Jewish Musings Friday/Shabbat, January 19/20

[hollygail]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you who stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[hollygail]

When we celebrate, we remember those who are poor or are without family. That is why the Torah commands Jews to join together with other families that cannot afford their own lamb for the pesach sacrifice. Even though we do not sacrifice animals anymore, all our celebrations remind us that there is a world beyond ourselves. For many years, my DS made the family seder and always made it her business to invite at least one non-Jewish person. For quite a few of those years, she taught English for foreign students at Pepperdine University (a Church of Christ school with an international reputation). I have no recollection how many of her students I met over the years.

And so whenever I made/make a seder, I follow my DS's lead and invite at least one non-Jewish person. I haven't been hosting for quite a few years (although I often lead the seder at other people's homes). How about you? It doesn't have to be about Passover, but how do you remember either the needy or the non-Jew for inclusion in a Jewish event?

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well, warm and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Re today's topic: I give to food banks at the supermarket; the cashiers have it all electronically, so it is easy.

And for my own news, I have an tele-med appointment with my endocrinologist today, so I weighed myself. I am now down just over 60 pounds from my highest weight, with almost half of that from Ozempic! I am very happy and excited about this. I'm going to talk with her about what I'm going to do when my Ozempic runs out this spring, as BC/BS now demands pre-approval for weight-loss meds and I've been turned down for Ozempic. Hopefully, I will get approved for something else.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[brgmsn]

At our seders and Rosh Hashana meals (we do erev and first night big dinners) I always invite my non Jewish friends who enjoy being with us. Some are family, all are like family to us so they come and enjoy themselves. We do a very modified seder but it's meaningful and fun, and everyone participates.

[gazelle18]

We have recently befriended a couple who moved to NOLA to be near their kids. They are a retired Jewish couple, but the husband declares that he is an atheist. He grew up orthodox and now he eschews all religious practice. Anyway, we invited them to seder last year. At first he resisted, but I assured him that our seder was not like the orthodox version he grew up with. So they came, and of course, he had a marvelous time! He really got into it, and now he insists that they be invited to all of our holiday celebrations!

We have occasionally asked gentiles to our Seders, but frankly, we prioritize Jewish people who have nowhere else to go.

Thanks for a great week Holly!

[peachymom1]

Since neither DH nor I had Jewish families, we usually had nowhere to go for Passover seders in the early days, so we borrowed haggadahs and made our own seders the best we could, with whoever we could get to join us - other Jews by choice, non-Jewish friends, college classmates, neighbors and coworkers. Once we had children, it was both easier and harder; easier, because they could participate as the were growing up, which brought us great joy, but harder to take babies/toddlers somewhere else if we did get invited. We've been to a few congregational seders, but they're achingly slow for impatient little kids, and sometimes for the adults too. But all that changed as the kids got older, and we have rollicking, fun seders every year, with as many people (including non-Jews) as we can cram into our apartment. I love Passover, and I like to share it with anybody and everybody.

I haven't been sleeping well or eating well, my weight is up today, and I'm aggravated about a few things at work. But I have a one-on-one meeting with my boss later this morning, so I plan to get some help and direction from him, then I'm going to spend my lunchtime doing my favorite dance DVD. All I can do is start over, so that's what I'm going to do.

Everyone have a great weekend, and thank you, Holly, for an interesting week. Shabbat shalom!