Black Jews in Limbo

Well yet another interesting trailer on YouTube of a movie that I may or may not see. But the trailer has some great editing. In fact maybe the trailer is all you need to see. Lacey is apparently a halachaic Jew; fathered by a Black man she did not grow up knowing. I will (with great hesitation) not comment on the damages caused by the parents who did not tell her the truth about her true ethnic heritage. But to each their own. So in addition to the social and cultural issues bi-racial Americans face, Lacey invariably has a tough time finding a comfortable spot in the Jewish community as well.

It seems as if this film would be a useful one to see; especially from the viewpoint of seeing different specimens from the American social quilt and hearing the myriad of stories present within. But it is situations like this where you can really see the fallacy apparent in placing an importance on "Jewish" culture, and forgetting about Judaism the religion. If Lacey's family lived a Torah lifestyle, then there were be no ambivalence about Lacey's status; she would be a Jew, no questions asked. Now how she would be treated...that would be a whole different story. But if you come to know Black Orthodox Jews, you will often times see that they do not feel at odds with their Jewish identity; just mainly frustrated at being socially marginalized.

Last week, I attended a meeting of a group here at California University of Pennsylvania for Jewish students, faculty and staff (it's called "Yachad"; so apparently they did not get the memo about the special needs organization of the same name). Despite it's deep Mon-Valley location, there is still apparently a Jewish population here as there were 7 students, 1 faculty, and 3 staff members (including myself) at this meeting. Due to not being able to find the meeting location, I was about 10 minutes late...yet I could see the questioning quiet glances directed my way when I walked in. So I prepared myself for the questions that for sure would follow; the first which was along the lines of "What brings you here?". I then just casually remarked that I was Jewish, and I wanted to meet other Jews on campus. Of course that sort of just ignited the interest more, and more questions ensued. Therefore after our official meeting had long ended; several people were still hanging around to either hear "my story" or just sort of marvel at the fact that there is a Black Jew on campus here; and a religious one at that.

In spite of the questions (and the strange way some of the staff needed to justify to me that while they are not Orthodox, they do "live Jewishly"), I did not for a moment feel as if I did not belong in this group. In fact I feel that Jews of all ethnicities make it a point to be involved with Jewish organizations and groups so that we can be visible and not seem like anomalies. It would have been very easy for me not to go to this meeting. I could see many personality types not be up to the constant questioning about your involvement and interest. The only food I could eat there were the grapes, and the baby carrots (the one staff member told me the ranch dip and hummus were kosher, but I had no way to verify that information). Several of then events they discussed I would not be able to participate in anyway because they are on the weekends. But again, I feel it is still important for me to be involved; and help show many of these Jews that there is more bonding the Jewish people than a collection of last names and an affinity for matzah ball soup.

If we get back to the basics, than so many people would no longer be confused...and many times pained...over their Jewish identities.

Kosher food vs. Jewish food

B"H, in the past month, my community has added 3 new families (a growth rate of like 50% for us). Each Shabbos, I have been able to meet and get to know each one. One of the new additions to our community is actually returning after a long time; Rabbi L. - who will probably be splitting his time between here and Eretz Yisrael. So a conversation came up on Shabbos about food and kosher eateries. Rabbi L. basically scoffed at the idea of kosher sushi; and mused back to the days where each Jewish community had a kosher deli, not a kosher sushi joint. I smiled at this, because I have heard this a lot since moving back up north. As popular as [kosher] sushi was in Miami, there are many Jews in Pittsburgh who have no interest at all in trying it, or even relating to it. This is a real time clash of the changing climate and culture of American Jewry; even within the frum world.

I grew up in a generation where we got to eat out quite a bit. My mother and father...and certainly not my grandparents, did not grow up in homes where they could afford to eat out. So when I was young, eating out was like a statement that we reached a particular social level (not high...just "stable" I guess). My mother's family was more conservative in eating out (stuck to mainstream places like the Olive Garden or the Red Lobster), but my father was much more adventurous. In addition to our Jamaican food (which they also had at home), we would go for Japanese, Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Greek, and Middle Eastern food. I still remember going to an Indian restaurant and having my father explain the differences in eating Indian roti and Jamaican roti. The curry too. There was a great Chinese restaurant in Squirrel Hill called the Schezuan House (now closed) where you could upgrade your chopsticks to the plastic ones and I used to keep them as a "souvenir". So yes, I had good memories of "traveling the world" by mouth...and tasting all of these various exotic foods.

Of course with my current sensitivities to kashrus, "traveling the world by mouth" is not nearly as important to me as knowing what I am eating and insuring the food is allowed per halacha. Since I started keeping kosher in a place that had Jews from all over the world, "kosher food" really had no particular brand or type to it. One of my earliest favorite kosher restaurants was a Moroccan place called "Kemia". The menu was in french and I could barely pronounce the food I was eating but it was incredibly delicious. The mixture of spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, mint and ginger was unlike anything you could find in the "kosher" isle of your local grocery store.

In a time where the Orthodox world is opening up to more and more baalei teshuva and gerim who may have spent a lifetime sampling this huge variety of food, the Orthodox world should also prepare for the rug to be yanked out from what we see as "jewish food". I really did not even get a clear concept of what "jewish food" was until I went to New York. There you'll have "Jewish delis" that aren't kosher. At first this really confused me; and I could not wrap my head around what the point was of a "kosher style" restaurant. But then I returned to Florida, and found that outside the frum Jewish neighborhoods, you had similar places (although they are not so bold in FL...rarely is the term "Jewish" or "kosher" in the names of these non-kosher delis and diners).

I also picked up that when you went to particular congregations, such as the Chabad house (not speaking for all of them...just the ones I went to), mesorah is highly prized, and a Shabbos lunch is no way complete without kishke, gefilte fish and cholent. I began to sense the strong affinity the frum world has with tradition. Not just with the services and the davening. But with the food, the clothing, and the zemiros. It is something that I came to hold a great amount of respect for. But it still has not come to me exactly how this can be taken on by baalei teshuva or gerim.

What I was taught from early on is that a ger takes on the minhag of the host community, and a BT can either go with the community or with their own mesorah (obviously, this decision is made through the guidance of a Rav). But once the decision is made, the truly difficult part ensues. Whatever minhag/mesorah you adopt, there is a broken link. For a good part of your life, you had no exposure and no practice doing these things. Focusing back on food, I can tell you that it is not easy to go from eating rich aromatic curries to eating cholent; or to go from eating escovitch fish to gefilte fish. Yet you want to remain respectful to Judaism...or is it "Jewish culture" you wish to remain respectful of? However aside from "being respectful" what about halacha? Isn't the point of a Shabbos meal to be regal, enjoyable, and a delight? How does (or how can) this happen when you are not liking the food you are eating?

Whenever I feel I am being traitorous for feeling this way, I reach for a songbook I have, The World's Most Popular Jewish Songs and take a gander at all of the different styles and languages "Jewish music" comes in. Ladino lullabies sound vary different from Chassidic wedding dances, yet no one would deny the claim this tunes have to Jewish culture. Perhaps we need to stop defining "Jewish culture" as something that came to it's prime 60 years ago, and start defining it as a constantly evolving thing. Our Jewish culture today is not so strongly tied to ethnicity and nations; but more to modes of living and shared peoplehood. Without a doubt, it takes some time for an American Jew of Ashkenazi heritage to walk around in Israel and see all these "brown" people in kippot and see them as members of klal yisrael. I expect it to take just as long (if not longer) for the kosher isle at the grocery store to expand to include more brands than just Manchievitz and Streits.

I do not see our generation as being superior or more cosmopolitan than previous generations of Jews. In fact I actually see it as a loss of a more defined, cohesive, American Jewry. But we had to lose some elements of that generation in order to progress to the future today. Just like I see it as a loss that cars are not longer 18 feet long, 2,800 lbs and laden with chrome and two-tone upholstery; I do not for a second desire that cars be made that way today. This is way I have pushed aside gefilte fish to make room for shashimi on my Shabbos plate.