Answer to Questions

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Dear Andy, It has been a difficult month with all that has been happening in the world. And you are right, Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur are the most serious of our holidays.

Jewish Labyrinth image is from Pardes Rimonim by Rabbi Moshe Cordevero, the RAMAK, drawn in about 1548 CE.

Q: I was brought up in a secular Jewish home. My grandparents were victims of the Holocaust. We celebrated the major holidays in a non-reigious way but with deep attachment to our Jewish identity, and perpetuating our family traditions. Can I consider myself Jewish in the full sense of the term?
Thank you for considering my question.

Letter #1: August, 2002/Elul, 5762

Dear Reb Shohama, My Christian friends say God loves me, but where do I find that in Judaism? And even if I could find it, how can I believe that when there is so much suffering and hatred and greed all around? Yours longingly, Sara  

Dear Reb Shohama,

My fiancée and I are planning our wedding, and we want a ceremony that is traditional, but that feels like us. We know a rabbi, a friend of the family, who shares our desire for warmth and informality. This rabbi usually officiates by herself, as she has a nice voice. We also know a cantor who has served at our family’s synagogue since I was a child. We would like to include him, but are concerned that his formal operatic style will undercut the tone of the ceremony we are trying to plan. What should we do? Sincerely,Sharon

Dear Reb Shohama,

I recently lost my mother, who was not only a wonderful mother, but also my best friend. She had a very hard life, but always prayed to God and did good things for everybody. I don’t understand why God didn’t let her live longer. Sincerely, Joe

Dear Joe,

I am so sorry about your loss. It has left a big hole in your life, and you, understandably are very angry with God. God can deal with your anger. Tell God how you feel, and ask God to heal your pain.

Dear Reb Shohama, Your guidance would be greatly appreciated regarding the following. We maintain a traditional style Jewish home, and Passover is very important to us. As vegetarians, how do we incorporate soy into our diets during Pesach without compromising the holiday? Each year we struggle with this situation, because soy is the major staple for us, providing a natural source of protein in our heart healthy meals. Thank you for your advice! Respectfully, George

Dear George,

Dear Reb Shohama,

All my life I have felt a warm connection to Judaism, although I was born and raised in a gentile home. It kinds of feels like I have a Jewish soul in a gentile body. Have you heard of such a thing?

Shalom, Joseph

Dear Joseph,

Dear Reb Shohama, I feel so uncomfortable with the word God, yet I keep searching for a spiritual connection. The strange thing is that when I see a beautiful garden or even a beautiful flower, I find myself thinking “Thank you, God.” Does this make any sense to you? Thanks, Renee

Dear Renee,

Yes, it makes a great deal of sense to me. You probably were raised with a forbidding concept of God as a serious old King on a throne, and have not adequately explored Jewish theology as an adult.