Y'hudi chadash

Am I Me, or Am I What I Do?

2004-08-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

As someone trying to be a better person through Judaism, it occurred today to me because of a conversation that Judaism's emphasis on ACTIONS could lead people like me to become self-destructively attached to a feeling of self-worth derived strictly through actions ... but, deep down, don't we all need to believe that, our actions aside, we're good people? Isn't there a relief and a bedrock of assurance in that reality?

Judaism does put a high value on life, and human life in particular, so it's clear LIFE has value. But does that make feel good?

The name of this blog?

2004-07-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's transliterated Hebrew.

It means "new Jew."

Introduction

2004-07-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm a Southern California Jewish convert.

I have a friend who shipped off to Y'rushalayim for rabbinic school, and she's got this cool blog and she has lots of cool stuff to say. I don't.

But I'm going to use this spot to relatively anonymously whine about crap in my life, like a diary with a thin veneer of respectability.

The deepest cut of all

2004-07-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Somehow I scraped the skin off the knuckle of my right hand's middle finger last night while I was fixing dinner. This happens sometimes. Not the knuckle, but the cutting. I'll look and see I'm bleeding. I don't notice it. I didn't handle anything sharp. It's puzzling.