Weird Jewish Girl

[millennialjew]

My Adult B’nei Mitzvah is SOON!

I’m so nervous. Hebrew is still a bit rusty for me, plus I’m freaking out about Birthright, and a bit scared to meet everyone in person. I can’t help but thinking:

- Sometimes I feel like I’ll talk too much, or not enough. Will they like me?

- Shit, what am I going to wear? Everything’s too big, or too tight.

- Should I wear tallit?

- What will my experience meeting people in person now look like?

Thoughts?

[girlactionfigure]

A piece of wisdom from Judaism to mark Father’s Day. Thank you to all fathers and father-figures for all that you do.  Happy Father’s Day!

World Jewish Congress

[millennialjew]

Jewish People of Tumblr

How many Tumblrs out there are strictly about Judaism? I’d like to know and follow. Like or retweet, please.

[millennialjew]

Jewish Conversations - Odd Man Out

A show on Youtube. Odd Man Out focuses on one thing 6 people have in common (anything from religion to fandom) and one additional person who’s faking their presence.

This particular episode was 6 Jews vs 1 non Jew. The goal is to spot the non Jewish person. If the group does so correctly, they split a monetary prize. If the mole is still part of the group, they win the pot of money.

“Oh, I’m SOOO going to get this right!” I was saying to myself. Obviously, the person would stumble over their words, or not speak too much. Anyway, as I’m watching the episode I noticed one thing immediately as the speaker said it. He talked about being half Jewish - with a Jewish mother and a Christian father. I thought no Jewish person would call themselves half Jewish if their mother was a Jew.

This made me think of ways I navigate some Jewish spaces and how I’m treated. Because of my appearance, I am questioned about my presence sometimes. Not in the obvious way, but in a way I can only describe as loudly subtle.

Back when moved neighborhoods in Brooklyn, I met with a few landlords who wasn’t sure if I was Jewish. The questions the contestants were asking each other in Odd Man Out brought back this jarring memory. It just reminded me that some people have to defend their Jewishness wherever they go, and some have the luck of being the majority.

[millennialjew]

Watching Animal Doc With Sibling

*Lemur scene*

Me: Wait, lemurs don't fly?

Sibling: WHAT?

Me: *thinks* Hmm, I guess I watch too much Avatar: The Last Airbender.

[medicinablr-deactivated20220105]

i find it funny how normal ppl think that mania is like being overtly happy when in reality, most of the times, is being just as self destructive as in a depressive episode but faster™

[millennialjew]

Missing My Jewish Life

So, I signed up a few months ago to partake in the adult b’nei mitzvah program at my shul. This is something that means a lot to me because I didn’t have a bat mitzvah when I was younger. This also meant having the opportunity to meet other Jews. Being a native New Yorker, and moving to a new city as an adult was very eye opening and a huge culture shock. What do you mean, there aren’t Jews everywhere?!?!?

The class consists of a bunch of millennials like myself, all different, but having this one thing in common. Sometimes I find myself asking “how observant are these people? Do they keep Shabbat to some extent, do they go to services every week? Do they host or go to Passover seders?” These questions are important to me because that was my life back in NYC. I lived in a Jewish neighborhood, and lived my life VERY Jewishly. In this new city, it’s different. I crave the Shabbat days where my friends and I would walk to a neighbor’s home for a seudah. Purim house parties, annoying neighbors with my goyish music, kosher supermarkets, I miss it all.

Will I ever have that again? Who knows.

[millennialjew]

Shabbat Shalom

The Friday night service is home. I feel sooooo comfortable with Kabbalat Shabbat service.

Good shabbos. Any Jews out there?

[millennialjew]

Observance

One thing I miss about being in Jewish communities, is the conversation, the Parsha, the meals and comfort.

Once upon a time, I was shomer shabbat. Shomer shabbat means, no phone/laptop,tablet, cholent ready for shabbos day, neighbors around for the seudah.Keys, money- you couldn’t walk around with either in my neighborhood because of the eruv.

I MISS THAT.

These days, I still light the Shabbat candles, I cook yummy Shabbos meals, I don’t shop. Facebook is how I attend services. Any other Jews out there?

[millennialjew]

How do some people always smell so good?

Just a random thought. Since Victoria’s Secret is having a sale on their mists and lotions, I decided to buy a few. That had me thinking, how do some people ALWAYS SMELL GOOD? There has a be a secret to it. Whenever I put on extra perfume, people just cough.

I worked with this one woman before who always smelled like flowers. Even at the end of the day, and I always wondered what her secret was.

[millennialjew]

I’m Going to Israel

That is right. I’m saying fuck it, I’m going to the motherland. The food will be AMAZING!

Going to Israel means:

Being amongst Jews. History. Opportunity. HaShem. Geography. Faith

[millennialjew]

Israel...Should I Go on Birthright?

The smart, logical, obvious answer is “yes, you should go to Israel!”

After all, it’s a free 7-10 day trip for Jews. Why wouldn’t I go? This is been a question I’ve asked myself since I was 18 years old. This is a chance to experience Yiddishkeit like no other, meet new people, take in history and more. So why am I still debating? I’ve gotten over my fear of planes, meeting new people would be hard (hello crippling social anxiety) but I’m willing to step out side the box. After all, isn’t that the way to overcome the anxiety?

I received an email notifying me that trips are open again, and here go the same questions. This time, I think I have some answers. They’re sooooooo ridiculous, but I just can’t help it.

1. Am I going to be the only fat girl? What about going into the Dead Sea?

2. Everyone I know has already been on Birthright. How do I start talking to people? Does it start on the plane?

3. I don’t fit the white Ashkenazi stereotype of Jews, will they question me?

4. What the hell do I do on a plane for 12 hours? Get drunk? Read? Talk to the other Birthright participants?

Theses are the silliest of billiest questions, but these questions have hindered my decision on applying.

Well, today, I’m putting down my deposit. After the month I had, I think I need a damn break. These questions will just have to be dealt with when it happens.

[millennialjew]

Hello Again

Not my first go on Tumblr, it’s been years. Hello, Internet. I am Millennial Jew, and this blog will mostly focus on being- you guessed it - a Jewish millennial.