The Big O...TGIF

You might think that because I wear skirts, have a bearded husband, light candles on Friday night, go to shul (synagogue) regularly, eat kosher food, and have boys who wear tzitzit (ritual fringes) that I am an Orthodox Jew.

Oh no.  Not the Big O again.

Truth be told, I do not like the label Orthodox.

My husband Stango, ever brimming with his sense of humor, told me that I am Ultra UnOrthodox.   And this is coming from a guy who, while striving to fulfill the taryag mitzvot (613 commandments of the Torah), no longer even considers himself Post-NeoChassidish.  Yes, he would have been a great writer at the Lampoon if he only applied after the first rejection, which he said is par for the course.

Judging me from the outside people say that I am Orthodox.  Sorry, folks, not me.  I do not even consider myself Open Orthodox, a term coined by Rav Avi Weiss, a rabbi, leader and spiritual activist whom I respect tremendously.

Which leads me to The Jew in the City's Open Letter to Jerry Seinfeld, where its creator Allison writes that Jerry should take a look at Orthodox Judaism as a way to fill his secular void.  I hear her, I really do.  And I  agree with her sentiments.  But, my personal preference is to not use The Big O.  How about Traditional Judaism?  And yet, I realize that this might be misleading.   After all, Camp Ramah is traditional in its Judaism, but it is not Orthodox.  How about Torah Judaism?  Or, just Judaism?  Maybe a label is unavoidable and my argument holds no water.  Remember, I only worked in legal research for 5 years.  I never went to law school.

Once you get past the candles, challah, and wine it is all the same traditions.  Do we really need the word Orthodox to get there?  Can't we just celebrate Shabbat Across America this March 2, 2012 by turning Friday night into Shabbat without relying on the big O?

Maybe Allison can start with teaching Jerry about the concept of mezonot (Jewish blessing on cakes, cookies) before he imbibes in racial harmony through the black and white.






One thing is for sure:  I bet that Jessica Seinfeld isn't stressing out right now that she is writing on her blog at 3:15 on a Friday afternoon instead of getting ready for Shabbat.

A gut Shabbes to the Ganse Mishpucha!
(Have a great Sabbath to the Whole Phamily)


(and if you don't relate to that...TGIF!)


But lighting Shabbat candles and having wine and challah would make it all the more better...who knows, maybe then you will learn about the double mitzvah.  Big O, now we're talkin'!