are we loosing our jewish identity?

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 2:42 pm

I saw this on a news website and wanted to know your thoughts about this.

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Rabbi: Use of Gregorian Dates Sign of Loss of Jewish Identity
17:45 Dec 26, '06 / 5 Tevet 5767

(IsraelNN.com) The use of the Gregorian dates instead of the Jewish calendar is a sign that people are losing their Jewish character, Rabbi Yuval Sherlo told Arutz-7 (Hebrew) Tuesday.

He said that Jews who celebrate New Year's Eve leading into January 1 are merely looking for a reason to celebrate. The Rabbi called more worrisome the use of the Gregorian calendar itself. "We hear people saying, 'When does Pesach occur,'" he noted.
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I know that I grew up using the gregorian calendar but have been trying to change that for some time now. I always notice when I say "when does pesach fall out this year" I get a little twist in my stomach, that something does not sound right about that.

shalhevet

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 2:56 pm

Celebrating New Year's Eve is Puke

. You are celebrating another year has passed in the count of how many years since the birth of someone in whose name the streets of Europe have run with Jewish blood ever since.

As far as the Jewish dates go we have a mitzva of

Quote:

החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים
This month (Nissan) shall be to you the first of the months.

(Shemos, Parashas Bo)

There are some opinions that it is actually forbidden to use other dates.

If you live in Israel you can certainly manage on the Hebrew date alone (although I have had occassional funny looks from cashiers who check my cheque- yes, it is perfectly legal). Even the rest of the world, maybe you have no choice but to use the secular date for business etc, but why don't (for those who don't) you use Jewish dates alone for personal business, birthdays, anniversaries etc.

Maybe we should start here. Does anyone have the patience to start 12 new threads for birthdays/ anniversaries according to the Hebrew date? I'll start the first 2 now. Very Happy

shayna82

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 2:59 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I think a lot of us who do celebrate new years, only do so because we were raised that way, and it brings back some nostalgia. however, my husband dosnt celebrate it, and never did, so we dont. thats proof in my mind, that it haas to do with how you are raised. I dont know anyone who now celebrates it as a married couple, anddidnt celebrate it growing up. IYH, the next generation, wont wink an eyelash to celebrate it.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 2:59 pm

shalhevet wrote:

Celebrating New Year's Eve is Puke

Quote:

החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים
This month (Nissan) shall be to you the first of the months.

I myself am trying to do my best by trying to celebrate my hebrew birthday and anniversary. it always does not work 100% though b/c my fam and some friends in chu"l dont know them and dont really care to remember them, but we are trying:)

thanks shalhevet for the two threads (and by the way, I never mentioned this to you, but I really loooove your name)

shininglight

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 3:00 pm

I am so far from the Hebrew calendar I barely know when Rosh Chodesh is. And I live in Yerushalayim!

We get paid by the Gregorian calendar, we get bills by then, we have to pay credit cards according to Gregorian dates, etc ... so I have to be on top of the situation. Two calendars confuse me.

Luckily, my husband knows the Hebrew calendar and tips me off before Chagim and such Smile

Ribbie Danzinger

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 3:05 pm

Quote:

If you live in Israel you can certainly manage on the Hebrew date alone (although I have had occassional funny looks from cashiers who check my cheque- yes, it is perfectly legal).

Yes, I also only use the Hebrew date when writing cheques.

I was once in a store (in Israel, of course) and a woman who wanted to write a cheque asked what the date was. Naturally, I replied with the Hebrew date (I had no idea what the "other" date was at the time). The woman was appalled at my reply and started yelling at me that it was kfiyah datit (religious coercion)!

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 3:07 pm

shininglight wrote:

thats so intersting b/c as soon as I came to israel, I made sure it buy a calander with both dates on it so that I know what the jewish date is, all of the time. just an observation.

MommyLuv

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 3:31 pm

When I was in Israel on a Birthright trip with Mayanot, I wanted to stay longer so I had to give the coordinator the dates I wanted to leave on.

Naively, I wrote them on a piece of paper: 20 Tammuz or so, I dont recall. After all, we're in Eretz Yisrael, right?

The coordinator later told me he had to go find a calendar to figure out the secular dates to arrange my flight. He was amused by what I wrote, and I was disappointed to find that most of Israeli life goes by according to the Gregorian calendar.. Confused

I guess we have to wait for Moshiach for this one. Surprised

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 3:55 pm

maybe if more and more ppl use the jewish dates, at least in israel, the country will start to notice and there will be a religious revolution:) (fine, I realize that that is a bit much, but still, you get my drift, no? if we start using it, and someone sees our chekc wit the hebrew date, maybe it will get something churning inside of them....who knows....

Raisin

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 4:03 pm

When I was growing up I never knew what the english date was. I always knew the hebrew date because I said chitas every day and I needed to know the date. We only celebrate hebrew b-days/anniversaries in our house. I always have to look up my kids english birthdays.

If you are not sure of the hebrew date look at the moon. It will give you a hint, depending on the time of the month.

chocolate moose

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 4:35 pm

I 'm not saying it to be hcutzpadike, believe me....but the chassidscihe posteers seem to prefer English dates - and even English names, in their places of business.

I think it must be like wearing a magen dovid - they must feel that they are jewish without it. and they're not wrong - all jews are jewish - but somehow you don't see the outward signs on them....besides the usual like payos of course!

greenfire

Tue, Dec 26 2006, 5:48 pm

deedee wrote:

how exactally do jews celebrate new years? if I'm still up I like to watch the enormous firework displays. its not like I pop a bottle of champangne, run around kissing e/o and screaming happy new year!

yup - out of nostalgia - childhood memories - whose really counting what it's from - too drunk to know

as far as chassidishe cm lubavitchers are chassidim too -

my sister was in a jewish bd mood and my family celebrates eng so she just said that she wanted to celebrate lunar bd

by the way whose george or greg or whoever and why does he have a calendar

Hey - let's make an "imamother" calendar