How Being Jewish Shows in Everyday Jewish Life
Most people have an idea of what being Jewish means but how exactly does that manifest itself in everyday Jewish life? The debate on “who is a Jew?” has been going on for ages and still goes on today. This question has been looked at from legalistic, religious and ethnic angles with each side presenting lengthy arguments to resolve the issue. Attempts to get the representatives of the major Jewish movements to resolve this matter have failed so far. Secular society will accept a person as a Jew on the basis of that person’s claim to being one.
From a practical standpoint, however, being Jewish boils down to whether a person leads a Jewish life. Although the synagogue is a central point in the Jewish lifestyle, it still goes back to the home. Being Jewish means making your home look Jewish and surrounding yourself with items that say you are Jewish. Here are some ways that being Jewish shows in a Jewish home.
There is a Jewish calendar in the house. Observance of Jewish holidays is a special part of Jewish life and the Jewish calendar is a simple, visible way of being Jewish. The calendar is important because many Jewish holidays entail elaborate preparations which require a lot of time. Many Jewish calendars also have pictures of Judaica or histories giving the background of the holidays.
Everyday Jewish life means complying with food choices. Being Jewish means being aware of what is allowed or not allowed under relatively strict dietary laws. To keep kosher in everyday Jewish life by avoiding pork and shellfish, or separating milk and meat is a concrete way of being Jewish. Observance of special food restrictions during the Passover is another example of this practice.
The celebration of the Shabbat is unique to Jewish life and a tangible way of being Jewish. Singing blessings over wine and challah with the candles lit is a clear indication that one is being Jewish by observing the commandment to keep the day holy.
A home with Judaica and displays of Jewish art is a graphic demonstration of being Jewish in everyday Jewish life. A mezuzah on the doorpost, a ketubah on the wall, seder plates, kiddush cups and a menorah on the mantlepiece are clear declarations of a family’s being Jewish.
Without getting into the intricacies of identity and nationality, being Jewish can be easily expressed in the practices of everyday Jewish life.
The Jewish Book Council
Founded in 1944, the Jewish Book Council was organized to promote Jewish literature as an important part of Jewish life, although its origins started a couple of decades earlier. In 1925, a librarian at Boston Public Library set up an exhibit called Jewish Book Week. The librarian, Fanny Goldstein, thus started a movement to popularize the Jewish book. A couple of years later, the event she started was adopted by communities around the United States. In 1940, Ms. Goldstein was the chairperson at the founding of the National Committee for Jewish Book Week. The committee received the support of all the important Jewish organizations in the United States as well as other groups promoting Jewish literature.
When the JCC Association decided to stop funding the Council, the executive board decided to continue as an independent organization. An independent, non-profit body since 1994, the Jewish Book Council is funded by organizations and individuals in the Jewish community.
The formation of the Jewish Book Council, the only US-based body that promotes Jewish literature, has given rise to other events like the Jewish Book Awards, the Jewish Book of the Month, Jewish Book NETWORK and the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. The Jewish Book Council is also the publisher of Jewish Book World. It has since become an important part of Jewish life in the United States. In 1943, the National Committee for Jewish Book Week became the Jewish Book Council.
The Council promotes books of Jewish interest through a magazine called Jewish Book World published every quarter. It has a very focused readership of about 5,000 people interested in Jewish books. Its content consists of reviews of about 120 books per issue, profiles of authors, industry news, literary events and general articles on Jewish books.
The National Jewish Book Awards is an annual event that recognizes outstanding books and has become a significant highlight of American Jewish life. Initiated in 1948, it numbers among its awardees prominent authors like Bernard Malamud, Chaim Potok, Philip Roth and Elie Wiesel.
Jewish book festivals are an important part of Jewish life. With the Jewish Book NETWORK, the Council helps in the staging of events that bring together authors of Jewish books and organizers of the programs. Started in 1999, it coordinates speaking tours of almost 200 authors and prepares a book about these authors every year. The Jewish Book NETWORK is a membership organization and every year it sponsors a conference of its members, holds workshops, and facilitates networking among its members.
With these activities and many others, the Jewish Book Council hopes to continue as an important institution in American Jewish life.
The Role of Informal Jewish Learning in Jewish Life
In Jewish life, informal Jewish learning plays an important part. The role of informal Jewish learning in Jewish life stretches back for decades and is embodied in institutions like community centers, camps and youth movements. Through the years, informal Jewish learning methods have evolved to include modern techniques and the changes in Jewish life.
Informal Jewish learning comes from several sources. First and foremost, informal Jewish learning revolves around Jewish history and tradition. Secondly, informal Jewish learning draws on general intellectual thought. A third important source is contemporary social sciences including areas like sports and fashion. The fourth source of informal Jewish learning is formal research into developments in informal education.
Jewish history and tradition is an important focus of Jewish life. The records in Jewish history from the talmudic texts, the descriptions of Jewish communities in Babylon, the writings of the great rabbis and scholars through the ages, and Jewish youth movements in the twentieth century are a primary source of the development in informal Jewish learning.
The thoughts and writing of great thinkers form another basis for informal Jewish learning programs. The works of Socrates, St. Augustine, Sigmund Freud and Maria Montessori among others are part and parcel of the effort to shape a more complete structure for informal Jewish learning that is all-encompassing. While most of these people did not tackle informal education directly, their thinking has come to influence approaches that are important to the informal learning process.
Informal Jewish learning attempts to include the modern aspects of Jewish life. The new trends in thinking spanning the broad spectrum of modern life like advertising and marketing, literature, music and art are all folded into the crafting of new approaches to informal Jewish learning. The developments in technology, to which Jews have contributed significantly, is an area outside of the traditional zones of education which informal Jewish learning is also focusing on.
Inasmuch as informal learning is not an exclusive Jewish concern, serious research into the different forms around the world is an important part source of material for the advancement of informal learning methods as part of Jewish life. Because the field is still in its infancy, the ability of the Jewish nature to explore and choose from different sources is an advantage in the development of a system that will produce beneficial results.
As it has done throughout the ages, informal Jewish learning will play an ever-increasing role in the enhancement and progress of Jewish life.
