Down to Clown

I guess my only requirement for “Jewish stuff” is a local group of Jewish people who are educated in basically what’s involved in being Jewish where they come from and are down to clown.

Non-Jewish people might be wondering what other requirements could even be missing, and I’d point to “literally anybody else’s idea of what we are meant to do together,” which I see as more of a “thing we may or may not someday feel like trying” sort of thing.

So what about “tradition?”

Well, the thing people obsessed with that word never want to talk about is that they’re privileging their own specific lineage. I’m simply saying “tradition” is “whatever WE, SPECIFICALLY know about our own local traditions, combined.”

Okay, so what if being “educated in basically what’s involved in being Jewish where [you] come from” contains very little detail or practical information? Awesome. Now it’s everybody else’s job to work with you to include you (I promise that’s what “Jewish stuff” says to do).

If any of this sounds like it’s normal — like, anywhere in the English-speaking Jewish world, across the spectrum of observance — I assure you it is not.