The Temple: the ceremony took place at Temple Emanu-el. It was led by the Rabbi. Several Hebrew prayers and songs were sang, and a message was given on the Joseph story. Alex, being the man of honor, read several Hebrew benedictions. These peoples’ respect for the Word of God is immense. It is a solemn act to withdraw the Torah scrolls from the Ark, and the honor they give the Word of God is something Christians could learn from. The reverence and awe was contagious. I sat back and looked over the murals of the Exodus, the engravings that depicted the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This is a culture saturated with tradition and history. They seek to honor their Jewish roots and bring pride to their Israelite heritage. It really is something to ponder.
Superman: my uncle rented out an Italian restaurant and hired a D.J. for the celebration. It was hilarious to see thirty to forty little Jewish kids wearing their Jewish caps and prayer shawls, dancing to the song “Superman” by Soulja Boy. Sarah told me, “Abraham would be proud.”
The Kissing Game: The kids played a game during the celebration where the boys sat in a circle. Music was played, and when the music stopped, the girls would have to pair up with a boy and sit on his lap. They would kiss the boys on the cheek, and the one who was too shy to kiss the boy would be the person out of the game. This went on for a while, and then it was the guy’s turn to sit down. The guys went around in the circle, then sat down on the girls’ laps. They said, “We won’t kiss, we’ll just hug,” but the girls were adamant: “Oh, you have to kiss us. And you have to kiss us on the lips!” The boys loved that, seeing as all the girls there were from my cousin’s high school cheerleading squad. It was fun to watch, the preteen awkwardness that shines so bright.
Alex’s Coming Out: Alex has always been a shy boy, but after the game with the girls, he experienced a “coming out.” He was talking with girls like mad, and he ran around giving them kisses and hugs. My entire family found it hilarious. My uncle was proud of his son: “He’s becoming a man, all right!”
Never Ceasing Drama: But the drama with this side of the family never ceases. My grandfather had a fit that he had to sit through the Jewish services. “This is garbage!” he kept exclaiming. When the Temple members talked about their practices, which seem strange and foreign to those outside their faith, he remarked hotly, “That’s terrible what they’re doing!” I wanted to sarcastically hiss, “Not everyone’s as narrow-minded and bigoted as you,” but I kept my mouth shut. It’s always better to just ignore him.
The Bar: Jewish people know how to celebrate. We Christians should take a lesson in that. The bar served a non-ending stream of beer on tap and all kinds of alcoholic concoctions. I didn’t drink, being the Designated Driver, but it was fun to watch much of the family become so drunk they were stumbling around. I danced to the Superman song with my mom and aunt, and my aunt told me, clutching a martini, “You’re going to have the cutest little kids! You’re going to be such a good daddy.” I liked that. I hope I will be one day. Father’s Day is always exciting for me, because it makes me yearn for the day that I can hold my own child in my arms, read my child stories before bed, tuck my child under the sheets, and treat my child like he (or she) is the prince (or princess) of the world.
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