- Harris Dvores
I was raised in a Conservative Jewish home. We ?kept kosher,? and for 5 years I went to Hebrew School, followed by a Bar Mitzvah. From an early age, though, I considered myself an agnostic.
As a young lad, I asked an uncle who was highly respected in the synagogue why we did something a certain way. His response was, "We've always done it that way - it's tradition. Now stop asking so many questions!" I found this answer wholly unsatisfying.
I've always liked to ask questions... If something can't be explained or rationally defended, why should I believe in it? More and more, I came to see modern-day Judaism as a set of man-made rules to be followed. My father, for example, began each day by dovening (reading from a Hebrew prayer book) for an hour. I later learned, though, that because the prayers were all in Hebrew and my father couldn't speak Hebrew, he was mouthing the words without understanding what they meant!
My father and I came to an understanding about the matter. While I lived in his house, I would follow all . . .
As a young lad, I asked an uncle who was highly respected in the synagogue why we did something a certain way. His response was, "We've always done it that way - it's tradition. Now stop asking so many questions!" I found this answer wholly unsatisfying.
I've always liked to ask questions... If something can't be explained or rationally defended, why should I believe in it? More and more, I came to see modern-day Judaism as a set of man-made rules to be followed. My father, for example, began each day by dovening (reading from a Hebrew prayer book) for an hour. I later learned, though, that because the prayers were all in Hebrew and my father couldn't speak Hebrew, he was mouthing the words without understanding what they meant!
My father and I came to an understanding about the matter. While I lived in his house, I would follow all . . .