Unleash Your Bad Jew

And so this is how it begins. Laying it out there on the cliched proverbial table for the world to see: I'm a Bad Jew.

My bacon-loving past has caught up with me and I can no longer be silenced, even after years in what my best friend menacingly calls, "The Pork Deprivation Chamber." I don't mean to confuse you; this new venture into the world of blogging isn't actually about my love of bacon.

This venture is about naming the deep desire to be accepted by Judaism as a full-fledged, practicing Jew. It’s about my own disconnect from traditional forms of Jewish ritual and the not-so-subtle message I received throughout most of my life that if I didn’t go to shul and didn’t say the Amidah I was a Bad Jew. It’s about believing that my bacon love made me less of a Jew than the Good Jews who obediently stayed away from pork products. It's about being an equal citizen in the eyes of the holistic Jewish community. It's about a call to action that has been in motion since Abraham answered his phone with, "Brit? Sign me up" or since Moses answered his phone with, "Here I am." It's about ending an age-old game of telephone tag that has resulted in the whitewashing of one of the holiest obligations most near and dear to my heart: service to others.

This mitzvah, this commandment, of being of service to others is a deep and rich obligation that is layered with anecdotes and its very own “How To” manual with instructions on how to treat strangers, how to feed the hungry, and how to empower those with disabilities to name a few. It’s a pretty big deal to be tasked with “tikkun olam,” repairing the world. Yet do those of us who practice Judaism through this particular ritual feel accepted and honored for this form of Jewish observance? I suppose I wouldn’t be writing this if I felt the answer was “yes.”

Please understand my intent is not to downplay or disregard other Jewish obligations in any way. Service is certainly not the only way to express one’s Jewish identity, nor is it superior. My point is to simply say this: those of us Bad Jews who do not connect with traditional forms of Jewish rituals should unleash and empower our Bad Selves to continue making this world a better place through challenging social injustices, righting egregious wrongs, and taking care of the planet we have been so blessed to inherit. While it’s true service has been in our systems for what seems like forever, let’s not dismiss it with a wave because of that very reason.

Unlike Batman, who believes his calling is a curse, I believe I've been called to do work in this world that is not only an obligation but is also a blessing. I've learned that following the mitzvot in the footsteps of my ancestors has, in fact, led me to the discovery of my own Jewish identity. It was there all along but I allowed too many outside voices to drown it out and define what they thought my Jewish identity should be. Now I feel confident that I can eat my bacon and continue to campaign against Prop 8 as part of my Jewish practice. And so can you. Continue your Jewish practice and be proud of it. It’s legit, I promise.

This is for all of us Bad Jews: unleash yourself, save the world, be Bad.