Circles, Rants, and other things

Okay so this might be my third blog on blogger, but I like to be organized with different things and such.


But since I'm so unsure about my Judiasm, and just like any Jewish person I'm struggling.

And just like any other Jewish person I blog about it. :] oh you know i'm right.



CTK (Choice Through Knowledge), from what I hear its the entire idea of "reform" Judiasm.
But I did a recent poll on my facebook in a note, and have gotten a varitey of anwsers.
Some make me thinks. Others just make me go eh so what.

organization-a group of persons organized for some end or work; association: a nonprofit organization.

It's the 5th definition down on dictionary.com (don't you just love the interenet..!)

Not always good, some are evil. But they are all out to achieve something.

And when youre the president of one, you probably have a job of some kind of importance, and depending how important and powerful your organization is, you might be watched by all kinds of people, or by a certian type of people.

What happens when your president says something that you may not agree with?

Do you just want to go up into flames and not be part of this...or do you do something about it?

Now I'm not into revolutions or anything...but I want to start a revolution.

And how am I going to do that? I've got some ideas...and a great co-revolution starter with.

Here's a different rant.

Shabbat.

I was at my temple last night experincing my first service since the sunrise service I led at the URJ Kutz Campus for Reform Jewish Teen Life (and yes I know all you important people in NFTY have a great chance of reading this...) and I knew what to expect.

For some reason I couldn't get into it. I knew that I wasn't going to get into it, but last night just some things really really bugged me. And being a normal teenager, I complained about it to my parental units as they got fed up with me and wasn't so keen on taking me to services again. But this is what I was so fed up with and confused about.

Number One.
Why do we do the candle blessing twice? First the bat/bar mitzvah mothers do it and say it, we all say amen and then the lovely panio player (Frank, he's awesome) plays it on panio as we all sing to it. And our student cantor (who I love dearly) sings it again. That was the first thing that confused me.

Number Two.
Kab Shab. I know even at Kutz we didn't do the whole thing, and it bothered me then too, but at my shul we don't even do any of it. Why? Personally it's my favorite part of the service. Its so much fun with the different songs and melodies. Its kind of like that pump up music before the big game, instead its a big service. But hey we are "reform"

Number Three.
Lcha Do Di. I mean who needs all those verses right? Hah WRONG. We do about 4 instead of all of them. Of course we have the last verse, but still. That doesn't make it right. I want all my verses.

Number Four.
Please Rise. Please be seated. As I personally do, I did not stand for Ahavat Olam and Sh'ma. I also dont usally stand for Maariv arivum (sp?), and the Mourners Kaddish, (I did that night because i felt funny at first) but what's up with these directions. I thought reform Judiasm is all about making your own choices. Instead most of the people are just on command. You want them standing, they'll stand, you want them sitting they'll sit. I wonder if they know what stooping is....anyways besides the point. It just kind of confuses me if we are told what to do instead of making choices ourselves if we are believers of this CTK idea.

Number Five.
The Amidah. I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to say, but we aren't really into that whole entire Amidah deal. Its not even in the siddur we use. I mean honestly come on. I can get over the fact that we do a bunchhh of English readings, but I feel like we should make up with that by doing the entire prayer. Which leads me to my next point..

Number Six.
Okay we are reform...doesn't that mean lite? So let's not read the whole prayer! Come on now. We don't have all that hebrew on the page to be pretty, we have it to read and embrace it. Don't just say the first line and then some reading that doesn't even make sense anyways. Its upsetting really.

Okay I'm done.

I'm just frustrated. But I am doing something about it. I am going to talk to my Rabbi and chanllege what she has to say about this.

Oh I cant wait for Miskan Tefillah to come. :]