@Nita G I have read the Torah and the Christian bible. I do not insinuate that Christianity does not come from Judaism. You misunderstood me on that point. Messianic Judaism is not a stream of Judaism.
Hi Chana! I just love your beautiful smiley personality! You have a very beautiful family and I really enjoy your rituals and traditions. God Bless You and your Family ❤️
I learned to needlepoint and cross-stitch from my Grandma. I treasure those memories of that time spent with her. We had her for 98 years-miss her every day! I have some dishcloths that she knitted several years before she passed that I cannot bring myself to use. I just love them so much that I cannot bring myself to risk them being damaged/soiled. I also have the blanket that she knitted for my high school graduation( that was way more than a hot minute ago). I had it on my bed every day until I was about 30. I even took it to the hospital with me when I had my children. Crazy, I know.
Chana, these Q and As are so great....I enjoy getting to know you and I learn a lot as well. As a nurse, I worked with a lot of Jewish Ear Nose and Throat doctors in Atlanta when I lived there and I have some friends in Savannah, Ga who are Jewish. But it seems they fall on all different parts of the spectrum as do many Christians. I grew up in a small Baptist church and we learned a lot about the Old Testament. One of my favorite stories was about Jael!lol It was a blood thirsty story for a little girl but how I admired her.lol I try to read through the Bible regularly. I see new things each time!
Thanks for answering ALL of my questions!! I feel so lucky that I got so early to your video 😊 (my son clicked on the notification). I really appreciate hearing your perspective and opinions!
Sewing your own clothes is the best! Also hand sewing quilts with my great-grandma was the best, also patchwork quilts out of pieces of my great-aunts crazy clothes is my absolute favorite. Some of those things/memories I love the most. I’ve been hand sewing a lot witch is both the strongest way & most calming way to make things I need. Love these q&a talks.
@@jaroffireflies oh I’m good at the quilting part, not the piecing part. I’m horrible at piecing. Oh ya I love sewing, and making things in general, I was even a glass major in college. Making things is kinda my my thing.
I didn’t realise you converted. Wow. My husb is Muslim and I grew up catholic. I tried to fit into Christianity and fit into Islam but I am most drawn to the Old Testament. It is amazing. I’m so happy to hear your answers xxx much love, sarah in Australia
Excellent answer to changing ones mind set. I had, what turned out to be, major questions which couldn't be answer - just told to keep blind faith, scriptures not making sense, felt lied too, then the "vote" to make Jesus "Devine" really finished me. I wanted, NEEDED, a relationship with God without anything in-between us. The more I studied, wow, the history and traditions - how comfortable, familiar, joyful I found my soul to be. After all my children left home was my time to embrace......and converted heart and soul. It's wonderful to have found you - someone who has lived both sides and made a decision for herself too. Although, a Jewish home for one is quiet due to the pandemic, Zoom only can do so much. Heavens, if you can quilt, you can sew - enjoy.
Good to see your video again .........really enjoy the explanations which gives one a better understanding of someone's belief .....and reasons behind...I love to see someone who;'s religious life is well thought out and not just following a path "because".........thank you.
Blessings Chana! I recently discovered your channel and I am loving it 🧡 It's exactly the upbeat, informative nurturing I need right now. Quilt....I also had a patchwork quilt made from "historical" fabrics from family life. My mother made it. No idea where it ended up....still grieving that loss :( It was so fun to go through it and say "Oh, I remember that dress, etc." Bi-lingual....when I was a part of a bi-lingual community, I used to get such a kick out of the grandparents/parents speaking to the kids in (Greek in this instance) and the kids answering in English 😄 Your videos are binge-worthy, which can be a good new/bad news kind of situation. I find myself planning my activities around the criterion "Well, yeah, I want to watch that but can I still perform this task and absorb the info?"
@@jaroffireflies Thanks Chana 🧡 My spiritual journey / world is quite "checkered" but Judaism is definitely in the mix so I really appreciate all I am learning from your videos! I already knew we were soul sisters when I saw that your cup and saucer is Old Country Roses Royal Albert! I have tea every morning and as often as I can with friends. Oh, BTW, I'm an INFJ also.
I grew up Seventh-Day Adventist and I will say that is one Christian denomination that very much focuses on the shared history. They also follow the Old Testament dietary laws, along with the seventh day Sabbath (from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown).
I actually do have two kitchens. I have my regular kitchen and a Pesach Kitchen. That one was once a non kosher kitchen that my husband Kashered and has a separate sink stove and oven. I keep it all meat except the oven which is parve.
The Orthodox lady my late mum worked for converted her garage, which the family didn't use, into a Pescha kitchen. In the everyday kitchen one side was meaty tbe other sidecwas milky and ofcourse 2 sinks. All 22 of her children have Hebrew names and English names, the English names are used for official documents etc, Hebrew at bimw and within the community.
@@tracyl1368 I figure with 22 she needed more space than I do for a Pesach Kitchen. I work full time and after 33 years of marriage we moved in to a house with an extra kitchen so my husband made it kosher for me. Until then I had one small closet for all my Pesach dishes. All my children and grandkids have hebrew names and for most we just wrote those on the birth certificates since they were easy to pronounce.
I do know many people who actually have 2 kitchens. One for use all year and the other is just for Passover. They say it just makes the holiday much easier for them
Dear Jar of FireFlies and Lovely Family , 1st November 2023 Wednesday … Praying for you and your Family and Your Community.🙏💗💙 I am praying for your Safety of you and your Family Safety of your Community … I am hoping that this War would be OVER . Be Careful Stay Safe Happy and Healthy . I Live you all 💙💗💙💙💗💙🐾🐾. 👁♥️👸🏻
When you changed your legal documents to your married name, did you consider changing your legal first name to Chana, your Hebrew name also? Or is there a reason to keep your birth name? I might be missing something, but I am curious. You explain things in your videos so clearly.
Thank you for your kind words:) I did not consider changing my first name to my Hebrew name. It’s the name my parents gave me and I love it :) I don’t mind having both names.
I appreciate these videos so much!!!!! I am learning so many things through you. We live very rurally and there is a tiny Jewish community here (no synagogue), so the culture isn’t really present. I find watching your videos to be a great fit right now as I can watch them on little breaks between lessons (we also home school) when our youngest son is eating, working out, or done for the day. What you said today about Christ centered verses God centered really struck me. So much of what you talk about feels so familiar and yet I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone speak on this… just lots that run parallel to my thoughts and questions I had growing up in a Christian church where I felt so heart broken by what felt incongruent between scripture and translation. (I always resonated more with the Old Testament.) So much to think about… Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you so much for answering my questions. :) I enjoyed this Q and A series it has been very informative and interesting. Always a pleasure to learn from you. Since following kosher rules are there any foods you miss?
Thank you so much for asking your questions! I don't think there is a particular food that I miss, because I can recreate pretty much everything well enough at home. I definitely miss the convenience of a drive through or picking up food anywhere. But there are definitely positives to that!!! lol
Thank you so much, this is so interesting! Whatis that thing you talk about in the last question? I tried googleing it but I must have misspelled it terribly, nothing useful came up! Thank you!
Clearly I don’t follow you enough to know which days you post lol! I was looking to see if you posted a new video and simple this one came along, due to be anyway! Could you recommend any craft projects for me? I’m looking for something like maybe crocheting or knitting or may be something that I can mindlessly do while I watch TV or listen to music. :-) By the way remind me which days you do post again?
I post on Mondays and Thursdays :) For craft projects, I would try a couple and see what clicks. I am partial to knitting and cross stitching, but crochet may be easier or more enjoyable for you (its just not for me lol)
Thanks Chana for such great explanations! As a convert to Judaism, I found the theology of Paul in the Greek (NT) scriptures didn’t make sense when I was a teenager in Lutheran Catechism class nor as an adult. My family is very accepting of this change, they give me (they give a Hanukkah gift in December, lol). Yes, Rabbis are experts in Jewish education, the first two I talked to didn’t do conversions, but were very welcoming for me to come to Shabbat services, the ladies I sat with helped keep my page in the liturgy, very gracious! So, I Just kept looking until I found a Rabbi to work with. I keep kosher , I’m lacto-ovo vegetarian, so much easier and I didn’t want to drive 200 miles round trip to purchase kosher meat.
I'm curious (let me know if it's too personal) .. You said that your family doesn't participate in any of the Jewish holidays with you and your family.. Have you tried a compromise of celebrating non-Jewish holidays with your family and see if that would open them to try one of the smaller jewish holidays (and smaller meaning a day or 2, ease them into the bigger holidays)?
@@jaroffireflies thank you for your response 🙏🏼.. I come from a pretty large Caribbean family with multiple denominations (seriously there is atleast 7 different types .. all practicing)
@@jaroffireflies Oh definitely. I'm struggling with that choice right now. It's hard having no Jewish family. I don't really have too much guidance. I'd like to know the main differences to consider. Thank you!
I just got my conversion certification in the mail today, we are leaning more towards orthodox and will likely be looking to converting to orthodox after this whole pandemic mishigashs is over, I really enjoy your videos, as I have 4 children I am now homeschooling and I’m learning and putting into practice more Judaism everyday, your videos have been very helpful in that. Thank you
I think it's excellent that you speak English to your kids and that your husband speaks Hebrew to them. If he speaks French or if grandparents speak French, this is great for the kids too for all the obvious reasons. I live in a big Moroccan community here in Montreal, Canada ( it's a mix between Ashkenazi and Sephardic - I'm the former) and the languages spoken at home are mostly French and Hebrew. Though I am English-speaking, due to the fact that I live in Montreal, I do speak French fluently and my Hebrew, like yours, is conversational at best (though I did have a fully trilingual education up until the 5th grade) so I know what you mean when you say that you lost your French by not using it. My neighbours speak English on the streets and Hebrew and French amongst themselves. Ashkenazi Jews in my area speak mostly English and the Sephardic, if they go to Jewish school, grow up learning all three languages. I think access to language is wonderful. Most Ashkenazi secular Jews attend public school in Montreal as the religious Ashkenazi schools have closed due to declining population and increasing secularism. Of course, the Orthodox Jews (Chabad, Tosh, Lubavitch, etc.) all have their own educational centers and only they speak Yiddish and keep that language alive, lol.
I have so many questions 1. If you lose a family member will you sit Chivas? 2. Is there a cleansing ritual once a month? Does this involve a spa day? 3. Do you read and write Hebrew? 4. How did you start your transition?
Hi Chanda, enjoying hearing your answers. You mention moving to Israel, can I ask and I understand if this is not something you want to talk about, how do you feel about Israel Palestine conflict? I am not very knowledgeable on it. However I do remember in a museum I visited had an exhibit about the hello peace telephone line which was interesting. Take care
They were really upset at first, but now they see that I’m living a life that they admire, with a wonderful family, solid values, and that I’m respected by my husband and community. They of course wish I was catholic, but they are happy with my life :)
Hi Chana, I think you’re a person with a very interesting experience given you’re a convert and you are very open minded about secularism and other religions. I was wondering how you think you’d react if say your children, when they’re older, decide to be reform Jews, or simply not participate in Judaism, convert to another religion or simply just stop believing in God. Given you yourself have experienced living a lifestyle that is different spiritually from that of what you grew up in/your family! How do you think you would react or what would you do! P.s I don’t mean any ill will by this, I was just curious! :)
With the first question you summed up quite nicely my own journey so far (have not made it through conversion yet). True that Catholicism prepares us for a ritual-infused way of life, but the beauty of Judaism is that it explicitly invites us to understand the why - the keva (the ritual itself) and the kavanah (purpose or intention).
I have been wanting to convert to Judaism but my husband isn’t a believer and we also have 3 children. Everything I read says that I shouldn’t convert because of this. Disheartening... wondering what your thoughts are about this?
That is a hard one. It’s very hard to observe Judaism if your spouse isn’t also. It’s also hard on the children when their parents aren’t the same religion. Unfortunately, It would be very hard to find a rabbi would work on conversion with you if your spouse isn’t also wanting to convert :( I’d suggest talking to your husband and seeing what his reasons are. Perhaps if he sees how much you love it, he’d be willing to explore it too 💜 I’m happy to answer any questions you have and help if I can
I talk to him about everything - luckily he’s always up for listening. But he doesn’t even believe in a “higher power”. Would it be pointless to observe Judaism and the Torah as much as I can without converting? That’s the best way I can wrap up all the questions I have.
@@Isamariemar I don’t think that’s pointless! I started out that way :) I didn’t know conversion was possible, so I thought I’d just live my life as close to Judaism as I could. You could also check out Noahides to see if that could be a fit for you.
That gives me hope! I have definitely looked into Noahides. And it’s definitely something that that I think is incredible, but I really feel called to follow more specifically Judaism as a Jew. Thank you for taking time to respond me to be.
@@Isamariemar I’ve looked into Noahides too but I didn’t find it was what I was looking for either, but I think it’s a good option for some folks so worth pointing out. Keep doing what you’re doing, and definitely try reaching out to a rabbi 💜
Yay!! You answered my questions!! I can't believe how nervous I got b4 and while watching this not knowing howd you respond (I'm kinda shy and timid), but you made me feel so relieved and your so nice🥰, so thank you! I also believe it's really important to be in touch with a rav (and rebbetzin) who knows you well, I wish I had one it would make life a lot easier
Thank you so much for asking the questions! I am so sorry you were nervous! I'm glad it was worth it :) This was a really fun series to do. If you don't have a rabbi nearby, you could try reaching out online perhaps. I'm not sure how easy that would be.
My love of God and Jesus is similar to you guys, I started watching your channel to understand why your people do what y’all do, but I am just more confused, my city has a huge Jewish population, and my husband was asked to turn on a light in someone’s house cause of Shabbat, I found that strange, as I read the Old Testament I get it from there and we also learn a-lot of the Hebrew and Arabic and other language that teach us. I do appreciate the time you took to answer some questions
Ps: I feel like I don’t fit in anywhere. I’ve begun to say I believe wholly in God but I don’t hold myself in any particular religion. I wish I did though
I was interested to hear your description of Reform Judaism. I don’t know if the US version is different to ours (UK) but here it is very much still a religious movement. The liturgy has been adapted for a different outlook and practices have become a matter of personal choice rather than requirement (e.g. we keep kosher as much as is meaningful for each of us, rather than having a community standard). It is certainly more than just cultural, though; the changes are positive decisions that help many people reconcile a religious life with the modern world. I’m a bit late to the party with questions but I just wondered how you decide what Judaics to teach and when, especially if you are planning for your son to enter the school system. Do you have a Jewish school locally that you can ask, or friends whose kids go to Jewish schools? That’s something we struggle with, that our kids have so much input being home educated that they are speeding through the material that their cheder teaches and will certainly need more before they reach Bar Mitzvah. There are no Jewish schools here, though, so I have absolutely no idea what is available for me to give them the groundwork they will need if they want to join online classes like Gesher in the future. I am definitely making it up as I go along!
I would still call Reform a religious movement here as well. What I said was in reference to the basic stance of the Reform Movement in America, based on the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 as it was explained to me by my Reform Rabbi when I was a member. The nutshell version is as I explained. I didn't mean to imply they don't have services etc, there is only so much I can say in a video to explain briefly the main differences :) As for deciding what to teach my kids as far as Judaics go, tis a combination of both what the schools around me are doing as well as following my kid's interests and teaching them what I think they are ready for. I am able to discuss with the teachers and Dean of Education at the local Day School to see what they are up to there which is very helpful as I plan.
Wow, that sounds super helpful to be able to refer to the local schools like that! I’m starting to look for people who might be able to give me advice for where to go next as we’re going to run out of material soon. The difference in Reform movements makes a lot of sense. We have been to a couple of services on visits to the US and it felt VERY different!
@@Gonetomars Thats so interesting that it is so different in Europe vs USA! I am going to be looking into that now :) For the schools, you could try reaching out directly to the school, or if you have a friend who is a teacher they could be helpful. There are some curriculums also, check out my friend Chana who's channel is Jewish Education at Home, she reviews a lot of curriculums.
No Jewish schools here at all, sadly - nearest is the other side of the country! I’ll have to dig around to find some friends-of-friends who may have links.
My grandma died 2 weeks ago, we were very close. I have 2 candles that she gifted me and my husband a couple of years ago, but that's it. I wish I would have something handmade from her. Will you show us the quilt you and your grandma made? I would love to see it.
I am raising my son to be free-thinking and open-minded. I would like him to learn about religions so he can understand and respect others' beliefs. If he chooses to follow a religion, I'll support him.
Have you ever encountered difficulty answering questions that people whose faith is different than yours ask you...and/or have any of them ever tried to "convince" of why their path is "more" correct (or the "only") correct path?
Two things, first what is goorrah (did I spell that correctly?) - you said your son would eventually learn it but you didn't explain what it is. Second, you said you thought Catholicism was more focused on God than on Christ. As a lifelong Catholic, I can tell you that that is a misconception by many people, especially by Fundamentalists and Evangelists. Catholicism is focused on both God and Christ, almost equally. We believe in the holy trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) which are, at many times, indistinguishable one from another - that can be a theological point of confusion for many people. But for Catholics, Jesus Christ is at the center of our faith and our religion, in fact the whole point of Catholic Mass is to recreate Christ's last supper, i.e., the consecration of the eucharist and the wine, which we then imbibe as a grace from God.
Gemara is the word I think you are looking for :) It is the oral Torah, also called the Talmud. As for your other comment, you are correct. I think what I mean is that with my experience with Catholicism and with other Christian religions, G-d was more of a focus in Catholicism.
I love your videos, Chana, and as a Catholic that's been trying to put together Judaism with Christianity this video really gets at some of my questions. Very few people would say that Catholicism is more "God-centered", but I totally agree. I think that Orthodox Christians are even more so. My ancestors come from a part of the world where Judaism was very prominent, and I've felt very called to gain a better understanding of what I feel is also part of my ancestral culture but that I was never taught me (at the same time, my father's favorite film was "Fiddler on the Roof", so draw your own conclusions...). I'm also learning loads from Dr. Henry Abramson's UA-cam videos and highly recommend them. Question (that maybe you've already answered elsewhere): when you study, what do you specifically study? Is there a recommended study path for Orthodox women? Keep up the wonderful videos!
Hello and thank you! I appreciate your kind words :) To answer your question, there isn't particular path that Orthodox Jewish women study. Women who are raised Orthodox Jewish usually go to seminary, and some adult women who didn't have that opportunity will go as an adult. But other than that we choose topics that interest us or that we feel we need to work on and go for it :) There are often classes in our communities for women to help us out as well. And it's not uncommon to have a study partner also.
It must be a sadness to you that your parents and siblings have no interest in sharing your festival's, hearing ghat makes me very sad tbh. I'm still in contact on and off with the lady Mum worked for along with her husband the Rabbi, myself, my husband and our daughter have been invited to and are going to their youngest son's engagement next week in. I really appreciate them inviting us as myself and my daughter are Catholic and my husband is Church of England ........and we are all looking forward to attending!
It does make me sad. It’s unfortunate. But I’m sure they are also sad that we don’t want to participate in their holidays (though that’s hard because we can’t eat their food due to kosher and my sons celiac). But it’s something many converts and their families have to deal with.
@@jaroffireflies hopefully, one day, God willing, a happyish medium can be found to suit you all!!!! I appreciate that you can't eat or drink anything from their homes for obvious reasons as it's not Kosher and your son's health issues but Jewish food is amazeballs! I have a recipe from Mum's lady for kugel and chollant which are wonderful! Last week my husband went to Grodinski's (it a Jewish bakery in Edgware, there's also one in Golders Green) andche brought home some lovely cakes and two loves of Challa bread! When I was a kid Grodinski's had a branch in Willesden (NW London) and me mum used to get tge bread and rolls from there every week on a Friday as a treat for Saturday for us, they did an apple pie type pastry that was to die for!
In terms of sewing our own clothes- I HIGHLY recommend the Patterns for Pirates online shop or Stitch Upon a Time. They have so many cute patterns with so many variations to make it work for you. They’re mostly patterns using knit fabrics which seems intimidating… but it’s actually super easy and verrrrry forgiving 😂😂😂
@@jaroffireflies let's just say he does what he's bloody told as he knows what's good for him! 🤣 His Mum was Aries too......let's just say she learnt the hard way not to take mw on!!! 😂
I am a new subscriber and love your videos. Interesting to hear about your journey. As a Christian I’m sorry your understanding about Jesus was so limited but am glad you love your relationship with God. The Jewish people are God’s “chosen people” and Israel is important in end times.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions! 💕
@Nita G I have read the Torah and the Christian bible. I do not insinuate that Christianity does not come from Judaism. You misunderstood me on that point. Messianic Judaism is not a stream of Judaism.
Hi Chana! I just love your beautiful smiley personality! You have a very beautiful family and I really enjoy your rituals and traditions. God Bless You and your Family ❤️
Thank you so much! 💜😊💜😊💜
I learned to needlepoint and cross-stitch from my Grandma. I treasure those memories of that time spent with her. We had her for 98 years-miss her every day! I have some dishcloths that she knitted several years before she passed that I cannot bring myself to use. I just love them so much that I cannot bring myself to risk them being damaged/soiled. I also have the blanket that she knitted for my high school graduation( that was way more than a hot minute ago). I had it on my bed every day until I was about 30. I even took it to the hospital with me when I had my children. Crazy, I know.
Your channel is amazing, I’m enjoying all of your videos and learning so much
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me! You are so kind :)
Chana, these Q and As are so great....I enjoy getting to know you and I learn a lot as well. As a nurse, I worked with a lot of Jewish Ear Nose and Throat doctors in Atlanta when I lived there and I have some friends in Savannah, Ga who are Jewish. But it seems they fall on all different parts of the spectrum as do many Christians. I grew up in a small Baptist church and we learned a lot about the Old Testament. One of my favorite stories was about Jael!lol It was a blood thirsty story for a little girl but how I admired her.lol I try to read through the Bible regularly. I see new things each time!
Definitely many ends of the spectrum in Judaism just as I think all religions :)
@@jaroffireflies oh... what was the “hard word” lol you were talking about in regard to your husband and son taking lessons???
@@arleneg1271 ohhhh I don’t know! About where in the video did I say that? I’d need to go back and look
@@jaroffireflies it was some kind of lessons... you said boys in your area start at 14. I assumed it was some kind of religious lessons.
@@arleneg1271 yeshiva? That’s like high school for boys. They spend a lot of time learning torah alongside their secular studies.
Thanks for answering ALL of my questions!! I feel so lucky that I got so early to your video 😊 (my son clicked on the notification). I really appreciate hearing your perspective and opinions!
Absolutely! Thanks for your great questions!!! 💕
Sewing your own clothes is the best! Also hand sewing quilts with my great-grandma was the best, also patchwork quilts out of pieces of my great-aunts crazy clothes is my absolute favorite. Some of those things/memories I love the most. I’ve been hand sewing a lot witch is both the strongest way & most calming way to make things I need. Love these q&a talks.
Love that you sew too! You sound like a very skilled quilter! I’d like to learn hand quilting one day :)
@@jaroffireflies oh I’m good at the quilting part, not the piecing part. I’m horrible at piecing. Oh ya I love sewing, and making things in general, I was even a glass major in college. Making things is kinda my my thing.
@@molnotmole3428 oh that is so cool!!!
I didn’t realise you converted. Wow. My husb is Muslim and I grew up catholic. I tried to fit into Christianity and fit into Islam but I am most drawn to the Old Testament. It is amazing. I’m so happy to hear your answers xxx much love, sarah in Australia
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! So glad you enjoyed 💜😊
Excellent answer to changing ones mind set. I had, what turned out to be, major questions which couldn't be answer - just told to keep blind faith, scriptures not making sense, felt lied too, then the "vote" to make Jesus "Devine" really finished me. I wanted, NEEDED, a relationship with God without anything in-between us. The more I studied, wow, the history and traditions - how comfortable, familiar, joyful I found my soul to be. After all my children left home was my time to embrace......and converted heart and soul. It's wonderful to have found you - someone who has lived both sides and made a decision for herself too. Although, a Jewish home for one is quiet due to the pandemic, Zoom only can do so much. Heavens, if you can quilt, you can sew - enjoy.
Thanks Victoria ❤️
God Bless you. You have a beautiful heart. I am praying for you. ❤️
Thank you so much!
Good to see your video again .........really enjoy the explanations which gives one a better understanding of someone's belief .....and reasons behind...I love to see someone who;'s religious life is well thought out and not just following a path "because".........thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m so glad you are enjoying these!
Blessings Chana! I recently discovered your channel and I am loving it 🧡 It's exactly the upbeat, informative nurturing I need right now. Quilt....I also had a patchwork quilt made from "historical" fabrics from family life. My mother made it. No idea where it ended up....still grieving that loss :( It was so fun to go through it and say "Oh, I remember that dress, etc." Bi-lingual....when I was a part of a bi-lingual community, I used to get such a kick out of the grandparents/parents speaking to the kids in (Greek in this instance) and the kids answering in English 😄 Your videos are binge-worthy, which can be a good new/bad news kind of situation. I find myself planning my activities around the criterion "Well, yeah, I want to watch that but can I still perform this task and absorb the info?"
Welcome Karen! I am so glad that you are here! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience:)
@@jaroffireflies Thanks Chana 🧡 My spiritual journey / world is quite "checkered" but Judaism is definitely in the mix so I really appreciate all I am learning from your videos! I already knew we were soul sisters when I saw that your cup and saucer is Old Country Roses Royal Albert! I have tea every morning and as often as I can with friends. Oh, BTW, I'm an INFJ also.
@@GoldenGarden9 oh wow that’s so cool!!!
I grew up Seventh-Day Adventist and I will say that is one Christian denomination that very much focuses on the shared history. They also follow the Old Testament dietary laws, along with the seventh day Sabbath (from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown).
That’s so cool! I didn’t realize y’all did that!
I actually do have two kitchens. I have my regular kitchen and a Pesach Kitchen. That one was once a non kosher kitchen that my husband Kashered and has a separate sink stove and oven. I keep it all meat except the oven which is parve.
Wow you’re so lucky! My husband wants a Pesach kitchen, but for us it doesn’t make sense :)
The Orthodox lady my late mum worked for converted her garage, which the family didn't use, into a Pescha kitchen.
In the everyday kitchen one side was meaty tbe other sidecwas milky and ofcourse 2 sinks.
All 22 of her children have Hebrew names and English names, the English names are used for official documents etc, Hebrew at bimw and within the community.
@@tracyl1368 that’s cool! L
@@tracyl1368 I figure with 22 she needed more space than I do for a Pesach Kitchen. I work full time and after 33 years of marriage we moved in to a house with an extra kitchen so my husband made it kosher for me. Until then I had one small closet for all my Pesach dishes. All my children and grandkids have hebrew names and for most we just wrote those on the birth certificates since they were easy to pronounce.
@@sklugmann7206 the lady's 2 daughters had very easy names to pronounce, Miriam and Esther, the sons Hebrew names not so much.
I do know many people who actually have 2 kitchens. One for use all year and the other is just for Passover. They say it just makes the holiday much easier for them
Dear Jar of FireFlies and Lovely Family ,
1st November 2023 Wednesday … Praying for you and your Family and Your Community.🙏💗💙
I am praying for your Safety of you and your Family Safety of your Community … I am hoping that this War would be OVER .
Be Careful
Stay Safe
Happy and Healthy .
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Have a Wonderful Day .
Thank you!
When you changed your legal documents to your married name, did you consider changing your legal first name to Chana, your Hebrew name also? Or is there a reason to keep your birth name? I might be missing something, but I am curious. You explain things in your videos so clearly.
Thank you for your kind words:) I did not consider changing my first name to my Hebrew name. It’s the name my parents gave me and I love it :) I don’t mind having both names.
I appreciate these videos so much!!!!! I am learning so many things through you. We live very rurally and there is a tiny Jewish community here (no synagogue), so the culture isn’t really present. I find watching your videos to be a great fit right now as I can watch them on little breaks between lessons (we also home school) when our youngest son is eating, working out, or done for the day. What you said today about Christ centered verses God centered really struck me. So much of what you talk about feels so familiar and yet I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone speak on this… just lots that run parallel to my thoughts and questions I had growing up in a Christian church where I felt so heart broken by what felt incongruent between scripture and translation. (I always resonated more with the Old Testament.)
So much to think about…
Thank you 🙏🏼
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my q and a videos and that what I said really resonated with you!
Thank you so much for answering my questions. :) I enjoyed this Q and A series it has been very informative and interesting. Always a pleasure to learn from you. Since following kosher rules are there any foods you miss?
Thank you so much for asking your questions! I don't think there is a particular food that I miss, because I can recreate pretty much everything well enough at home. I definitely miss the convenience of a drive through or picking up food anywhere. But there are definitely positives to that!!! lol
Thank you so much, this is so interesting! Whatis that thing you talk about in the last question? I tried googleing it but I must have misspelled it terribly, nothing useful came up! Thank you!
Gemara :) that is the oral Torah, it’s also called Talmud. It’s a huge sent of many volumes.
Oh ok! I know the word Talmud. Thank you for explaining!
@@constanzefischer5610 sure thing!
Thanks for asking/answering this question. I had the same one!
Clearly I don’t follow you enough to know which days you post lol! I was looking to see if you posted a new video and simple this one came along, due to be anyway! Could you recommend any craft projects for me? I’m looking for something like maybe crocheting or knitting or may be something that I can mindlessly do while I watch TV or listen to music. :-) By the way remind me which days you do post again?
I post on Mondays and Thursdays :) For craft projects, I would try a couple and see what clicks. I am partial to knitting and cross stitching, but crochet may be easier or more enjoyable for you (its just not for me lol)
Thanks Chana for such great explanations! As a convert to Judaism, I found the theology of Paul in the Greek (NT) scriptures didn’t make sense when I was a teenager in Lutheran Catechism class nor as an adult.
My family is very accepting of this change, they give me (they give a Hanukkah gift in December, lol). Yes, Rabbis are experts in Jewish education, the first two I talked to didn’t do conversions, but were very welcoming for me to come to Shabbat services, the ladies I sat with helped keep my page in the liturgy, very gracious! So, I Just kept looking until I found a Rabbi to work with. I keep kosher , I’m lacto-ovo vegetarian, so much easier and I didn’t want to drive 200 miles round trip to purchase kosher meat.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you are having such a wonderful experience! May you only have good things as you continue to learn and grow!
You’re great!
Thank you!
I'm curious (let me know if it's too personal) .. You said that your family doesn't participate in any of the Jewish holidays with you and your family.. Have you tried a compromise of celebrating non-Jewish holidays with your family and see if that would open them to try one of the smaller jewish holidays (and smaller meaning a day or 2, ease them into the bigger holidays)?
We are ok with how things are :) but I appreciate the thought!
@@jaroffireflies thank you for your response 🙏🏼..
I come from a pretty large Caribbean family with multiple denominations (seriously there is atleast 7 different types .. all practicing)
@@wendybarnard7672 you are so welcome!
What was it that made Orthodox feel right for you? Versus Reform?
Great question! I’ll explain that in my conversion video, it’s definitely better explained by talking than typing ❤️
@@jaroffireflies Oh definitely. I'm struggling with that choice right now. It's hard having no Jewish family. I don't really have too much guidance. I'd like to know the main differences to consider. Thank you!
@@Shenanigans_Afoot I totally understand. One thing I can say is that I spent time in each community (reform and orthodox).
I just got my conversion certification in the mail today, we are leaning more towards orthodox and will likely be looking to converting to orthodox after this whole pandemic mishigashs is over, I really enjoy your videos, as I have 4 children I am now homeschooling and I’m learning and putting into practice more Judaism everyday, your videos have been very helpful in that. Thank you
Congratulations on your conversion! So exciting! I’m so glad my videos are helpful to you!
I think it's excellent that you speak English to your kids and that your husband speaks Hebrew to them. If he speaks French or if grandparents speak French, this is great for the kids too for all the obvious reasons. I live in a big Moroccan community here in Montreal, Canada ( it's a mix between Ashkenazi and Sephardic - I'm the former) and the languages spoken at home are mostly French and Hebrew. Though I am English-speaking, due to the fact that I live in Montreal, I do speak French fluently and my Hebrew, like yours, is conversational at best (though I did have a fully trilingual education up until the 5th grade) so I know what you mean when you say that you lost your French by not using it. My neighbours speak English on the streets and Hebrew and French amongst themselves. Ashkenazi Jews in my area speak mostly English and the Sephardic, if they go to Jewish school, grow up learning all three languages. I think access to language is wonderful. Most Ashkenazi secular Jews attend public school in Montreal as the religious Ashkenazi schools have closed due to declining population and increasing secularism. Of course, the Orthodox Jews (Chabad, Tosh, Lubavitch, etc.) all have their own educational centers and only they speak Yiddish and keep that language alive, lol.
I have so many questions
1. If you lose a family member will you sit Chivas?
2. Is there a cleansing ritual once a month? Does this involve a spa day?
3. Do you read and write Hebrew?
4. How did you start your transition?
Big questions thank you! I will save these for a future q and a video, I want to give them the attention they deserve :)
Hi Chanda, enjoying hearing your answers. You mention moving to Israel, can I ask and I understand if this is not something you want to talk about, how do you feel about Israel Palestine conflict? I am not very knowledgeable on it. However I do remember in a museum I visited had an exhibit about the hello peace telephone line which was interesting. Take care
Sorry spelling mistake Chana! X
As a Jew with an ex-Catholic wife I am wondering what your parents think of your conversion. Hatzlacha.
They were really upset at first, but now they see that I’m living a life that they admire, with a wonderful family, solid values, and that I’m respected by my husband and community. They of course wish I was catholic, but they are happy with my life :)
What is “gammarow” (don’t know the spelling). When will your son start preparing for his bar mitzveh?
Hi Lisa! It’s Gemara. It’s also called the Talmud. It’s the written down version of the oral Torah :)
Hi Chana,
I think you’re a person with a very interesting experience given you’re a convert and you are very open minded about secularism and other religions. I was wondering how you think you’d react if say your children, when they’re older, decide to be reform Jews, or simply not participate in Judaism, convert to another religion or simply just stop believing in God. Given you yourself have experienced living a lifestyle that is different spiritually from that of what you grew up in/your family!
How do you think you would react or what would you do!
P.s I don’t mean any ill will by this, I was just curious! :)
Hello, I have spoken about this before in this video: ua-cam.com/video/3xXkGAZ72Mk/v-deo.html Enjoy!
With the first question you summed up quite nicely my own journey so far (have not made it through conversion yet). True that Catholicism prepares us for a ritual-infused way of life, but the beauty of Judaism is that it explicitly invites us to understand the why - the keva (the ritual itself) and the kavanah (purpose or intention).
Yes! The encouragement of questions and answers was a welcome change indeed :)
I have been wanting to convert to Judaism but my husband isn’t a believer and we also have 3 children. Everything I read says that I shouldn’t convert because of this. Disheartening... wondering what your thoughts are about this?
That is a hard one. It’s very hard to observe Judaism if your spouse isn’t also. It’s also hard on the children when their parents aren’t the same religion. Unfortunately, It would be very hard to find a rabbi would work on conversion with you if your spouse isn’t also wanting to convert :( I’d suggest talking to your husband and seeing what his reasons are. Perhaps if he sees how much you love it, he’d be willing to explore it too 💜 I’m happy to answer any questions you have and help if I can
I talk to him about everything - luckily he’s always up for listening. But he doesn’t even believe in a “higher power”.
Would it be pointless to observe Judaism and the Torah as much as I can without converting? That’s the best way I can wrap up all the questions I have.
@@Isamariemar I don’t think that’s pointless! I started out that way :) I didn’t know conversion was possible, so I thought I’d just live my life as close to Judaism as I could. You could also check out Noahides to see if that could be a fit for you.
That gives me hope!
I have definitely looked into Noahides. And it’s definitely something that that I think is incredible, but I really feel called to follow more specifically Judaism as a Jew.
Thank you for taking time to respond me to be.
@@Isamariemar I’ve looked into Noahides too but I didn’t find it was what I was looking for either, but I think it’s a good option for some folks so worth pointing out. Keep doing what you’re doing, and definitely try reaching out to a rabbi 💜
Yay!! You answered my questions!! I can't believe how nervous I got b4 and while watching this not knowing howd you respond (I'm kinda shy and timid), but you made me feel so relieved and your so nice🥰, so thank you!
I also believe it's really important to be in touch with a rav (and rebbetzin) who knows you well, I wish I had one it would make life a lot easier
Thank you so much for asking the questions! I am so sorry you were nervous! I'm glad it was worth it :) This was a really fun series to do. If you don't have a rabbi nearby, you could try reaching out online perhaps. I'm not sure how easy that would be.
Is there a difference between Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism?
Hasidic Jews are Orthodox. I’m going to get into this in a video soon. I need to do a little more research so I can give a complete answer :)
@@jaroffireflies There are videos on you tube sharing life in New York City featuring Hasidic neighborhoods. Your family lives. Sry differently.
Hello I notice your husband is around a lot cooking for Shabbat what jobs does he have? Thanks.
He’s self employed as a contractor. He works 6 days a week but that allows for a lighter day on Friday :)
Do you scrapbook?
I used to a long time ago, but I don’t anymore :)
I would love someone to share Hannukah or any other holiday with me.
I hope you are able to find someone to celebrate with! It’s definitely one we love to share with friends 💜
My love of God and Jesus is similar to you guys, I started watching your channel to understand why your people do what y’all do, but I am just more confused, my city has a huge Jewish population, and my husband was asked to turn on a light in someone’s house cause of Shabbat, I found that strange, as I read the Old Testament I get it from there and we also learn a-lot of the Hebrew and Arabic and other language that teach us. I do appreciate the time you took to answer some questions
Ps: I feel like I don’t fit in anywhere. I’ve begun to say I believe wholly in God but I don’t hold myself in any particular religion. I wish I did though
It sounds like religion is important to you. If I’m right, keep searching 💜 You’ll find your place!
I was interested to hear your description of Reform Judaism. I don’t know if the US version is different to ours (UK) but here it is very much still a religious movement. The liturgy has been adapted for a different outlook and practices have become a matter of personal choice rather than requirement (e.g. we keep kosher as much as is meaningful for each of us, rather than having a community standard). It is certainly more than just cultural, though; the changes are positive decisions that help many people reconcile a religious life with the modern world.
I’m a bit late to the party with questions but I just wondered how you decide what Judaics to teach and when, especially if you are planning for your son to enter the school system. Do you have a Jewish school locally that you can ask, or friends whose kids go to Jewish schools? That’s something we struggle with, that our kids have so much input being home educated that they are speeding through the material that their cheder teaches and will certainly need more before they reach Bar Mitzvah. There are no Jewish schools here, though, so I have absolutely no idea what is available for me to give them the groundwork they will need if they want to join online classes like Gesher in the future. I am definitely making it up as I go along!
I would still call Reform a religious movement here as well. What I said was in reference to the basic stance of the Reform Movement in America, based on the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 as it was explained to me by my Reform Rabbi when I was a member. The nutshell version is as I explained. I didn't mean to imply they don't have services etc, there is only so much I can say in a video to explain briefly the main differences :)
As for deciding what to teach my kids as far as Judaics go, tis a combination of both what the schools around me are doing as well as following my kid's interests and teaching them what I think they are ready for. I am able to discuss with the teachers and Dean of Education at the local Day School to see what they are up to there which is very helpful as I plan.
Wow, that sounds super helpful to be able to refer to the local schools like that! I’m starting to look for people who might be able to give me advice for where to go next as we’re going to run out of material soon.
The difference in Reform movements makes a lot of sense. We have been to a couple of services on visits to the US and it felt VERY different!
@@Gonetomars Thats so interesting that it is so different in Europe vs USA! I am going to be looking into that now :) For the schools, you could try reaching out directly to the school, or if you have a friend who is a teacher they could be helpful. There are some curriculums also, check out my friend Chana who's channel is Jewish Education at Home, she reviews a lot of curriculums.
No Jewish schools here at all, sadly - nearest is the other side of the country! I’ll have to dig around to find some friends-of-friends who may have links.
@@Gonetomars oh man that is hard! Definitely check out Chana’s channel!
My grandma died 2 weeks ago, we were very close. I have 2 candles that she gifted me and my husband a couple of years ago, but that's it. I wish I would have something handmade from her. Will you show us the quilt you and your grandma made? I would love to see it.
My condolences for your loss 😢 I will eventually show the quilt my grandmother and I made, for now it’s in storage until we move back to our house
@@jaroffireflies Thank you, you are very kind
@@annabelle2775 sending love and hugs! ❤️
❤❤❤
For a future Q & A: Do you have a religious community of women?
I am raising my son to be free-thinking and open-minded. I would like him to learn about religions so he can understand and respect others' beliefs. If he chooses to follow a religion, I'll support him.
I love you for that ♥️
Gamara? what is it please Chana.. Not heard of this art all.
It’s the Talmud. The oral Torah.
Ah, now that sounds very complicated and very hard. With the correct teacher I'm sure it'll be a wonderful experience 😊.
@@elaineparker6986 exactly right :) I used to learn it but don’t anymore. My son will start learning it in the next year or two at his own level.
Good time to learn then 😌 x lol
@@elaineparker6986 yes :)
Have you ever encountered difficulty answering questions that people whose faith is different than yours ask you...and/or have any of them ever tried to "convince" of why their path is "more" correct (or the "only") correct path?
Two things, first what is goorrah (did I spell that correctly?) - you said your son would eventually learn it but you didn't explain what it is. Second, you said you thought Catholicism was more focused on God than on Christ. As a lifelong Catholic, I can tell you that that is a misconception by many people, especially by Fundamentalists and Evangelists. Catholicism is focused on both God and Christ, almost equally. We believe in the holy trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) which are, at many times, indistinguishable one from another - that can be a theological point of confusion for many people. But for Catholics, Jesus Christ is at the center of our faith and our religion, in fact the whole point of Catholic Mass is to recreate Christ's last supper, i.e., the consecration of the eucharist and the wine, which we then imbibe as a grace from God.
Gemara is the word I think you are looking for :) It is the oral Torah, also called the Talmud. As for your other comment, you are correct. I think what I mean is that with my experience with Catholicism and with other Christian religions, G-d was more of a focus in Catholicism.
You are absolutely beautiful!
Aw thank you! You made my day! 💜😊
I love your videos, Chana, and as a Catholic that's been trying to put together Judaism with Christianity this video really gets at some of my questions. Very few people would say that Catholicism is more "God-centered", but I totally agree. I think that Orthodox Christians are even more so. My ancestors come from a part of the world where Judaism was very prominent, and I've felt very called to gain a better understanding of what I feel is also part of my ancestral culture but that I was never taught me (at the same time, my father's favorite film was "Fiddler on the Roof", so draw your own conclusions...). I'm also learning loads from Dr. Henry Abramson's UA-cam videos and highly recommend them. Question (that maybe you've already answered elsewhere): when you study, what do you specifically study? Is there a recommended study path for Orthodox women? Keep up the wonderful videos!
Hello and thank you! I appreciate your kind words :) To answer your question, there isn't particular path that Orthodox Jewish women study. Women who are raised Orthodox Jewish usually go to seminary, and some adult women who didn't have that opportunity will go as an adult. But other than that we choose topics that interest us or that we feel we need to work on and go for it :) There are often classes in our communities for women to help us out as well. And it's not uncommon to have a study partner also.
It must be a sadness to you that your parents and siblings have no interest in sharing your festival's, hearing ghat makes me very sad tbh.
I'm still in contact on and off with the lady Mum worked for along with her husband the Rabbi, myself, my husband and our daughter have been invited to and are going to their youngest son's engagement next week in.
I really appreciate them inviting us as myself and my daughter are Catholic and my husband is Church of England ........and we are all looking forward to attending!
It does make me sad. It’s unfortunate. But I’m sure they are also sad that we don’t want to participate in their holidays (though that’s hard because we can’t eat their food due to kosher and my sons celiac). But it’s something many converts and their families have to deal with.
@@jaroffireflies hopefully, one day, God willing, a happyish medium can be found to suit you all!!!!
I appreciate that you can't eat or drink anything from their homes for obvious reasons as it's not Kosher and your son's health issues but Jewish food is amazeballs!
I have a recipe from Mum's lady for kugel and chollant which are wonderful!
Last week my husband went to Grodinski's (it a Jewish bakery in Edgware, there's also one in Golders Green) andche brought home some lovely cakes and two loves of Challa bread!
When I was a kid Grodinski's had a branch in Willesden (NW London) and me mum used to get tge bread and rolls from there every week on a Friday as a treat for Saturday for us, they did an apple pie type pastry that was to die for!
Y'varechecha Hashem!
In terms of sewing our own clothes- I HIGHLY recommend the Patterns for Pirates online shop or Stitch Upon a Time. They have so many cute patterns with so many variations to make it work for you. They’re mostly patterns using knit fabrics which seems intimidating… but it’s actually super easy and verrrrry forgiving 😂😂😂
I’ve heard of them!!! Thank you! I’ll be checking out there website soon. :)
Both myself and my husband are Areis lol!
Not that we're bossy or anything! 😂
🤣🤣🤣 I bet that’s fun 🤣🤣🤣
@@jaroffireflies let's just say he does what he's bloody told as he knows what's good for him! 🤣
His Mum was Aries too......let's just say she learnt the hard way not to take mw on!!! 😂
@@tracyl1368 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for your Opinions, I am a Catholic and Lord Jesus Christ Centered Person.
I love my Messiah Jesus Christ!
I am a new subscriber and love your videos. Interesting to hear about your journey. As a Christian I’m sorry your understanding about Jesus was so limited but am glad you love your relationship with God. The Jewish people are God’s “chosen people” and Israel is important in end times.
How would you feel if your child raged a gentile li e