Americans Do It Better... Religion

When we last left our hero, he was venturing into the Holy City to watch the Americans lose at a sport they usually don't care about...

(cut to Jerusalem flag with spinning background zooming in and then out)

I went into a pub with some Americans (as well as one Swede and one Englishman) to watch the USA v. Ghana game. It was quite the international experience! Americans, Russians, Israelis, and the Dutch could all be found at the pub: drinking an international assortment of beer, watching the match (though most people were rooting for Ghana, the pride of Africa, and against the Americans who "win too much already"), and eating Israeli chicken wings (that were mild at best by American standards). I got to speak to a lovely Dutch reporter about religion, theater, and stereotypes abroad (apparently the Dutch have as bad a reputation as Americans abroad for being loud and disrespectful). After the bitter defeat, we walked around Modern Jerusalem until about 1AM checking out the sites, sounds, and tastes. It was the most non-tourist-related fun I have had here so far!

The next day I had another Biblical Hebrew class for six hours... which I also loved! The pace is incredibly fast, but its so enjoyable. I also enjoyed today's class (despite some obstacles you will hear about later). I feel like Neo from that scene in the Matrix:

(twitches in class, opens eyes, looks right at Professor)

Ryan: "I know Hee-Brew"

Professor (who looks nothing like Morpheus sadly): "Show me..."

(cut to epic Kung fu fight on the temple mount to make this joke funny and understandable)


...It's been a long day...

Anyway, after class we headed to just outside of the Old City to an archaeological site, The City of David ruins, which included an awesome attraction called "Hezekiah's Tunnel." Hezekiah, the King of Israel, had this tunnel dug in the 8th Century BCE to provide Jerusalem with water during the Assyrian invasion. Its around 550 meters long and deep under the mountain supporting Jerusalem. It's pitch black and the water is up to your waist. I felt like Indiana Jones, it was such an interesting experience. The darkness in that tunnel is so thick you cannot see in front of you without a powerful light (which they will sell to you for five sheckles). Like most things here, you have to experience it to really get what its like.

Another interesting discussion/thought came up while we walked back up the mountain after the tunnel. A traveling companion of mine continued to ask me the difference between the ultra-orthdox (Haredim is the proper term for them), chasidic orthodox, regular orthodox, modern orthodox, conservative orthodox (or conservadox as we call them in the states at times), conservative, reform, reconstructionist, and people who are Jewish but don't practice yet live in Israel. I realized: Americans love to classify religion.

It is a weird habit I have noticed back home, but not here. People say they are Christian and I have the sudden urge to ask "What kind?" and then realize it is rather rude and invasive. Here there are not 9+ types of Judaism; the rhetoric suggests that there is just practicing Orthodox, not practicing Orthodox, and Haredim who are only designated as such so you don't accidentally offend them by being immodest. This brings me back to my question: How, What, and Why is religion so different here? Specifically, Judaism.

Here are some preliminary thoughts:
Americans do Judaism very differently. There are different flavors, intensities, and regional shifts, but we are all working towards a similar goal of being Jewish in a non-Jewish world. Americans do Judaism as best as they personally can. Someone like me may not do it as much as someone who had the up-bringing, background, familial support, and community, but they still do it and that is okay. Even more Orthodox sects see this as good as it shows the beginnings of a journey towards more stringent Judaism that will follow (which is why we have so many Hillels and Chabads). Some see this as a cop-out, here and at home, but it is a generally acceptable view. The positive thing tied to this cop-out is that American are more accepting of different faiths and varieties of faiths. We understand and empathize mostly (many fringe sects do not, but that's why they are fringe sects) with other peoples in a similar struggle for identity and righteousness.

This is much less prevalent here in Jerusalem (as I have experienced), and its absence saddens me. Here, people are Orthodox or not Orthodox because there is no reason not to be. The restaurants are mostly kosher (aside from the delicious 9 sheckle falafel place down the street) and everything closes on Shabbas. If you want to learn how to be Jewish, the world literally stops here to do it for you and there are a hundred happy open hands who want to mold you into their interpretation of kashrut living. If you don't, well, good luck. If you are a man, be prepared for glances and glares for not leading the right kind of life. If you are a woman, be prepared for much worse. There is more judgment then acceptance here, and such a condition, though good for my Judaism, I would not want back in New York. I would not trade American (or at least New York) tolerance for every restaurant in the city becoming Kosher! Plus, wouldn't that ruin all the good pizza places?

I feel as though Americans want to go out and find God using their own paths, making religion our own modern Western frontier. It is our destiny to quest high and low for God as Americans.

Of course... these are only my thoughts and opinions. Not fact (necessarily).

So after some studying for class and some homesickness at night, I went to bed and woke up for class. Woke up for class being a relative term meaning an HOUR AND A HALF LATE. On the third day! Meh. I jumped through the freezing shower (which requires five minutes I didn't have to heat up), grabbed a yogurt and headed out. I even grabbed a cab to cut the 15 minute walk up hill in half, but the Israeli driver's English was poor and he began to drive me to Jerusalem instead of Hebrew University of Jerusalem... Yeah. That was a waste of 10 sheckles ($2.60). I made it to class in time for the first break so I could explain myself to the professor and catch up on what I missed. Class was great. I really love learning languages, especially this because it is so different from English or French. After class I studied (making many MANY flash cards with words and word forms on them) and came back to campus, to find every one leaving on a trip. The place was deserted for a good couple of hours which got me lonely, which got me homesick. Again. I am getting so tired of being sad and mopey. It did give me to clean, relax, study more, and discover I need to go to the store because (tragedy, like comedy, comes in threes) my bread went bad. I salvaged what I could and stuck to my deli meat and hummus. I have been studying, relaxing, being homesick, reading, and trying to keep busy since.

One such activity was uploading pictures so here are pictures from the Western Wall (which I wasn't allowed to really take pictures of), the City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, and whatever else has been going on lately:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanjewinjerusalem/show/