Holidays in a "Christian Nation"

For those of us who are non-Christians, there are times during the year when it becomes very apparent that we are not part of the dominant people in the Christian-dominated nation. This is especially true around certain holidays. I do not care if people celebrate the Christian holidays and I understand that I live in a Christian-dominated society. I am part of a minority. In fact, I specifically chose to part of a minority. When someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Easter", I do not take offense. I just wish them a good holiday and go on with my life.

Now, these holidays can pose problems for me. As a convert, I am reminded every year that I am no longer allowed to participate in these Christian holiday celebrations (no matter how "secular" they have become) with my family, friends, or co-workers. Some of them have a difficult time understanding why I will not celebrate certain holidays because they are "secular". I usually just say that I am not interested and most of them will accept that reason. Others though are a little more "forceful" and I explain to them that my religious beliefs forbid me from participating in non-Jewish religious holidays no matter how secular the holidays appear.

Generally, this does not pose a problem for me at work but I do sometimes get upset that I must take off their religious holidays and I need to use vacation time to celebrate my own religious holidays. Again, I understand that until (G-d willing) I make aliyah [move to Israel], I live in a Christian-dominated society. I make due with the hand I have been dealt and the choice that I have made to place myself outside of the dominant society.

What's in a name?

So, what is in a name?

I have been called a religious Jew, a Conservative Jew, an Ashkenazi [European] Jew - while these may all be true, I do not categorize myself with just these labels. I have been thinking about self-definition quite a bit lately. For me as a Jew by Choice, I have more freedom defining who I am in the Jewish world than many of those who were born Jews. Yes, I consider myself a religious Jew, a Conservative Jew, an Ashkenazi Jew - but mostly, I would consider myself a Masorti Jew.

So, what do you ask is the difference between a Conservative Jew and a Masorti Jew? Well, it is true that they are often placed under the same umbrella - Conservative in America and Canada and Masorti everywhere else, I do see some differences. A few examples: 1) Masorti do not permit driving on Shabbat [Jewish Sabbath] or Yomim Tovim [religious holidays]; 2) does not permit (or at least frowns upon) using electricity on Shabbat; 3) does not permit openly gay/lesbian students to be ordained as rabbis or cantors; and 4) does not permit "commitment ceremonies" for gay/lesbian Jews.

Masorti means "traditional" and this is how I self-define as a Jew. I have a lot of misgivings about the Conservative movement and how far to the left it has slid in the last 10+ years. I find the weakening of halachick [Jewish legal] decisions and religious commitment to be bothersome and - frankly - anti-Jewish. I define myself as a Jew who is committed to halachah and Torah and to religious commitment. If I define myself as such a Jew then I can only categorize myself as Masorti since Conservative (in my opinion) really only means a movement that is only slightly right of the Reform movement and quickly sliding away from Torah and halachah.

I do not mean to belittle Conservative Jews (or any Jews for that matter) but I am reaching a point in my spiritual quest as a Jew by Choice where I must take a stand and define who I am and how I relate to Torah, G-d, and my fellow Jews. For me, this stand starts with self-definition and that definition is as a Masorti Jew.