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My Jewish memories are of Brooklyn on Saturday morning. I was maybe five or six years old and with my Zadie and Uncle Seymour. I was bored to death and very fidgety five year old kid. We would go to Shul almost every Saturday. Zadie was a very religious-in-practice kind of guy and if he didn't go to Shul he would put his Tefillin on. For years I remember him davening and putting Tefillin on.
So now when I get in touch with my spiritual Judaism and I daven three times a week, Monday Thursday and Saturday, I always have a memory of my Zadie davening.
The real memory that I have is of Zadie saying, oh I don't know how many times, he would take my hand as if to shake it, and say, "Jackie you promise me."
"I know Zadie."
He says "you promise me, right."
"Yes Zadie."
"What?"
And I say, "I won't marry a shiksa, Zadie, I'll only marry a Jewish girl."
I am reformed in a strange way. I wouldn't go to a reform synagogue on Shabbis because it wouldn't feel Jewish. I go to an Orthodox Shul on Shabbis to daven.
But I don't believe in half the crap the Orthodox Jews give out. I don't accept the authority of some rabbi from Lithuania and that I should wear a funny hat, boots and shtreimel.
Is there some reason why I should have separate plates? You know I am not eating plates -- I'm eating food.
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