Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Discussion of Christianity and other religious systems. How can we explain our faith to Christians? How can you merge your faith in Jesus with your belief in the metaphysical?
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Love_For_All

Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Love_For_All »

When it comes to Judaism, I'm not religious at all; I have not had a Bat Mitzvah, I don't observe Hannukah, I eat on Yom Kippur, and I eat bread during Passover.

However, I do have trouble completely not identifying as Jewish at least partially. I feel that it would be disrespect to some of my family who were Holocaust victims.

Do I have to let go of my Jewish ethnicity to be truly Wiccan?
One Walker
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Post by One Walker »

No.
We have seen what Power does.
We have seen what Power costs.

One is never equal to the other.
Xal
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Post by Xal »

Have you looked into Kabbalah at all? You'll see a lot of similarities I think.

Also I think being Jewish extends beyond just religious connotations. I don't think one can simply, not be Jewish any more. It is part of who you are.
"We are a way for the cosmos to know itself" - Carl Sagan
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Post by ImperfectAngel »

I would ahve to agree and say no as well.
theSeeker
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Post by theSeeker »

No person has to let go of their spiritual foundation, that which gave them their start, they just need to learn how to build upon it.
blackwavy
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Post by blackwavy »

The Seeker is right.

You don't have to let go of your faith. Many people around the world
practice magic and is of many religions. Many religions even have rituals, even in Judaism. I heard stories of priest performing sacred rituals in
ancient times. Christianity, Buddhist, Islamic and many other religious
practice so form of magic.

What I must say about Wicca is that its true--good magic. There's no
wrong in it.
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Post by NightRose »

Though Judaism is a religion, I feel that it's also a cultural thing in many ways. Especially if you are raised in a Jewish family, you will always have "cultural" (whether it can really be called a culture or not) ties to the Jewish faith and practices. I think there is no problem in identifying as of a Jewish background and feeling for those who have passed before you, but still practicing as a Wicca.
SecretSilence

Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by SecretSilence »

Yeah, I'm this way too. Judaism has much more of a cultural identity than Christianity does. During Channukah, I'm not necessarily thinking about God as I light the candles, I'm thinking about how my ancestors have been doing this for thousands of years. Even though my mom isn't a strict Jew, she always said that she was proud to be Jewish because of all the hardships our ancestors had to go through and still survived. So, yes, I am a Jew and a Pagan, both, and proud of it. :)

EDIT: Didn't realize how old this was; I assumed it was recent since it was on the first page, but there only is one page, lol... so, sorry, didn't mean to spam.
Love_For_All

Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Love_For_All »

You're not spamming, I like support.
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Zili
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Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Zili »

My boyfriend's bloodline like yours is Jewish, his family is strictly jewish in the religious term as well, yet my boyfriend has been a wiccan for at least 7 years now. He still identifies as jewish. You don't have to give it up.
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Peregrine
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Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Peregrine »

I realize the original post is very old, but I thought I would add my own two cents after everything I have researched over the past year for anyone else who might be asking themselves the same question.

Xal already mentioned the Kabbalah, but another one to consider is Jewish shamanism. I even came across some interesting sites on the teachings by a Jewish shaman by the name of Gershon Winkler. Here are a few resources on the topic:

The Walking Stick: A study on aboriginal mystery wisdom of Judaism
Teachings of the Ecokosher Rebbe: First words describing this are as follows:
The Ecokosher Principles, while coming from a Jewish perspective, are principles that can be adapted by any person of any faith, religious tradition or spiritual path.

Ecokosher Principles are basically a way of living in an indigenous Jewish-spiritual motivated modality of harmony and balance with Nature and the Spiritual worlds.
For a path that appears less traveled (and known), I came across one called the Canaanite path (Qadish). I've come to the understanding/belief that the Canaanites were the early ancestors to the Hebrews (somewhat akin to early Christianity actually being a form of "Hellenized Judaism"). Of course their paths differ widely at some key points, just like Xtianity had its differences from Hellenism and Judaism but there is some interesting overlap as well.

Here is what is said about the Canaanite path verses Jewitchery and Jewish Paganism (found here):
To assume a Qadish (Canaanite polytheist) is the same as a Jewish Pagan is similar to assuming a Wiccan or a Celtic Pagan is the same as a Christian Wiccan. The two paths are very different. Natib Qadish and Jewish Paganism may share some common themes, but they are not the same spiritual path. Although the themes in Jewish Paganism and Natib Qadish may be similar at times, the focus differs. It is important to remember that the Israelites of ancient times tried their best to separate themselves from their Canaanite predecessors and neighbors through customs, culture, religious practices, and sometimes warfare as they emerged as an independent culture.

Many people do come to this path or share an interest in this path from a previous association with Judaism, Jewish Paganism, or Jewitchery. But many people also come to this path from a previous association with Christianity, Christian Wicca, Wicca, another polytheistic path, or an altogether different spiritual background.

We must resist the urge to claim that a Canaanite practice is clearly the same as a Jewish practice. We must keep in mind that the Canaanites were generally an urban, polytheistic, coastal culture living in a more temperate climate and were at their height about four hundred years before the Israelites, a rural emerging monotheistic culture living in southern deserts. The Hebrew language, although similar to Ugaritic, is not the same language as Ugaritic, and likewise the Israelites are not the same as their parent culture the Canaanites, nor are they the same as their sister culture the Phoenicians.
Just some other ideas. If I am coming across still very ignorant, let me know. My feelings won't be hurt. :)
It's like walking down an empty street, listening to your own footsteps. But all you have to do is knock on any door and say, "If you'll let me in, I'll live the way you want me to live. And I'll think the way you want me to think." And all the blinds will go up, and all the doors will open, and you'll never feel lonely. Ever again.

~Henry Drummond, "Inherit the Wind" (1960)
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Doktor Avalanche
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Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Doktor Avalanche »

Old thread is old, but I have to expand on this.

Tess Dawson is the founder of Natib Qadish, Ancient Canaanite Polytheism. She has two books on the subject and a nice blog to check out. She implements the Ras Shamra texts and their continued deciphering using the ancient Ugaritic(closer to Aramaic than Hebrew) as sources for new research and practice.
"We are of the gods, but we are not ourselves gods,
We reflect the Divine, but we are not Divinity itself"
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Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by Lord_of_Nightmares »

You definitely don't. Jewitchery exists and then there is much mysticism such as Kabbalah. There's also a number of people in the Lilith spectrum.
I am the Earth, The Sun and the Stars
And I am the also the Moon
I am all animal and birds,
And I am the outcast as well, and the thief
I am the low person of dreadful deeds,
And the great person of excellent deeds
I am Female. I am Male and I am Neuter.
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Re: Must I Let Go of Juadaism Completely?

Post by DDS »

Saul consults the witch of Endor and Solomon calls forth and controls demons. The faith is anti-witch, but sure goes there when they need help.
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