned in to an evening of fascinating conversation, hearing first hand what life had been like for the Jews under the Soviet regime, and how their father in particular, a University professor practised Judaism secretly at the same time as being a member of the Communist party, in order to gain a job. They told us how they had to leave the house in the middle of the night to go to the synagogue to get some Matzo for Pesach.

Although we only spent three hours with this family, we came away with a feeling of awe and admiration for them and what they went through to maintain their faith and heritage. Whenever we meet other Jewish people from around the world, there is always an affinity, and a sense of celebration of our shared heritage. Several years ago we arrived at the synagogue in Barbados for a Friday night service.  There are only about 80 Jewish families on Barbados and we were welcomed like one of the family and invited out for a trip to “the best ice cream parlour on the island” after the service.

When we travel, as Jews, we often seek out sites of Jewish heritage, of which there are many fascinating ones around the world, even if our destination is not known for its Jewish history. Some are just remnants of communities that once were and others are wonderful testaments to the survival of our Jewish culture, and I think these experiences remind us of the importance of keeping our heritage alive. Living in England we are fortunate that our Matzo purchases need not be clandestine or dangerous but we should appreciate and celebrate that fact. This autumn we have lined up a wonderful choice of Jewish cultural events here in London, seminars, activities and tours for you to enjoy,  and hope that you will come and join us in our celebration.

We would love to hear of any summer travel experiences you have had, or places you have visited this summer with unexpected and surprising Jewish connections. 

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How does such senseless violence change our world?

How is it that our society can change overnight from a peaceful, law abiding community, to a city that is ransacked by rioters and looters? The images we have seen on television this week have been images that we often see from other countries, where political unrest is common, but we do not expect to be seeing such levels of violence on the streets of London, and acts of violence that appear to be perpetrated by such young people.

I think it is safe to say that most Londoners are in shock this week at the way things can deteriorate so quickly and fear can enter our lives, and all with little apparent political agenda. This week will certainly stick in our memories for a long time and change our perspective on society.

Whilst I’m not wishing to compare what has happened this week in London to the atrocities committed on 9/11, I think the senselessness of both leaves you feeling with a similar disbelief that this is actually happening.

This year sees the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 and to commemorate this we will be holding a seminar next week reflecting on Liberty and Freedom in the light of 9/11 and how the world has changed as a result.

Will London be changed as a result of this week?