Raised Jewish by agnostic parents.
Sent me to Sunday School to learn what they didn't know.
Only went to Temple twice a year.
Ate Matzoh at Passover. Lit the Menorah at Channukah.
Nearly all the other congregants at Temple treated us with contempt for not being "Jewish" enough.
I left over a five-year period. 1979 - Solo trip to Europe. Viewed a synagogue destroyed and not rebuilt in Augsburg. Went to Dachau. Decided there couldn't be a God that would allow this to happen. 1984 - Sitting with my parents at Yom Kippur services (Day of Atonement). Mindless intoning responses. And it came to me: I wasn't sorry and had no need to "atone" to anyone for anything. I apologized once and promised to do better. I was hungry and unapologetic. I got up and left the Temple and never returned.
I am now connected with Ethical Culture. Believe it or not there are a lot of wayside Jews who have gravitated to EC. I'm a humanist. If anyone wants to be Jewish or whatever, I have no gripe with them. It's their Truth, not mine.
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.