What Page Are We On?

A Jewish Girl & A Not-So Jewish Boy was written and produced six years ago, so why release it again today? Now is the time to address the quality of life that American Jewry is facing. Intermarriage is a fact of our lives. In our tradition, we have always welcomed the stranger into our midst. When someone did not know us, but becomes interested in knowing us, it is our deepest obligation to describe our Jewish traditions in a way that does not impose, nor does it demand, it simply explains. 

This book was ten years in the making as excerpts of our lives followed a path into Judaism that I never dreamed would be possible. As I child in 1960’s, I did not receive a formal Jewish education. Like many families, we celebrated Passover with my grandparents at their Orthodox Seder (all in Hebrew) that lasted a couple of hours. And years later, at my Aunt Rose and Uncle Bernie’s house more on the Reform side, full of my mother’s sisters having us giggle as they continued to ask Bernie, “what page are you on”. This Pesach Seder lasted about ten to fifteen minutes.  I have fond memories of the seriousness of the one and the joy of the other.

Hanukkah was special in that we lit the candles for eight nights. My sister, Bobbie, somehow learned the candle lighting in Hebrew. We received a present each night and it was an exciting time to be Jewish. My neighbors and friends celebrated Christmas.  I remembered Santa Claus flying with his reindeer skipping our house because we were Jewish and landing at my best friend’s house down the street.

With the little background that I had in Jewish history, I still remember instinctually identifying with Judaism. One of the biggest impacts in my young life was hearing about the Holocaust. As part of the Baby Boomer generation, I was raised in the shadow of this systematic annihilation of extended family in tortuous situations and death camps. We cannot bring back their lives or change their deaths. Yet there is one thing that we can do. We can promote Judaism in the home when one partner of a couple is already Jewish. The question remains:

Why be Jewish? Why not?

Sandra Z. Armstrong