Are you Jewish?

Question

I just got a new roommate, and she is Jewish. I was just curious about the religion and customs. I have never had a friend who was, and thought that it would be great to be informed!

I will talk to her about it, but right now I was just curious about things such as how the or if they celebrate Christmas, and just anything I should know! I would never judge her on it, I am just curious.

Answer 1

Is she a practicing Jew?

I ask this because many Jews do not follow Jewish law (i.e. they celebrate Christmas and Easter - and even eat PORK of all things on those holidays!)

Easily put, Jews believe in the Old Testament. They do not believe Jesus Christ is the messiah. They believe in God and pray to God. Since they do not believe in JC, they do not celebrate any Christian holidays. Rather, they celebrate Passover (right around Easter time), Hanukkah (right before Christmas time) etc. Things like birthdays and Thanksgiving are celebrated though.

Practicing Jews keep a kosher home as well - no pork, shellfish, mixing of meat and dairy, etc. Kosher food is prepared in a very strict manner, very clean, and overseen by a Rabbi.

But again, like I said earlier, many Jews are non practicing and they celebrate all the Christian holidays.

Answer 2

There would be no reason for your roomate to celebrate Christmas, Easter or any other Christian holiday , or any other holiday of other religions, as she is not a believer of those faiths. She might be sociable and seek to join in the fun, but if you are a sincere believer in your faith, you might find it degrading to have someone who does not share your beliefs just go through the motions to be friendly. Your roomate, like many Jews today, probably doesn't know that much about her own heritage or practises and may wish to be totally assimilated in the Disney/Hallmark culture around her. In which case just go with the flow and be friendly.

Answer 3

Don't be surprised if she doesn't consider herself religious. She may not be able to answer your questions adequately, so you're headed in the right direction by learning a little before you talk to her about Judaism.

I was very curious about Judaism for years, but Jews were not willing to talk about it. Now that I've been studying it for several years, I can understand that many of my friends weren't "observant" and really didn't want to talk about it. As for the "religious" ones, they found it much to difficult to explain in general conversation. It is entirely different from Christianity and takes quite some time to really get the "feel" of it.
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Answer 4

technically im Jewish but i dont believe in god or any of that stuff. my mom made me go to hebrew school for like 3 years when i was younger so i know alot about it. if shes like a serious religious person then she will celebrate all the holidays. theres shabbat (the sabbath) which involves lighting candles, eating bread and wine and praying/singing on friday nights. theres a lot of other holidays too that most people dont know about, but i never really cellebrated them so sorry i cant tell you about them.. she could be kosher (pretty much you can only eat "kosher" foods, it says on the box, lol) but a lot of jews arent.
i celebrate christmas and hannukah since my moms jewish and my dads kind of christian (although he doesnt believe in god like me)... both holidays,for my family, are all about the presents and holiday spirt... that kind of stuff. but maybe your roomate doesnt, it depends on her.

Answer 5

Thanks for asking! The website that Cathy and Mel gave above is a really good one; it provides all of the basics and a lot more in an easy-to-read format. And by all means ask your roommate--she will probably indeed be quite pleased to tell you anything you want to know. And if you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

Answer 6

If she is an Orthodox Jew, then she probably follows very strict dietary laws. Find out about the difference between kosher and unkosher foods.


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Answer 7

Yes, try this site:

http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm

Or just ask your roommate if there's anything you need to know. There are three major movements within Judaism, and which movement she's affliated with will have a big impact on her day to day life.

Answer 8

I know nothing of the faith except they do not celebrate Christmas as Christains do. Hopefully your new roommate will be open to discussing her faith with you.

Answer 9

I am a Jewish atheist - e-mail me if you want me to explain that

Answer 10

ask your roommmate. she would probably be glad to explain her customs and beliefs to you, if you were sincerely interested.