Liminal Spaces, Witchcraft, and a Blended Jewish Life

August 21, 2014 by Asa West

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The sick horror of the Holocaust hit me so much harder after I learned the magnitude of what was lost. The loss of six million lives was already unthinkable. I'd never known about the tapestry those six million threads had woven.

Unfortunately, now that I have a child and a full-time job on top of my writing life, I don't have much opportunity to practice my Yiddish. Most of it has slipped away. I hope that I can someday find my way back into it.

In the meantime, I'm a Jewish Witch. I've incorporated some Jewish practices—Shabbat, the Sh'ma, the Shekhinah—into my spiritual practice, but most of my love for Jewishness is poured into Yiddishkeit.

All those Jews you think you've lost? We're here, even if you think you can't recognize us. Invite us in sometime. Let's talk about Yiddish poetry and God. Listen—take a breath and listen -- to what we have to say about Israel and Palestine. Learn about our ways of life with an open mind. You don't have to love them, but listen.

Because you're my people. You're my family. And I'm your family, even if I'm a black sheep.

May your heart and mind be the dwelling place of the Shekhinah. May our family be big and boisterous and joyful and so, so, so full of love.

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