#zera yisrael

[magnetothemagnificent]

Because I have very, very recent Jewish ancestry (great-grandma), I want to get closer to my heritage, but I feel like that is no longer open to me because of the Messianic cult my mother joined when I was a child. I feel like because of that situation I was trapped in, I would be eternally in limbo with my relationship to Judaism, because I know how much Messianics have been massive jerkwads to the Jewish community. 

I want to start attending synagogue, at least to learn more about my heritage, but I feel like I would never be welcome because I unknowingly appropriated their (my ancestors'????) traditions when I was a kid.

Do you know if I would be welcome into Jewish spaces in order to learn more about my ancestors' faith, or would I be forever somewhat tainted by the cult I grew up in?

So, this is complicated.

First, I think your biggest issue is that unless your great-grandmother is your mother's mother's mother, no Jewish community would consider you as Jewish. You would fall into the category of Zera Yisrael, Descendent of Jews.

Judaism is an ethnoreligion, and the only way you can be Jewish is if you were born to Jewish parent/s or converted. Having a percentage of Jewish ancestry doesn't make a person Jewish. So, what you need to do is recognize that and be honest about it.

Second, you can't be "tainted" because of your upbringing. Your issue isn't your background, it's that you're not Jewish. My father is Jewish, and he was raised Lutheran because his Jewish mother converted to Christianity. He wasn't "tainted" because of his upbringing.

Additionally, we don't believe in someone's upbringing defining them. I know a lot of Jews-by-choice who had been preyed upon by Messianics when they tried to learn more about Judaism. Messianics are unfortunately that pervasive. Again, it's not your background that's the issue.

If you want to learn more about Judaism, you need to be honest with the community you want to visit. Tell them about your great-grandmother, and tell them that you want to learn more about Judaism. Because of security reasons, you may or may not be allowed to attend services. This isn't because they don't trust you, it's because antisemitism is so pervasive and synagogues have to be careful. Your best bet is to be honest.

My advice, contact the synagogue you want to visit and be honest about your situation. People are much more receptive to honesty.

There's also other ways to learn about Judaism. You can read books and articles written by Jews about Judaism and the Jewish experience. You can visit museums about Jewish history. You can connect with other Zera Yisrael on Internet forums and groups.

Good luck!!

[anon-e-has-a-tmblr]

Thank you so much for what you wrote about Zera Yisrael! I had no idea about it and it was super interesting to read through as I'm a father line Jew <3

Of course anon! And to ke it was a nice learning experience. I knew most of these stuff but the marriage discussion was a new think to me.

If you have any questions regarding Zera Ysrael or in general - my ask box is always open

[shalom-iamcominghome]

So I’m sephardic Zera Yisrael/Bnei Anusim and I want to convert to sephardic Judaism. I know it’s the same religion with the same theology, but practicing sephardic minhag/traditions that my converso ancestors would’ve practiced is really important to me but it’s hard to find any sephardic rabbis or community thy even takes in converts and I keep seeing people, papers and articles discuss how Sephardic communities don’t allow converts. Do you possibly know more about this/if this is true or how common it is for people to convert and follow sephardic minhag instead of Ashkenazi? I only found one person on Judaism subreddit that converted sephardic

I've personally never heard of sephardic communities that don't accept converts, and I follow a convert who is a sephardic orthodox jew, so overall... I personally don't assume this is the case everywhere - this is my first time hearing about this, so I don't know if I'm completely able to answer this in a more thorough way

I myself am exposed to a lot of sephardic influences, though I'm most likely just going to follow ashkenazi traditions because of who I am and where I live, and this has personally never come up as a contentious topic

[magz]

have been try so much reconnect sephardic jewish culture n community n conscious choice choose to convert n not continue cycle assimilate and zera yisrael

despite being socially isolate from everyone because many disability and many things

though am know am not what some people think of with narrow version jewish experience, but there still people accept us so.

[thatspanishwitch]

☀️ Good day everyone!

Name is Cape, I'm 22 years old, I've been practicing for 7 years now and I'm an omnist pagan of mixed decent -Zera Yisrael Sefardí, Moro/North African Andalusian and regular spanish White (celtiberian)-.

🌊 The north of Spain has a lot of folk practices and mythos that the south does not have, with this side vlog I want to figure out what little the south has and put it in a comprehensible list for any Spanish witches out there -and for myself-, this being said northern mythos and such will not be excluded and I will try to do a synchronism of sorts so that beings with different names, but that are the same/have little differences -which will be noted down-, are also taken into account.

☄️ This being said, yes I will be patriotic, but I will not tolerate facism/facha ideology here, and if I do catch anyone that thinks that way following me I will block you. This is not negotiable.

🌿 This is also a grimoire of sorts since I will be adding my own spells, correspondences and such, some of this will be UPG, have that in mind; in that same note I will most probably be posting about my deities too -be it memes or serious stuff-.

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞꒰➳ TAGS:

Masterlist

Origin:

#og - original posts

#revlog - self explanatory

General:

#info - self explanatory

#spells - self explanatory

#meme - self explanatory

Personal:

#my perils - me speaking about life, nothing specific

My Deities:

#🐍 - Loki's tag (norse paganism)

#☀️ - Apollo's tag (hellenic paganism)

#🌿 - Cernunnos' tag (celtic paganism)

#🐙 - Koro-sensei's tag (pop-culture paganism)

Last updated 12-May-2024 Separators are mine

[folkloredays]

Hello, I'm Folklore Days or Days!

This blog is me rebloging folklore things from different countries.

I may focus on Spanish folklore since I'm from there and specific ethnicities -sephardic jews and moor (al-andalus related) - because i am those, on the Jewish side: I'm zera yisrael until proven otherwise so have that in mind.

[ask-jumblr]

i am interested in converting to judaism (most likely reform), and there are multiple synagogues in my area. i am nonbinary and gay, and i am wondering how to tell which ones might be more accepting, so i can decide which one to contact. advice would be much appreciated, thank you!

following up on my previous ask (nonbinary and gay): my father has numerous jewish ancestors, but he was raised christian. i was not raised as jewish either. i would still need to take conversion classes and go through the usual process, but is that something i should mention to the rabbi i end up emailing? i would like to feel closer to his side of the family, and, although i have personal reasons for converting, it would also help in feeling more connected to them.

[beshert-bh]

My journey to/with Judaism

***This is a super long post, it’s the FULL story, not a brief overview, but it would mean the WORLD to me if you read it***

Upbringing: very much Not Jewish™️

I was born into a Catholic family. I have a goyish last name. I was baptized as an infant, and my parents took me to church each week as a kid.

In kindergarten — back when I still went to a secular private school — one of my best friends was Jewish. He told me all about the traditions his family did...told me all about the kippahs they wear, and how they had their own game called dreidel for this holiday they celebrated, called Hanukkah. (Of course this convo was at a basic-kindergarten-level of knowledge.) When I came home from school I was fascinated with Hanukkah, (this is cringey to admit but my 5-year-old self tried to integrate the traditions together and so in order to do this I drew up a “Christmas dreidel” complete with Santa Claus’ face on one side, a present on another side...you get it)

And that is when I was promptly put in “parochial” schools. I went to Catholic school from 1st grade to 12th grade. I went through Holy Communion and Confirmation like all the other kids did. My elementary soccer team’s mascot was an Angel. My high school’s mascot was a Crusader. Our high school was located on Rome Avenue. I went to a Catholic youth conference. I considered becoming a nun because I was single all throughout high school.

Growing up, around Christmastime we would always travel to visit my grandma, and she would always say we’re “German Jewish” — but I would write her off. In my mind, I was like, Yeah ok like 1%? .....It felt like my grandma was acting like one of those white people who takes a DNA test and says, “Look! We’re 1% African!” So I would dismiss her and remind her how we’re Catholics and she would drop the subject.

Falling away from Xtianity: my first 2 years of college

My freshman year I changed — politically — as I was only conservative in high school because of the ‘pro-life’ agenda being shoved down my throat. I really aligned more with liberal and leftist policies and views, though. Once I became open to new political ideology, I began to question my theological beliefs.

I always had a strong connection to God. My whole life. But I struggled with connecting to Jesus, Mary, the saints, and so on. So obviously my freshman year of college I began to fall away from Catholicism.

You see, Catholics are “bad at the Bible” as I like to say. Other Christians do a better job of teaching and analyzing the writings. They actually require school-aged children to memorize Scripture passages. Catholics mostly just teach the same stuff over and over. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, blah blah blah. Catechism, liturgical calendar, blah blah blah. Parts of the mass, fruits of the spirit, blah blah blah.

So since I was already doubting Catholicism, its corrupt leadership, and its mindless traditions.... I thought maaaaybeeee I would find purpose, truth, clarity, etc. in plain-old Christianity. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The other Christian churches I went to baptized people (which is a BIG LIFE DECISION) on the spot. For example if a newcomer felt on a whim that they wanted to be baptized, the church would do it right then & there. No learning, no planning or preparing, that was it. They promoted blind faith and circular thinking. I began to realize these were both normal attitudes and cognitive patterns within any and every Christian community that I encountered.

Even the Christians who exhibited curiosity mostly just asked questions in order to be able to understand, and then accept, the doctrine as truth. Questions never ever challenged anything.

Oh and let’s throw in the fact that I’m bisexual. Homophobia, transphobia, biphobia (and more) are rampant in the church. So needless to say, with all my observations about the lack of logical thinking in the church (and considering my sexual orientation) I fell away. I stopped going to church unless my family made me when I was home from college.

Enter stage right: Judaism

In retrospect I happened to have a lot of friends in my sorority and my favorite fraternity on campus who were Jewish (the frat happened to be a traditionally-Jewish one). Thought nothing of it at the time. Fast forward to junior year when I met this cute guy on Tinder. He’s now my boyfriend and we’ve been dating for over a year. He didn’t tell me this on Tinder, but when we went on our first date, he revealed that he’s Jewish and wanted to make sure that’s something I was ok with. Clearly I had no problem with that. I wasn’t too into Christianity anymore but I still identified as one (and I was still surrounded by Christian friends in my sorority) so I told him I was Christian/raised Catholic and asked hypothetically if he would be comfortable with a “both” family. He said yes.

We started dating during an October, so of course Hanukkah came up soon. There was a mega challah bake at our local Chabad, which he took me to, and we had a blast. From then on I decided I wanted to show him how supportive I was of his Jewishness. (The last girl he dated dumped him after 3 months BECAUSE he was Jewish... so I felt that I needed to be supportive)

We started going to shabbat services and dinner every week. We did Hanukkah together (we bought our first menorah together, he taught me how to spin a dreidel, his mom bought me Hanukkah socks...lol). At some point in our relationship I told him I may have Jewish ancestry from my grandma but it’s distant and my whole extended family is Christian so it really wouldn’t even matter. I don’t remember when I had that conversation with him.

Eventually, after another few months of Shabbat services and Shabbat dinners, Pesach came around.

We went to the first seder together. The second seder is what changed everything.

Deciding to convert

At first I wasn’t sure if I belonged at this second seder. My boyfriend had always brought me to every event. I had never attended anything alone at Chabad before. But I went anyway. Throughout the night I felt increasingly comfortable. I had never felt more like I was a *part of something* than I did at this seder.

I sat near a friend who I recognized. (He knows I’m raised Catholic.) Then he & his friends welcomed me. We all took turns reading from the Haggadah, we drank the four cups of wine together, and we laughed together as I had maror for the first time.

Then the familiar faces left to go home, and one of them even went to another table to sit with his other friends whom he hadn’t had a chance to see yet that night. Naturally I thought I was alone again. I almost left, but something tugged at my heart to stay until the very end of the second seder. Something told me to keep going and keep taking in this wonderful experience.

The rest of the night consisted of many songs (most likely prayers, in retrospect) I did not know. Everyone stood to sing and we all clapped to the rhythm. I knew none of the words but I still clapped along, alone at my own table. Then one of the boys — the one who had been sitting with my friends and I earlier — motioned at me to come over and join his other friends. I approached this new table full of people I’d never met, feeling awkward as ever, and they not only hoisted me up to stand on the table with them as they chanted, but they also included me in their dance circle. (no, I don’t think it was the Hora, we just spun around over and over. lol.)

This was the first night I felt at home with Judaism. Going through the Jewish history with the Haggadah, remembering the important occurrences and symbolizing them with various foods, ending the night by being welcomed into the community... it was transformative. After attending shabbat services for months and learning about Jewish values, it changed something in me when I observed Pesach for the first time last year. I knew this path would be right for me. I felt as if my soul had found where it belonged. The Jewish history, traditions, beliefs, and customs resonated with me. It all just... made sense.

I told my boyfriend I wanted to convert. I wrote three pages of reasons. But I sat on the idea of converting and did nothing for a while. I did do some more research on Judaism, though, as I continued to attend services each week.

The exploration stage

I began to actually research on my own time. If converting was something I was genuinely considering, it was high time I began actively learning as much as I could possibly learn. It was time to dive deeper than just attending the weekly services and googling the proper greetings for Jewish holidays.

I started digging deeper into Judaism and Christianity so I could compare and contrast the two. I needed to understand the similarities and differences. And BOY are they different. That was surprising at first, but the more I learned about Judaism, the more I loved how different it was from the Christianity I was indoctrinated into.

Not only are the values and teachings of each religion vastly different, but the Tanakh (which is “The Old Testsment” in Christian Bibles) actually contradicts:

The entire “New Testament”

The gospel books specifically

The Pauline letters specifically

How did I realize this? Some bible study of my own, but mostly through online research. And, of course, I would have gotten nowhere without the help of Rabbi Tovia Singer and his YouTube videos. He debunks everything there is to debunk about Christianity.

Here were some things I came across when researching:

It confused me how the four Gospels didn’t align (like, major parts of the story did not align at all...and supposedly they’re divinely inspired...but they don’t even corroborate one another?)

It confused me how the psalms we sang in church were worded completely different from the true wording in the Bible (essentially the Christian church is taking tehillim and altering it to benefit Christian dogma and Christian rhetoric.)

It confused me how we read in the Bible that Jews are ‘God’s chosen people’ and yet in every Catholic Church, every Sunday, there is a Pauline letter being read which depicts proselytization of Jews, as if Jews are lost and need Christians to save them. As if Jews would go to hell if they fail to accept Jesus.

It confused me why we would pray to Mary and the saints, because praying is worship, and worshipping anyone but God themself is idolatry.

It confused me why Christians make, sell, and use graven images. Idolatry. Again.

It confused me why Christians give absolute power to humans. For example, if you crawl up the same steps (Scala Santa) that Jesus supposedly crawled up before he died, you automatically get “saved” because *some old men who have no divine power* said so (they have a term for this and it’s called “plenary indulgence” lol).

It confused me why Jesus was believed to be the messiah considering he had to have biologically been from the line of Joseph. Wasn’t Jesus supposedly conceived without any help from Joseph? Wouldn’t that render Jesus, uh, not messiah by default? Even if he was from Joseph’s blood, he still did not complete all the tasks moshiach is supposed to fulfill. And even if he DID fulfill all the tasks required of moshiach... we still would not worship a messiah as he is human and not GOD.

These were all new thoughts I developed this past year between Pesach and Yom Kippur. New questions that challenged everything I thought I knew. It was like teaching a child 2+2≠22 but rather 2+2=4.

Hillel

This fall, after the High Holy Days, my boyfriend began attending shabbat dinners at a rabbi’s home. His new rav lives in the community and it’s exclusive to be invited, so I never imposed. We do Shabbos separately now (with some exceptions, we do it together sometimes).

I continued to go to Chabad with one of my friends who knew I wanted to convert. But one month, she couldn’t come at all, and I felt a little judged there anyway.

So I began going to Hillel a few months ago. And I honestly have found a home there.

From Hillel’s Springboard Fellow reaching out to me and taking me out for coffee to get to know me... to running into my sorority & fraternity friends at every Hillel event (shabbat or otherwise)... From getting included in various clubs like the women empowerment group and the mental health inclusivity group... to being the only college student to participate in Mitzvah Day (hosted by Hillel) with the elderly and the local Girl Scout troop... I feel truly welcome. I’ve started to attend every week. I even talked briefly with the rabbi about having Jewish lineage and wanting to convert.

Discovering new information

I went home to be with family during Thanksgiving break. My grandma flew in so she was there when I got home. She stayed with us from then until New Years (and she’s actually moving in with us next year.)

Of course, now I have a Jewish boyfriend, Jewish friends, and I’ve done extensive research on Judaism. So this time I had background knowledge when she inevitably said... “You know, we’re German Jewish!”

I inquired a little. I asked her what she meant. How is she Jewish? I know my uncle took a DNA test this year and came back part Ashkenazi. But I needed a deeper explanation than DNA.

She revealed to me that her mom’s mom was Jewish. We believe she married a Christian man. Together they had my great-grandmother, who I believe was Christian. She had my grandma, who had my dad, who had me.

And I immediately felt like that changed things. At first I was (internally) like, Now I definitely need to convert! But then I was like, Wait, does this make me Jewish? Am I Jewish-ish? ...Can you be considered Jewish if you’re only ethnically Jewish but not raised Jewishly? ...Can you be Jewish if your dad is your only Jewish parent? ...Can you be Jewish if your dad never had a bris or a bar mitzvah?

I joined a bunch of Jewbook groups, began learning the Hebrew calendar & holiday schedule, and found some folks who assist with Jewish genealogy. They did some digging for me and apparently I descend from the Rothschild family. THE Rothschild family.

Who is a Jew? Who “counts”?

This is something I’ve been muddling over.

At Hillel, at my school at least, most people are pretty Reform. They’re very liberal with their definitions of Judaism (they believe in patrilineal descent and not only matrilineal descent).

They accept me and see me as actually Jewish ...and the ones who don’t... they at least see me as Jewish-adjacent, an “honorary Jew” or an “ally to the Jewish people”.

My boyfriend, however, still sees me as Not Jewish.™️ (For context he’s Reform but he’s trying to become as observant as possible) I know he only thinks this was because of how we began our relationship and because of how I was raised. But I’m very confused here.

Do I count?

Do I not?

Do I count *enough* but still need to go through a formal conversion process?

So...now what?

I don’t know how to navigate this odd journey but I have felt for a while that I have a Jewish neshama and I feel a strong need to affirm it. I just don’t know how or what is appropriate. Do I learn Hebrew? Sign up for a trip to Israel/Germany/Poland? Put up a mezuzah? Or go toward the other end of the scale, and head down a path of a formal conversion/reaffirmation process?

Thank you in advance for your responses and thanks for reading. 🤎

[syrupwit]

🎥 - Top 5 favorite movies? - 🌟 - A wish you’ll wish for? - ✏ - Random fact about yourself.

Woooooo ty for the ask! OK, here we go.

🎥 - Top 5 favorite movies?

Difficult to narrow down, but at the moment I’d say:

Spirited Away (2001)

Top Secret (1984)

La Belle et la Bête (1946)

UHF (1989)

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

🌟 - A wish you’ll wish for?

I’m superstitious about wishes, so I’ll keep this one to myself.

✏ - Random fact about yourself.

Although I’m frequently assumed to be Jewish IRL, I was actually raised Catholic.

[jewishconvertthings]

Can I convert Orthodox being trans?

My father is a secular Jew and my mother is a lapsed Christian. For almost the entirety of my life, I have wanted to convert Orthodox and have done everything I possibly can to observe, I taught myself how to read Hebrew, I davened regularly, I tried to keep shabbos and kashrut in a house that observes neither, I briefly joined a Hebrew elementary school before I was urged to leave for mental instability, I became a member of a local shul, I even had a non Orthodox bar mitzvah, all while knowing that in reality I am not Jewish but just zera yisrael. I don’t think I could serve Hashem and the world in any better form than Judaism, and I feel that it could be my duty to to ensure that Judaism in my family will not disappear and that the G-D loving pious men and women I am descended from did not go to Auschwitz in vain. The problem is that I intend to transition once I turn 18 and I’m scared that no Orthodox beis din would take me. What are my options? Can I swerve around the fact that I was not born female once I have the operation? That doesn’t seem right and I can’t imagine Hashem would look too favorably on me joining this way. And also while I respect reform and conservative, there are certain theological beliefs in both that don’t align wth how II perceive Judaism so I don’t want to go that route. I just cannot abandon my heritage and I simply cannot not be a girl and yet I am born in a predicament where I have to sacrifice one for the other. What can I do?

————

Hi @lanasmoczynska,

Some caveats before I answer this - I did not convert orthodox, although I did work with an orthodox rabbi for a bit and seriously considered it. I still have ties to that community, that rabbi, and (pre-pandemic) would still attend services there. Ultimately, it was not possible for me to convert orthodox because my spouse was not converting with me; my non-binaryness seemed to pose less of a problem, albeit we didn’t end up having to quite reach that question. However, it is also worth noting that I would likely have ended up effectively converting as my assigned sex at birth despite my non-binaryness being respected for non-ritual purposes. Therefore, I have neither the experience of actually completing an orthodox conversion nor of trying to do so while sitting on the opposite side of the mechitza from my birth assigned sex.

Even in my community, however, while there are trans men who sit on the men’s side, dress as men, and observe halacha as men, they still do not count toward minyan and are not called up to the bimah. I am not sure if they would insist on counting a trans woman or not, as we do not have any active members who are trans women, although I suspect not. As a non-binary person, I was accommodated with being referred to using the right pronouns, allowed to choose my presentation mode, and allowed to sit in either a third space or pick the side of the mechitza that best fit my presentation, which would have been the women’s side. Unfortunately, I don’t know how conversion would work for a trans person in this community, since the trans members we have were born halachically Jewish. It is worth noting that this community is at the outer left edges of orthodoxy as far as I’m aware. Therefore, I can say that it is possible to exist as trans in this community, it may even be possible to assemble a beit din that would convert a trans person in this type of community, but there will still be ways in which it is not perfect.

All that said, my recommendation would be to reach out to Eshel and see if they can recommend an orthodox rabbi who you can work with who will respect your gender identity. I would recommend following this up by having a conversation with trans members of your prospective community if they exist. (If they don’t, you will want to consider seriously what it would mean for you to be the first one.) Regardless, it certainly won’t be an easy road, but if that is what is in your heart, all you can do is try.

Eshel’s info can be found here: https://www.eshelonline.org/transeshel/.

Additionally, I will also point out that orthodoxy does not have a monopoly on traditional halachic observance. If you cannot make orthodoxy work, the traditional egalitarian movement might be a viable alternative for you. Hadar is a good place to start looking if you are interested.

Edit: If you would like to further discuss my personal experiences around what it’s like existing in that community as trans and/or what my work with that rabbi looked like, you are more than welcome to DM me.

[mysticmachmir]

Judaism: Solstices and Equinoxes

Photo Source

Overview

Judaism runs on a lunar calendar, for example, all our holidays start at sundown. So, this means that the changes of the seasons which are based on a solar calendar do not have as much prominence as the phases of the moon. However, in the Jewish Pre-Talmudic text the Book of Jubilees, we see an alternate Jewish solar calendar. In the end, it was not chosen for what our system is based on - but the Rabbis do talk about the solstices and equinoxes within the Talmud (Berakhot 59b, Shabbat 53a, Eruvin 56a). The word for these four seasons marked by these events is "Tekufot" (tekufah in the singular) which literally means "turn" or "cycle" in Hebrew. According to the sages, each tekufah marks the beginning of a period of 91 days 7½ hours. Tekufot are not necessarily positive events, associated with some negative superstitions. However, there are some different recorded Midrashim that have positive or neutral associations, along with a blessing that can be used to acknowledge them (though this is a minority opinion in the Babylonian Talmud, majority rules this was not necessary). While there is no exact answer, there is some speculation that the four new years within Judaism may be marking the four solar transitions within the year, but some of them are at half-points and not accurately aligned. 

Superstitions

An ancient superstition connected with the tekufot is surrounding water. All water that may be in the house or stored away in vessels in the first hour of the tekufah is thrown away in the belief that the water is then poisoned, and if drunk would cause swelling of the body, sickness, and sometimes death. One of the reasons it is said is because the angels who guard and are the protectors of the year "change shifts" at every solar transition, so water is left unguarded. Another is that Cancer fights with Libra and drops blood into the water. Another reason is that at every tekufah, blood has been shed in our spiritual history. At Tekufat Nissan, the waters in Egypt turned to blood. At Tekufat Tammuz, Moshe smote the rock and caused drops of blood to flow from it. At Tekufat Tishrei the knife which Avraham held to slay Yitzchak dropped blood. Finally, at Tekufat Tevet, Yiftach sacrificed his daughter. It is not only against kashrut laws to ingest blood, but there is a lot of superstition around keeping life and death separated in many of our rituals. To avoid this issue with unused water, one must put a piece of iron within it or put it in an iron vessel. If you are making matzot on Tekufat Nisan, you must use a new iron nail and lower it by a string into the water first. 

There is no traceable origin of this superstition, but in the 10th-century Rabbis asked about these questions and discussed it, meaning it was widespread even then.

Blessing

In Berakhot 59b, the sages say: "One who sees the sun in her tekufah, or the moon in her power, or the stars in their orbits, recites: Blessed is the one who makes Creation' (baruch oseh vereshit)." Abaye argues this should only be done every 29 years when the spring equinox falls so that the sun is in the same place it was on the day of Creation. However, the minority opinion was still written, so you could make the choice to recite it in the astrological events mentioned.

Havdalah ha-Tekufah

This blessing may be recited over a cup of wine or grape juice on the day of the equinox or solstice. This prayer also may be recited along with a blessing over a scent related to the season, for example, flowers for spring, fruit for summer, leaves for fall, and pine boughs for winter. It is based on the following texts:

The Havdalah ceremony dividing Shabbat from the weekday. 

The blessing over equinoxes and solstices found in the Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 59b).

The traditional evening prayer marking the transition between day and night.

The Torah text in which the Holy One promises Noach that the seasons will continue as long as the earth endures (Bereishit 8:22).

The blessings over the abundance of years found in the daily Amidah prayer (recited in the feminine to honor the Skehinah, the immanent Divine Presence). 

Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu melekh ha'olam borei peri ha'gafen.

Blessed are You, Hashem, Ruler of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Bercuchah at Shekhinah Elokeinu ruach ha'olam, borei isvei (atzei) vesamim. 

Blessed are You, Shekhinah, the Presence who embodies the world, who creates fragrant plants and grasses (or: fragrant trees). 

Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu melekh ha'olam, oseh vereishit, asher bit'vunah meshaneh itim umachalif et hazemanim. Od kol yemei ha'aretz zera vekatzir vekor vechom vekayitz vechoref veyom velailah lo yishbotu. Bercuhah at Shekhinah, mevarechet hashanim. 

Blessed are you, Hashem, Ruler of the Universe, who makes Creation, whose wisdom changes the times and turns the seasons. As long as the days of the earth endure, planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. Blessed are You, Divine Presence, who blesses the years.

Midrashim and Teachings

Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, a Rabbinic work, tells of the teaching of tekufot to Adam and Chava as part of divine wisdom. Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer (7) also notes the combination of lunar and solar elements in the Jewish calendar. The passage explains that Rabbinic authorities inserted leap months in the calendar "for the sake of the trees, for the sake of the grasses, and for the sake of the tekufot," meaning that the lunar calendar had to be balanced with the cycles of planting and harvest and with the cycles of the solar year. 

Medieval traditions about the tekufot emphasized the eerie qualities of the solstices and equinoxes. The Machzor Vitry indicates the frightening biblical events such as the plague of blood that happened at the four seasonal transitions. 

The Otzar Midrashim (Hashem Behomah, Yasad Aretz 6) mentions a more positive midrash in which giant mythical beings and animals roar on each of the four seasonal dates. These roars compel the demons and wild creatures of the world to restrain themselves so that order prevails and life continues. Thus they encourage all beings to praise the compassion of the Divine. This midrash suggests that the solstices and equinoxes have both frightening and life-preserving qualities. 

Midrash Tanhuma (Korach 10) tells us that the chieftains of Moshe were selected partly because they knew how to calculate and observe the tekufot.

Tekufat Nisan

Tekufat Nisan is the vernal equinox when the Sun enters Aries; this is the beginning of spring, or "eit hazera" (seed-time) when day and night are equal. It is also known as the season of "the triumph of life". 

Jubilees (6:25) records the 1st of Nisan as the day the Divine commanded Noach to build an ark and the day Noach opened the ark and saw dry land.

Seder Olam (11:1), a work from Talmudic times, relates that the new moon of Nissan, the day the Holy Ones gives the calendar to Moshe in preparation for the first celebration of Pesach, is also the spring equinox.

The ancient midrashic collection Peskita Rabbati (15:17), on the other hand, suggests the day of the Exodus was the spring equinox.

In the Machzor Vitry, the spring equinox is the day the first plague, the plague of blood, falls upon Mitzrayim.

In Otzar Midrashim (Hashem Behomah, Yasad Aretz 6), the spring equinox is the day when humans receive protection from demons and evil spirits. On that day, the seraphim "lift up their heads to the heaven, and the fear of them falls upon demons and spirits, and the seraphim shelter humans beneath their wings to hide them from the demons."

The Purim holiday falls near the spring equinox. Its heroine, Esther, reveals herself as a Jew to save her people.

These tales associate the spring equinox with freedom, with divine protection from oppressor or danger, and with life. in spring, the young plants bursting forth from the ground need protection and room to grow, and we ask this blessing for ourselves as well.

Kavanot la-Tekufot: "Arise, my beloved, my fair one, come away, for now the winter is past, the rains are over and gone, the blossoms appear in the land, the time of singing has come, and the song of the dove is in heard in our land." -- Shir haShirim 2:10-12

Tekufat Tammuz

Tekufat Tammuz is the summer solstice when the Sun enters Cancer; this is the summer season, or "et ha-katsir" (harvest-time) when the day is the longest in the year. It is also known as the season of "loss and abundance".

In Jubilees (6:26), the story of Noach's flood, the summer solstice is the day the mouths of the great abyss are closed so that the water ceases pouring onto the earth. 

Jubilees (3:32) also names the summer solstice as the day the Divine exiles Adam and Chava from Gan Eden. This is the day the animals lose their power of speech.

In Seder Olam (11;1), we learn that the day the sun stood still so that Yehoshuah's warriors could win the battle of Gibeon was the summer solstice.

In Genesis Rabbah (6:6), we learn that "on the summer solstice no creation has a shadow."

In the Machzor Vitry, the summer solstice is the day Moshe strikes a rock in anger while seeking water for the people. The Eternal tells Moshe he will never enter Eretz Yisrael as a result of his actions.

In Otzar Midrashim (Hashem Behohmah, Yasad Aretz 6), the summer solstice is the day animals receive protection from their predators. On that day, "the Holy One puts strength in the Behemoth and it becomes strong and raises its head and cries out, and its voice extends through all the settled land, and the wild animals hear and are afraid."

In Jewish tradition, the summer solstice carries with it themes of closure, exile, and loss, yet also the benevolence of nature and the divine. We meditate on grief, yet also on the world's abundance. The summer solstice is a day of paradox: maximum light but also a turn toward darkness.

Kavanot la-Tekufot: "A day is coming that burns like a furnace … I will shine upon you who revere the name of the Infinite a sun of righteousness, with healing in Her wings." -- Malachi 3:19-20

Summer Solstice Rituals: http://telshemesh.org/tammuz/a_jewish_summer_solstice_ritual.html https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/meditation-tekufat-tammuz https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/earth-prays

Tekufat Tishrei

Tekufat Tishrei, the autumnal equinox, when the sun enters Libra, and autumn, or "et ha-batsir" (vintage-time), begins, and when the day again equals the night. It is also known as the season of "the link between earth and heaven". 

Jubilees (6:26), in its story of the Flood, records the autumn equinox as the day the floodwaters begin to descend back into the depths so that the earth can be fruitful once again.

On the autumn equinox, Avraham sits up all night to observe the stars, to forecast the rains of the coming season (Jubilees 12:16).

In the Machzor Vitry, the autumn equinox is the day Avraham nearly sacrifices Yitzchak on Mount Moriah, before the Divine stays his hand. Because of his act, Avraham is blessed that his seed will be as the stars in the sky.

According to the Babylonian Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 10b), Sarah, Rakhel, and Channah all conceived on the 1st of Tishrei, a date close to the autumn equinox. 

In Otzar Midrashim (Hashem Behohmah, Yasad Aretz 6), the autumn equinox is the season of the ziz, when birds receive protection from their predators. "On the autumn equinox, the Holy One gives strength to the ziz and it becomes strong, and it lifts is head and flaps its winds and sends forth its voice, so that fear of it falls on the culture and the osprey from one year to the next."

The autumn equinox seems related to the skies, the stars, and the rains. Yet it is also related to fertility and to the renewal of life. In many climates, autumn is a season of harvest and of rain. Perhaps the autumn equinox is the time of reforging the lin between earth and heaven- a link necessary for life to continue.

Kavanot la-Tekufot: "May it be Your will that it be a year of rain and dew, a year of favor, a year of blessing, and a year of abundance … and please do not listen to the prayers of those who pray that there be no rain!" -- Leviticus Rabbah 20:44

Tekufat Tevet

Tekufat Tevet is the winter solstice when the sun enters Capricorn; this is the beginning of winter, or "et ha-ḥoref" (winter-time), when the night is the longest during the year. It is also known as the season for "the search for light".

In Jubilees (7), in the days of Noach, the winter solstice is the day the peaks of the mountains became visible after the floodwaters recede.

In the Babylonian Talmud (Avodah Zarah 8a), Adam and Chava become frightened as the winter solstice approaches, thinking the shortening of the days is a punishment. They fast for eight days. On the winter solstice, when the light grows, they celebrate for eight days. 

In the Machzor Vitry, the winter solstice is the day Yiftach, a chieftain of Yisrael, sacrifices his daughter in fulfillment of a foolish battle vow. She has been bewailing her fate on the hills for two months.

Otzah Midrashim (Hashem Behohmah, Yasad Aretz 6), tells that on the winter solstice, Leviathan protects the creatures of the sea from their predators: "On every winter solstice he lifts his head and makes himself great, and blows in the water, and roils the sea, and makes all the fish in the ocean afraid." Leviathan is a creature known for being G!d's playmate (Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 3b) and a wise teacher of human beings (Otzar Midrashim Alphabet of Ben Sira 17). His eyes, according to the Talmud, flash in the deep (Bava Batra 74b). 

The winter solstice seems to have to do with sight or the lack thereof. Mountains become visible to Noach, and the patterns of nature become visible to Adam and Chava. Leviathan is associated with inner sight. Yiftach, on the other hand, is blind to his own wrongdoings. On the winter solstice, the sun's light begins to become stronger, and we too consider how to strengthen our vision.

Kavanot la-Tekufot: "We are grateful before You, Eternal One, for You have brought us from darkness to light." -- Midrash Bereshit 68:11

Winter Solstice Rituals: http://telshemesh.org/tevet/winter_solstice_take_2.html http://telshemesh.org/tevet/chanukahsolstice_thoughts_for_2008.html http://telshemesh.org/tevet/chanukat_hatekufahritual_for_chanukah_and_the_winter_solstice_jill_hammer.html https://www.ritualwell.org/blog/burning-away-darkness-winter-solstice-ritual

If you like my writing, feel free to leave me a tip here: https://ko-fi.com/ezrasaville

Sources: The Jewish Book of Days by Rabbi Jill Hammer Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906. http://www.peelapom.com/  http://www.devotaj.com/ http://telshemesh.org/ 

[magnetothemagnificent]

Hello! sorry if this is kind of out of no where i but i just want a second opinion on something. I was raised christian and lost faith at a young age. After some digging into my roots i found out im ashkenazi on both sides, and i want to try and connect with this culture i wad never exposed to. However, given that i wasn’t raised jewish and didnt find out until recently, i feel guilty trying to connect with it. To the point where i feel like i cant even call myself jewish because ive never knew that i was and wasnt raised in the culture. Im an atheist and i know id never be able to believe in a high power, but i want to learn about this part of myself. Anything help you can provide means more to me then you will ever know!

Hello!

First of all, your wording is a little bit hard to understand. Having Ashkenazi ancestry on both sides doesn't make you Ashkenazi. In a medical sense, yes, it probably means you're more susceptible to being a carrier of hereditary conditions common among Ashkenazi populations than gentiles without any Ashkenazi ancestry, however, Jewish identity isn't just about DNA. "I found out I'm Ashkenazi on both sides" leaves a lot of room for me to speculate. Do you mean you have Ashkenazi distant ancestors on both sides? Or do you mean that your grandparents are Ashkenazi? Those are two very different scenarios.

Either way, it's great that you want to learn more about Judaism.

Here is a post I made a while ago with a whole bunch of resources for learning more about Judaism.

You say "where I feel like I can't even call myself Jewish," and again, it depends whether you actually are Jewish. Having Jewish ancestry doesn't necessarily make a person Jewish. I don't know enough from this anon what exactly your Ashkenazi ancestry is, so I can't tell you whether or not you can even call yourself Jewish.

If you really want to know where your place is in the Jewish community, and what your Jewish ancestry actually means, talking to a Rabbi is your best bet.

Also, you being an atheist isn't really an issue, as Jewish belief in G-d is complicated, and there are many Jewish atheists. The issue is whether you would be considered Halakhically Jewish, or Zera Yisrael (descendent of Jews, but not actually Jewish). Regardless, if you want to learn more about Judaism, that's an incredible thing and I encourage you to do so whether you're Jewish or not.

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

It feels weird being in the Jewish community, as somebody who hasn't fully decided if they want to convert. It feels weird being of jewish descent, and not being Jewish. Having this tie to and love for something I'm not technically a part of and don't know for sure if I actually will be is weird. I have extreme guilt and like a road block for not being fully able to ditch my past spirituality. I feel like I'm appropriating by learning more and immersing myself if I don't know for sure if I'll convert. I don't know if I can fully divorce myself from my past beliefs (none of which are christian) Any advice or wise words?

Hi anon,

A couple things: first, I would suggest really thinking through exactly what things you are hesitant to leave behind in your previous spirituality, and seeing if there are correlating or analogous beliefs in Judaism. That was something I struggled with early on, and slowly but surely found Jewish ways of channeling those same spiritual needs. Definitely talk to your rabbi about this as well, especially if there are things you're particularly hung up on and/or aren't sure if there's anything similar in Judaism.

Second, though: it's totally okay if you decide that you're happiest remaining zera Yisrael only and don't become halachicly Jewish now or possibly ever. No matter what, you'll have deepened your knowledge of Judaism and ties to the Jewish community, and you'll have learnt deeply about something important to you and your identity. You'll have clarified your spiritual beliefs and strengthened your resolve in them. That's a wonderful regardless of where you end up!

Good luck and I wish you all my best.

[kehilatorahdeyahweh]

💥🔥Claves del NOMBRE RESTAURADO

Clave

יהוה Es el Nombre del Elohim de Yisrael, Elohim de Avraham, Elohim de Yitzchak y Elohim de Yaakov, escrito en hebreo, preservado conforme se encuentra en el TaNaK y en La Brit Chadasha; cumpliendo el Mitzvot Shemot 3:15 de la Torah, Hallelu-Yah

יהושע Es el Nombre verdadero del Hijo unigénito de יהוה, escrito en hebreo, recuperado conforme a sus días en Erets- Yisrael, el cual significa יהוה es salvación. El uso de יהושע-Yahoshua/Yahshua más bien que Y’shua o Yeshua, como el nombre de MashiYach, depende del contexto histórico. Hemos optado por יהושע-Yahshua/Yahoshua como está en Hebreo y en la edición RSTNE de nuestro rabino Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky; esta es la forma escrita del nombre anterior a la cautividad Babilónica, y por su conexión clara con las Escrituras proféticas como Zecharyah 6:11-12. Nos fundamentamos en el hecho de que יהושע vino en el Nombre de יהוה, que claramente contiene la letra hey como en “Yahoshua”. En relación a la expresión יחnהמ יהושע-Yahshua HaMashiYach, como realmente fue llamado en su primer advenimiento, en referencia a Él como יהושע [yud hey vav shin ayin] más bien que [yud-shin-vav-ayin]. La BYS-Tulua, ha optado por el nombre completo incluyendo la letra “hey” conforme nos fue revelado: יהושע es יהוה salvación.

אלהא-Aleph-Lamed-Hey-Aleph pronunciado El-o-ah, como un atributo para הוהי a través del Brit Renovado de la Peshitta Aramea. El título El-o-ah también aparece a través del TaNaK. Tambien escribimos en referencia al Elohim de Yisrael como, יהוה nuestro אלהא [Elohim] con letras Hebreas en La Brit Chadasha [Brit Renovado]. Hemos colocado la transliteración fonética del hebreo en muchos pasukim [versos] de este trabajo, para exaltar a יחnהמ יהושע anב יהוה [Yahweh beshem Yahshua HaMashiYach].

Algunas de las siguientes fuentes han sido utilizadas para restaurar el entendimiento correcto:

DSS-Manuscritos del Mar Muerto-Los fragmentos más antiguos de la Tanaj en el midbar de Judea varias cuevas en Qumran escritos entre el año 150 ACE-68 EC.

LXX-Septuaginta (La traducción Griega de la Tanaj Hebrea, hecha alrededor del año 150 ACE).

Peshitta-El Brit Renovado en Arameo, el idioma original .

Mateo Shem Tov –Texto Hebreo de la Edad Media, que se atribuye como derivado directamente del original antiguo Hebreo.

Antiguo Siriaco-Una traducción Aramea de un manuscrito Griego. La cual no tiene la autoridad o legitimidad de la Peshitta Aramea, los documentos originales del Brit Renovado.

Nuestro Asir-Todah [Agradecimiento] es para Avinu Malkeynu HaKadosh יחnהמ יהושע anב יהוה [Yahweh beshem Yahshua HaMashiYach], a quien solo deseamos darle toda Kavod y Tifereth por los méritos de יהושע-Yahshua HaMashiYach; expresarle hodu, porque Su Ruach HaKadosh nos ha guiado para encontrar el carácter de nuestro MashiYach יהושע-Yahshua en el TaNaK; por regalarnos enseñanzas kadoshim y permitirnos ser parte de La ET-Kol Edah [עדה] Am-ראלnי-Yisrael [Yahudim-Efrayim]. Postrados y humillados con Yirat [temor] delante de Su presencia, Oh, Avinu HaKadosh, יחnהמ יהושע anב יהוה [Yahweh beshem Yahshua HaMashiYach] deseamos escudriñar Tu ET [את] Alef-Taw, revelado como יהושע-Yahshua en las keetvey HaKadosh, Hallelu-Yah [הללו־יה].

Cuando escudriñe este trabajo de las keetvey HaKadosh, por favor, si encuentra un error, remítalo a la BYS-Tulua; direcciones de correos al final; le rogamos que su envío se fundamente en la raíz hebrea de La Torah. Usted encontrará versos en hebreo con su transliteración fonética, y gracias a La Ruach HaKadosh de יהוה-Yahweh Tzevaot beshem יהושע-Yahshua, hemos utilizado la transliteración fonética del hebreo, en todos aquellos versos donde se encuentra el Nombre Kadosh de יהוה-Yahweh, para exaltar a יהוה-Yahweh beshem יהושע-Yahshua HaMashiYach. Por favor, este trabajo, no está alineado a la gramática del español, preferimos seguir la estructura hebrea de La Torah y así disernir la verdad [emet] de La Torah; razón por la cual recomendamos el glosario de la transliteración fonética del hebreo al final.

Y hemos trazado los pasukim siguiendo la RSTNE, 3rd Edition Restoration Scriptures True Name Compact Edition in English (Inglés), traducida del hebreo por nuestro rabino Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky, El RAMYK, así mantenemos el seder [orden] y nos gozamos exaltando a יהוה beshem יהושע.

Finalmente, versículos claves son transliterado en español y algunos también aparecen en hebreo.

Yirmeyahu-Jeremías 31:31-37

נה ימיa באיa נאa־יהוה וכרתי את־בית יnראל ואת־בית יהודה ברית חדnה׃ לא כברית אnר כרתי את־אבותa ביוa החזיקי בידa להוציאa מארy מצריa אnר־המה הפרו את־בריתי ואנכי בעלתי בa נאa־יהוה׃כי זאת הברית אnר אכרת את־בית יnראל אחרי הימיa ההa נאa־יהוה נתתי את־תורתי בקרבa ועל־לבa אכתבנה והייתי להa לאלהיa והמה יהיו־לי לעa׃ולא ילמדו עוד איn את־רעהו ואיn את־אחיו לאמר דעו את־יהוה כי־כולa ידעו אותי למקטנa ועד־גדולa נאa־יהוה כי אסלח לעונa ולחטאתa לא אזכר־עוד׃ כה אמר יהוה נת¡ nמn לאור יומa חקת ירח וכוכביa לאור לילה רגע היa ויהמו גליו יהוה צבאות nמו׃ אa־ימnו החקיa האלה מלפני נאa־יהוה גa זרע יnראל יnבתו מהיות גוי לפני כל־הימיa׃כה אמר יהוה אa־ימדו nמיa מלמעלה ויחקרו

מוסדי־ארy למטה גa־אני אמאס בכל־זרע יnראל על־כל־אnר עnו נאa־יהוה׃

Los días vienen, dice יהוה, en que haré Brit Chadasha [Brit renovado] con Bayit Yisrael y con Bayit Yahudah [Hine yamim baim neum-Yahweh vecharati Et-bayit Yisrael veEt-bayit Yahudah brit chadasha]

No será como el Brit que hice con sus padres cuando los tomé de la mano y los saqué de la tierra de Mitzrayim; porque, ellos, por su parte, violaron mi Brit, aúnque Yo fui un esposo para ellos dice יהוה. [Lo chabrit asher karati et-avotam beyom hecheziki veyadam lehotsiam meerets mitzrayim asher-hema heferu Et-Brit veanochi baalti vam neum-Yahweh]

Porque este es el Brit que haré con la bayit Yisrael después de esos días, dice יהוה: Yo pondré mi Torah en sus mentes y la escribiré en sus levavot; Yo seré su Elohim, y ellos serán Ami [mi pueblo] [Ki zot habrit asher echrot Et-beyt Yisrael acharey hayamim hahem neum-Yahweh natati Et-torati bekirbam veal-libam echtavena vehayiti lahem lelohim vehema yihyu-li leam]

Ninguno de ellos enseñará más a su hermano, diciendo: Conoce a יהוה; porque todos Me conocerán, desde el menor de ellos hasta el más grande; dice יהוה, porque Yo perdonaré sus transgresiones y nunca más me acordaré de sus pecados [Velo yelamdu od ish et-reehu veish et-achiv lemor deu Et-Yahweh ki-chulam yedu oti lemiktanam vead-gedolam neum- Yahweh ki eslach laavonam ulechatatam lo ezkar-od:]

Así dice יהוה, quien da el sol para luz del día, la luna y las cochavim para la luz de la noche y hace al mar rugir, יהוה-Tzevaot, es Su Nombre [Ko amar Yahweh noten shemesh leor yomam chukot yareach vechochavim leor layla roga hayam vayehemu galav Yahweh Tzevaot shemo]

Si estos chukim desaparecen delante de mi presencia dice יהוה, Entonces la zera de Yisrael dejará de ser una nación en mi presencia todos los días - Le-Olam-va-ed [Im-yamushu hachukim haele milfaney neum-Yahweh gam zera Yisrael yishbetu mihyot goy lefaney kol-hayomim:]

Asi dice יהוה, Si el Shamayim arriba pudiera ser medido, y si los cimientos de la tierra ser penetrados, Yo rechaso la zera de Yisrael por todo lo que ellos han hecho, dice יהוה [Ko amar Yahweh im-yimadu shamayim milmala veyechakru mosdey-erets lemata gam-ai emas bechol-zera Yisrael al-kol-asher ashou neum-Yahweh]

Escrituras de Restauración Edición Del Nombre Verdadero Yeshayahu-Isaías 58:12

Y ellos que serán de entre tí edificarán los antiguos lugares aruinados, tú restaurarás los cimientos de muchas generaciones; y tú serás llamado Gadar-Peretz, el restaurador de calzadas para morar.

[comorbldity-blog]

i really like that the term zera yisrael (seed of Israel) exists, cause like. I wouldn't feel right calling myself Jewish since I haven't completed conversion yet, but I'm also not a gentile since I'm ethnically Jewish, so it's nice having an in-between term there for me during this transitional phase

[rikirachtman]

i'm sorry if this is a bad question but, how can you be jewish and also an atheist?

It’s not a bad question at all, no worries! I actually get that question a lot.

Basically, being religiously Jewish and ethnically Jewish are two different things (that just happen to use the same word). You can be RELIGIOUSLY Jewish regardless of race, but having Jewish ancestry is a different thing entirely. 

I would essentially be considered what you call “Zera Yisrael”, someone who is Jewish by blood, but not religious. The Wiki page  “Who is a Jew?” also has a lot of good resources on the topic