Jewish Observances

I get asked from time to time what my level of observance is within my Judaism. Before I get into mine I'll give a little background of a few of the sects of Judaism as well as some of the observances.

Kosher/Kashrut -

• Kosher meats - must have split hooves, i.e. cows, sheep, goats and deer are all kosher, but camels and pigs are not. Chickens, ducks and geese are kosher, but birds of prey (hawks, eagles etc.) are not. Seafood/Fish is only kosher if it has fins and scales. Most fish are kosher (tuna, salmon, flounder, etc.) but all shellfish is not, i.e. dolphins, whales and squids. Any food product of a non-kosher animal is also non-kosher meaning lard is not kosher to use but vegetable oil is. The exception to this rule is bee's honey.
• An animal or bird must be slaughtered according to Jewish law (shechita). This means cutting the animal's trachea and oesophagus (the carotid and jugular are also severed) with a surgically sharp knife. The must be done quickly. Doing so this way reduces the blood pressure in the brain to zero immediately, so that the animal loses consciousness in a few seconds and dies in minutes.
• The animal or bird must be free of injuries, diseases or abnormalities. If not, then the animal is not kosher.
• Certain fats, known as chelev, may not be eaten. Blood must be removed from the meat, either by soaking, salting and rinsing or by broiling.
• Milk and meat are not to be eaten together, this includes chicken.
• Milk products are to only come from kosher animals.

Shabbat/Sabbath

There are 39 observances on Shabbat/Sabbath. These are NOT to be done.

1.Carrying 2. Burning 3. Extinguishing 4. Finishing 5. Writing 6. Erasing 7. Cooking 8. Washing 9. Sewing 10. Tearing 11. Knottting 12. Untying 13. Shaping 14. Plowing 15. Planting 16. Reaping 17. Harvesting 18. Threshing 19. Winnowing 20. Selecting 21. Sifting 22. Grinding 23. Kneading 24. Combing 25. Spinning 26. Dying 27. Chainstitching 28. Warping 29. Weaving 30. Unraveling 31. Building 32. Demolishing 33. Trapping 34. Shearing 35. Slaughtering 36. Skinning 37. Tanning 38. Smoothing 39. Marking

Driving

Reform, Conservative, Traditional and Reconstructionist Jews can drive on Shabbat/Sabbath but some choose not to.
Orthodox, Hassidic and other sects of Jews do not drive on Shabbat/Sabbath.


Reform - Tend to be more liberal with their observances.

Conservative - Tend to be middle ground with their observances.

Orthodox - Tend to be very strict with their observances.

So where do I fit in with observances?

• I consider myself middle of the road. I do drive on Shabbat but usually only to the synagogue/shul.
• I make every effort not to spend money on Shabbat/Sabbath because money is not to be handled then.

When it comes to the 39 observances I'm good with some of them and not that great at following others.

• I love to sew and it relaxes me so I sometimes do some quilting.
• I also will be on the computer searching for things that interest me as well on Shabbat.
• I'm not much of a television watcher (with the exception of a few shows) so TV isn't an issue for me.

As far as keeping kashrut/kosher I'm pretty good at it most of the time.

• I have my weaknesses, mainly Mexican food but I have gotten in the habit of eating vegetarian. I'm not a big meat eater so when I do buy meat I mostly buy organic (but that is also because the nearest kosher grocery store is an hour from where I live. So that is my compromise. But even organic is not a substitute for kosher meat. So I mostly eat vegetarian.
• Seafood isn't a problem for me because several years ago before I started keeping kosher I had allergic reactions to shellfish (specifically crab legs). I can eat shellfish if it's fresh off the boat but if it's been sent to the grocery store I have an allergic reaction. Must be how it's prepared. But I will admit I miss my crab legs.
• Even though tuna is kosher I have also had allergic reactions to it as well. So after a few of those allergic reactions I quit eating seafood of any kind all together.