YOU'RE NOT EVEN JEWISH

YOU'RE NOT EVEN JEWISH 

There's a line in the Big Lebowski where Walter is going on about how he shouldn't even be driving because it is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest and the Dude explains that he's not even Jewish, that he's polish catholic. Goes on about his ex wife was Jewish and well, the whole thing is typical Big Lebowski like, but it did strike a nerve with me.

Here, enjoy the super cut of all the Jewish things Walter goes on about;



So why did it strike a nerve with me? Well, I was in a relationship that spanned just about 10 years myself with someone who, while wasn't religious practicing, was very very much culturally Jewish. With her family, which after all that time, really felt like my family, I would enjoy the holidays like Passover and Hanukkah. Also, being who I am, I like to delve deep into the cultural histories and the food you enjoy with it.

This year I will not have a Hanukkah, and that's a strange feeling. I can really relate to Walter there. While I am not born into a Jewish family. Nor was I raised on it. I have lived that life for the last decade. Being that I have only really had less than 40 years alive, and to be fair, 10 of those being too young to even realize what the fuck was going on around me, that means that 1/3rd of my life, I have been culturally practicing Jewish.

I also realize that when I was a young lad, I was an alter server and heavy into helping out in the grown up Catholic church that I was raised in because of my family. I walked away from the Church in my late teens and never looked back. So if we're being technical, I was actively and coherently a practicing Culturally Jewish person for longer than the religion that I was raised on.

So yeah, just because you get divorced, which I essentially felt is what happened to my relationship, then you can't just walk away from the traditions that you practiced for all those years. I know for a fact that my ex still does culturally related items that I brought to the table - like Day of the Dead festivities and other Spanish related celebrations that I pushed for us.

So when I say I'm culturally Jewish, that's what it's about. So when I have a huge feast and put out my menorah or make potato pancakes, don't look at me odd or tell me that I'm not Jewish.  I live in Pico/Robertson area, I have practiced these traditions for 10 years now and they are now part of me. So you're goddamn right that I'm Jewish.