I have flirted with the idea of conversion to Catholicism, but only because I was eager for the existential angst that might come of leaving the religion the comprises every aspect of my identity. Sadly (and I went so far as to consult with somebody more knowledgeable in the halakha than I), leaving Judaism is virtually impossible from the standpoint of Jewish jurisprudence. So far as personal identity goes, I wouldn't want to actually leave, although I hear where you are coming from loud and clear.
I utterly disavow a belief (however symbolic) in any of the traditional claims that Judaism makes, save the most airy and insipid ethical regulations, which I accept for reasons entirely secondary to my religious identity. It saddens me that there are so many people in our community who disavow Jewish identity for that reason (and I am not for an instant accusing you of this), because doing so only attributes more power to the religious Jews of our world, who claim (with very little competition) that such is what Judaism is.
Of course, Judaism is more than the texts that make up the tradition, and even if you are an avowed literalist like myself, the literature itself is so much more than the individual texts that make it up. There is no injunction to believe in any of it or to accept any of it, nor even any indication as to how you should prioritise any of it, or what else you might welcome into the "canon". The fact that numerous of the texts do outline such frameworks is beside the point: there is no reason that you should agree with those bits either :)
To my mind, religiosity is fascinating on paper, and intellectually insulting in practise. I work at a synagogue, in the role of an educator, but feel more like an anthropologist than a participant in their services. I have a love/hate relationship with extreme orthodoxy, and a very liberal outlook as regards the beliefs and behaviour of others in my community. In short, while I could never make the same choice as you have made, I support entirely your right to make it, and applaud your openness and honesty in publishing it!
Best of luck to you: you did more to commemorate Yom Kippur than I have done in years, and I hope that you continue to struggle with your identity, even as you take further strides towards cementing it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
I applaud your courage!
Date: 2010-09-22 01:17 pm (UTC)I utterly disavow a belief (however symbolic) in any of the traditional claims that Judaism makes, save the most airy and insipid ethical regulations, which I accept for reasons entirely secondary to my religious identity. It saddens me that there are so many people in our community who disavow Jewish identity for that reason (and I am not for an instant accusing you of this), because doing so only attributes more power to the religious Jews of our world, who claim (with very little competition) that such is what Judaism is.
Of course, Judaism is more than the texts that make up the tradition, and even if you are an avowed literalist like myself, the literature itself is so much more than the individual texts that make it up. There is no injunction to believe in any of it or to accept any of it, nor even any indication as to how you should prioritise any of it, or what else you might welcome into the "canon". The fact that numerous of the texts do outline such frameworks is beside the point: there is no reason that you should agree with those bits either :)
To my mind, religiosity is fascinating on paper, and intellectually insulting in practise. I work at a synagogue, in the role of an educator, but feel more like an anthropologist than a participant in their services. I have a love/hate relationship with extreme orthodoxy, and a very liberal outlook as regards the beliefs and behaviour of others in my community. In short, while I could never make the same choice as you have made, I support entirely your right to make it, and applaud your openness and honesty in publishing it!
Best of luck to you: you did more to commemorate Yom Kippur than I have done in years, and I hope that you continue to struggle with your identity, even as you take further strides towards cementing it.