Seinfeld, JDate and Chinese food: New definitions of American Judaism

By Lia Lehrer
Northwestern University

As an American Jew, I participate in many ancient rituals relating to the holidays. We have sedarim on Passover, we eat latkes on Hanukkah, and, most importantly, we eat Chinese food on Christmas.

But why is Christmas different from all other nights? Because Chinese food on Christmas is our tradition, of course. Here are what I've identified as five pillars of American Jewry.

Pillars of American Jewry

1. The watching, quoting and cult following of Seinfeld. Admit it. You have watched at least one episode of Seinfeld and wondered if the writers used your life as inspiration. This self-titled "show about nothing" is not necessarily a Jewish show by definition, but it is a huge part of our culture. Jerry's parents are your typical worriers and many of the other characters have stereotypically Jewish ideals. I'm always shocked when I meet a Jew who doesn't watch the show. Don't believe in Seinfeld? No soup for you!
2. JDate. How could I describe our American Jewish culture without mentioning the service that links us all together? In a religion driven by families and relationships in a country obsessed with the Internet, JDate is a staple that's hard to ignore. While I've promised myself I won't join the dating service until at least after college, I know many people who are thrilled with the love they found online. And why wouldn't they be? In addition to learning that your potential lover is a medical resident who plays the oboe, owns three poodles and is a Sagittarius looking for an Aries, you can see that he's not only politically conservative but also religiously Conservative and keeps kosher in his home but not out. What more of an online Yente could you want?
3. The idol worshipping of Natalie Portman. She's talented. She's pretty. She's smart (a Harvard graduate—what nachas!) and she's Israeli. So naturally, every American Jewish male is infatuated with her. I know a guy whose key claim to fame is that Ms. Portman went to his high school in Maryland for a year. He, like most guys, has practically built a shrine in her honor. I mean, any girl who can go from strong-willed Queen Amidala in Star Wars to sweet Sam in Garden State to a risqué gangster rapper on Saturday Night Live is a Jew I'm glad is on my team. But the mass Jewish male idol worshipping of her? It must be a skill they taught the boys in Bar Mitzvah lessons or something. Boys, worship her all you want. Just don't be too heartbroken if she chooses Zach Braff (also on our team) over you.
4. Pilgrimage to New York. It's the capital of American Jewry. New Yorkers might even call it the Promised Land. It's a place where you can see Spamalot and then get a kosher 26-oz. rib steak. Everybody has relatives in New York (or, if not a relative, maybe a JDate buddy) or such other sacred sites as Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. New York is headquarters of the Conservative Movement's biggest rabbi factory and home to the mascot of American Jewry—the bagel. New York, New York? It's a helluva Jewish town.
5. Jewish pride. It's cool to be Jewish in America! After decades of discrimination, Judaism is finally becoming sexy. Retail stores like Urban Outfitters sell shirts that say "Holla!" with a picture of a challah, as well as the infamous and irritating "Everyone loves a Jewish girl" shirts. Matisyahu (yep, he's one of ours) is taking the world by storm. And then there are the Kabbalists: Oh, Madonna, Britney and Paris, what would Judaism do without you? Okay. So we're not always the most popular people in this country and sometimes we face challenges. But that's all the more reason for us to be proud of who we are. There's no better time than now to be a Chosen Person in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

Next year on Erev Christmas, as minyans and minyans of Jews gather in local Chinese restaurants and celebrate the day with egg drop soup and moo shu tofu and rent V for Vendetta, they'll be practicing the newest branch of Judaism: American Judaism.

The image of the old Jewish man davening Shaharit is not how most college students identify with our religion. Everyone needs a connection to Judaism and if, for some, Natalie Portman is that link, that's great. Fast on Yom Kippur if you'd like or study Torah on Shavuot. But if those don't work for you, and eating corned beef on rye in a New York deli is what makes you feel like you're a part of something greater—mazel tov.

Lia Lehrer, of Lincolnwood, IL., will begin her junior year at Northwestern University in the fall, majoring in journalism with a minor in Hebrew studies. She is the Executive Vice President of Northwestern's Hillel, and she serves as the leader of the Conservative minyan (what she likes to call "Conservices"). She's a slot editor and a writer for The Daily Northwestern.

[Posted 06/15/07]