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I've groused here before about the Christian bias of the Order of the Eastern Star. I wish I'd planned ahead and announced that I wouldn't be at tonight's big Installation of New Officers because it's a religious holiday for my in-laws (who are extremely non-observant, only "culturally Jewish," but could have been used behind their backs to make a point).

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"Cultural" Jews still celebrate the high holy days, though, don't they? *curious*

That depends on how cultural they are. There are High Holy days Jews, much like there are Easter and Christmas Christians. Then there are the people like my father, who are culturally Jewish, but haven't actually celebrated in years.

Ah! Got it, thanks! :)

By that token, maybe I'm culturally Christian. LOL (I haven't been to services of *any* kind for years.)

There are High Holy days Jews, much like there are Easter and Christmas Christians.

Known as "Hi-Ho Jews". There's a similar epithet for Christmas-and-Easter Christians, but memory fails at the moment.

passover is also not a high holiday

Ah, that's right. That's just Rosh Hashonna and Yom Kippur (excuse the mis-speeling :), right?

yup

...and Shavuot.

I know I can google this but... what is Shavuot. I've seen it on "all inclusive holidays" calendars and always wondered what it was. (I get such a charge out of Jewish holy days and most things Jewish, I think I must've been a Jew in a previous life... except Jews don't believe in reincarnation, do they? :)

Shavuot is the original pentacost. It occurs 50 days after the start of Passover, and is meant to commemorate the giving of the Torah/Law/10 Commandments (depends upon your interpretation) at Mount Sinai. It is one of the three High Holy Days (Rosh Hashannah - the new year, and Yom Kippur - Day of atonement, are the other two). There are also three festivals: Sukkot - harvest festival, Simchat Torah, restarting the cycle of Torah readings (reading the end of Deuteronomy and then immediately the beginning of Genesis, to show that it never really ends) and Passover.

As far as reincarnation... It depends upon who you talk to.

There's a school of thought that one can be born with a Jewish soul even when born into a non-Jewish family. That soul would then yearn for Judaism and (if lucky) "convert". According to that thought, at least, your idea would have some basis...

A Jewish soul. I like that! :D

I wouldn't presume to convert. Being Jewish isn't something you can acquire or lose. <3

Not in this case: while my heritage is solidly Jewish on both sides, my mother converted to Lutheranism (because it's what the neighbors were) years ago, and I've long suspected that my Dad's parents were closeted communist atheists. So my religious upbringing was basically nil...

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