#building observance

[ask-jumblr]

I kind of want to start going to shabbat services more often but I'm semi-disabled, I work Friday (not easy to switch), and I'm always too wiped out to go out again after I get home and shower. Does anybody have any tips for building a habit that works with chronic illness/chronic fatigue? Or even just in general; my family only went for high holidays growing up so it's never been habitual.

[jewish-education]

Hey I'm spending my first hannukah away from home and wanted to know where i could get a cheap menorah or if there were any ways to make homemade ones inexpensively?

Where: Chabad, internet

How to make your own:

if you’re okay with extinguishing candles after ½ an hour (some people are halachically okay with this, some aren’t) your best bet is to get tea lights and just blow them out after >30 minutes

if not, find smaller candles that will burn in >30 min but a short enough time that you can keep an eye on them and find a way to secure them, like a row of 8 (inexpensive) candlesticks and 1 taller (inexpensive) candlestick:

[image description: a row of silvery candlesticks with white candles in them on a shelf decorated with blue and silver baubles]

You could also DIY an oil menorah (I’ve never done this though so I’m not sure about safety precautions besides being especially careful with this one if you’ve got nosey cats)

[image description: a menorah of clear cups filled with oil on a white table cloth]

If you’re feeling crafty, BibleBeltBalabusta and the rest of the internet have all sorts of more complicated DIY crafts. But be careful to DIY with sturdy, fire-resistant materials.

If you’ve got a potentially unstable menorah, it’s especially important to keep it on a non-flammable surface (or ideally a metal/aluminum pan with water in it).

[ask-jumblr]

I've been contemplating switching to a kosher diet, how would you recommend I start?

[jewish-education]

hello! do you have any advice for celebrating holidays (in particular hanukkah, because it's coming up so soon) for someone who wasn't raised in an observant family? i'm finally celebrating for the first time, but i don't have a synagogue or any other jewish friends around me, and everything i can find (about everything judaism related, really) seems to be very hard on jews alone. any advice would be helpful, thank you!

Hey anon! I’m going to assume you’re already Jewish by some common definition.

Have you reached out to see if there are any local synagogues, Chabad Houses, or Moshe Houses you might feel comfortable reaching out to?

If you’re stuck on how to find a synagogue, there’s some tools for finding one in my about page. While membership is a great way to support what your synagogue does and sometimes get extra perks (i.e. 2nd night Passover seders, lower cost religious school tuition) don’t worry about it at all while you’re still figuring things out. They’ll be happy to have you (especially if you call ahead if you’re in Europe or another place experiencing lots of antisemitism right now)!

Chabad is especially a great resource if you’re looking for free or low-cost menorahs and candles. They also might have social events, and be able to teach you about Hanukkah, and about other Jewish holidays as they come up.

Moshe House is a resource for young adults. They might have some local social events and be able to help you find local synagogues, judaica, etc.

As much as I’m pushing reaching out to a community, Hanukkah is actually a pretty chill holiday to do solo as Jewish holidays go. In short:

Light yourself a Hannukkiah: this is really just a row of candles on a level surface (KEEP FIRE SAFETY IN MIND!), you don’t need a fancy Hannukkiah or candles if that’s not happening for you right now (instructions here and here)

Enjoy yourself some fried food to remember the Hanukkah miracle (not religiously required, but delicious). Latkes (look for latke or potato pancake mix at the supermarket if you don’t want to grate potatoes) and sufganyiot (jelly donuts) are delicious, but use whatever’s around and makes you happy (besides maybe bacon... :) might be a little against the point). If you are frying things at home, KEEP FIRE SAFETY IN MIND! 

Read the Hanukkah story or listen to Hanukkah music or work towards fighting modern day oppression or bring some light into someone’s day by being kind or do anything else that helps you remember the meaning of Hanukkah!

MyJewishLearning has a pretty good overview here. You could also check out this post by @jewish-kulindadromeus that is probably going on my que for the weekend (it has some mild glitter-flashing if that’s a seizure-risk issue for anyone though).

As I already said FIRE SAFETY:

Look for nearby flammable things (*whispers* curtains!!) and don’t light candles near them.

Light & keep your lit menorah on a flat, sturdy, fire-resistant surface that won’t tip or fall apart.

It’s actually traditional to not work and instead chill and have fun by the candles which is a good idea as long as you keep your fun non-rowdy.

If you don’t think you can light candles safely, look into whether an electric menorah is in your Jewish comfort-zone.

Be especially careful if you have kids or pets that might knock it down. (And see @jewish-kulindadromeus‘ post here if you have birds).

Be super-duper careful with frying things and read the guide below.

And re-FIRE SAFETY here’s a good guide about Hanukkah and fire safety. BE CAREFUL Y’ALL!