I'm an atheist who nurtures orthodox Jewish kids

[rug]

February 6, 2012
By Roz Warren

The suburban library where I work is near an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, which means that when I walk to work on Saturday, the sidewalk is crowded with Orthodox families on their way to shul. I'm Jewish, too. But I'm a secular, atheist Jew. I'm the kind of Jew who works on the Sabbath.

As my neighbors smile and greet me in passing, I imagine my Orthodox ancestors whispering in my ear, "Bad Jew!"

My mother's grandfather wasn't just Orthodox, he was a rabbi! And yet his great-granddaughter is an atheist. How did this happen?

You could blame Dad's side of the family. Grandpa Oscar, born in Poland and raised in an Orthodox home, became an ardent socialist as a young man. When he first set foot on American soil, he vowed never to set foot in a shul again.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/component/flexicontent/item/33551-im-an-atheist-who-nurtures-orthodox-jewish-kids

[immoderate]

1. Hits home. I'm also a Jewish atheist.

Jewish is a tribal identity, not just a religion. Typically, Jews are not so much interested in what you believe as what you do. Follow the rules and you believe what you want.

--imm

[darkstar3]

2. A Jewish atheist involved in the local Jewish community...

Sounds 100% normal to me. Nothing new or different here.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. This is not uncommon within our community.

There are a number of atheist Jews. It usually confuses people, and I understand why it does, but it really is simple. Jews have a religion and an ethnicity. Some are both. Some are one or the other. All are Jews. The only issue I have with 'ethnic' Jews are when they go on anti-Semitic rants, defend anti-Semitism, or exhibit bigotry against Israel while claiming to be a Jew. As time passes, there really be less and less "ethnic" Jews, it will be much like many Americans now, who have some Native ancestry (I am 1/8 Cherokee), yet claim moral/cultural superioirty/knowledge because they had an anscestor who did the nasty with the culture in question.

[pink-o]

4. Yup. Dad's grandfather was an Orthodox Rabbi as well

And I'm an atheist. Maybe it's a 3rd generation thing or something!

I tell people I'm Semitic or Ashkenazi when they ask my ethnicity, since "Jewish" sounds like I should be a believer. It does become a long, convoluted explanation, but Diaspora IS a freakin' Gordian Knot when you try to figure out your ancestory and tribal history.

And...in the interest of FULL disclosure, even with the Rabbi in the Fam, I'm not considered a real Jew anyway. Mom was a Canadian, born of an English father and a total Yorkshire Fundie Grandmother (you thought they all came here on the Mayflower, but there are plenty left in the mother country.) Anyway, Fundie G Grandma turned her son into an Atheist. Her granddaughter, my mom, followed suit. Then, like a genetic marker, they passed it on to me.

So my point is, I'm even MORE confused that you are! At least, as a vegetarian, I don't eat pork.