Gina, I am a very active member of my synagogue, and was brought up fairly observant, and I have no idea what you could be referring to. Was this recent? Jews definitely are into their booze, and have it at most occasions (seriously, my grandfather started passing out the schnapps at my nephew's bris at 8:30 am on a Tuesday), but not usually sitting in a shrine at temple. Was it in March? If so, it could have been in preparation for the holiday of Purim, when you are supposed to get so drunk that you can't distinguish between good and evil (sometimes being Jewish is really freakin great).
Please report back what the rabbi says -- I'm intrigued. --- In [email protected], "gina_ellis_ca" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Definitely whiskey. > > I'll just have to ask the rabbi - we're both on a committee that meets > occasionally. Then I'll have the great pleasure of informing you. (I > remember the satisfaction I had in telling my Catholic first husband > that nuns wear wedding rings on account of they're married to Jesus - > he'd never heard of such a thing. And last week, visiting my sister > out west, where there are many Mormons, I told my sister that Mormons > wear sacred underwear and are into geneology so they can baptize > people posthumously... Yeah, I wouldn't believe any of it either...) > > BTW, as a Wiccan I was astonished to stumble over a whole bunch of > stuff about Wicca and Paganism on the WP religion page... > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen" <ellengoodman6@> > wrote: > > > > yeah the whole "better to keep my mouth shut and be thought a fool" > > thing. In other words, I have no idea. Are you sure it was > > whiskey? Might have been ceremonial wine. Pretty sure it isn't a > > synagogue-wide thing, just a thing at that particular congregation. > > Sorry I can't be more helpful. > > > > --- In [email protected], "gina_ellis_ca" > > <gina_ellis@> wrote: > > > > > > But, but...you didn't say what the little whiskey shrine in the > > > synagogue was for. Perhaps after sitting quietly listening to > > > chanting in a foreign language, etc., one nips out into the hallway > > > for a quick nip? (At Pagan festivals my friend and I rate the > > > 'workshops' and thingees by the # of martinis they require to sit > > thru.) > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen" <ellengoodman6@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Believe me, Judaism isn't always a barrel of laughs. I mean it > > is > > > > occasionally, but not that often. Mostly it is about sitting > > quietly > > > > listening to some guys chanting similar to the gregorians in a > > > > foreign language and following a lot of rules that don't make > > sense, > > > > although as I mentioned we don't get excommunicated for getting > > > > divorced. Intermarriage is much worse than divorce, for whatever > > > > reason. OK am I the only one who isn't familiar with > > > > Santaria/Voudon? It's a Gina-Ray inside thing, I guess. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Gina Ellis" > > > > <gina_ellis@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > To Ray re Jobu - hah! Didn't even think of the parallel. I > > mean, > > > > how could > > > > > one think of Santaria/Voudon in the same breath as synagogues! > > > > (P.S. - I've > > > > > been to some S/V ceremonies and I suspect synagogue ceremonies > > > > aren't nearly > > > > > as much fun. Except once I came across a bunch of those > > > > celebratory guys > > > > > dancing in the street outside the synagogue for some occasion > > and > > > > welcoming > > > > > in the passers-by. (Just as I thought - ALL religions are more > > > > fun than the > > > > > soul-deadening mainline Protestant thing I had the misfortune > > to > > > > be born > > > > > into.) > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > Upgrade to Windows Live Hotmail for free today! > > > > > www.newhotmail.ca?icid=WLHMENCA151 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
