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It is better more often than not to question what you believe and why you believe what you do than to simply believe because you were told or learned when young to believe. By questioning your beliefs you can add, subtract and or affirm them as you grow.

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Yes, totally! But there are some aspects of Judaism I like and want to incorporate into my practice but don't always follow through on doing them even though they make my spirit happy. I just need to make more of an effort to follow through. It's up to me. Just like with anything else.

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Well for years I traveled with a prayer book. I would never travel without it.

And yet I never opened it.

That might be the height of extremes!

And a divided personality and mind!

On traveling 2 months in Italy, having just returned, I searched in each city the area where Jews lived.

I even had discussions with museum directors ( museums of their towns) why Jews were NEVRR mentioned. Did they have no role in the town’s development? Why was their contributions still invisible?

I never received any answers that satisfied me.

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For me it’s the little things, saying modeh ani in the morning, lighting candles when i am home on shabbat and saying the blessings over grape juice and some sort of bread

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I’m interested in how the tactical nature of a ritual (washing hands) or the I guess it would be anti tactical (not taking subway) connects with your belief system and why it makes you feel good - is it the nature of having a ritual? Something that gives you control or that it is an intentional act? A ritual that makes you feel connected to generations upon generations before yours? How does following a ritual make your feel? For you, you do them (some of them) intentionally, do you think there are some who do them but never question why? Do you believe in modifying and making up your own? All good fodder for this evening’s dinner discussion.

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Loving that you love a standard sit down shabbat meal and also chat on the odd experience of a shabbat meal that is “just dinner.” Sometimes you need them but also sometimes we yearn for the proper meal. 👏👏🍽

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