How do Jewish Holy Days, traditions, etc. help the Jews connect to their past?

Just celebrating them reinforces the traditions. Things are changing a little in America, not sure about other countries, but still for the most part Jewish holidays are celebrated without a lot of decoration and hoopla. Chanukah is the exception, because it competes with Christmas, but even so the to do is usually nothing to the extreme of Christmas.

On Chanukah, even if we are not very religious we light the candles, sometimes say a prayer, might tell the story of the miracle of the oil, and eat special foods. In many families gifts are given to the children, but not necessarily among the adults, it is not the massive commercialism of Christmas typically.

On Passover we read from the Haggadah which tells the story of our people being freed from slavery. We eat specific foods that night that are symbolic.

On Yum Kippur we ask for forgiveness, it is a day of atonement. A day to be pensive about ones life. You are supposed to fast, and then break fast the next day is usually a large feast when people get together with family and friends.

So, I think that the holy days have maintained their seriousness helps us to connect to our past, rather than it becoming overly Americanized, which to me is sort of synonymous with commercialized.

I am not religious at all, but I feel a bond with other Jewish people in that my people have suffered greatly over time, we have persevered, we enjoy prosperity now, and even with our very very small numbers, we hold onto our holiday traditions to be connected with our people past and present.

So many Jews are not religious that without these celebrations on Holy days the religion might fade more and more over time, and most Jewish people don’t want that to happen. They feel the way to get back is to live, to continue.

@JLeslie This is a very helpful answer for me, particularly so when I see the commercialism of Christmas in American. But I do wonder how you are able to embrace your Jewish past and customs without also feeling some connection to its spiritual meaning. Please do not feel you must answer if you do not wish to do so. Thanks.

@plethora I think it is because those who have oppressed us, even hated us, did not care to what degree we were religious or not. The most recent example of course is Hitler. He would not have cared if a Jewish person had said, “but I am not religious, I do not celebrate any Jewish holidays, please don’t take me.” we were born Jews and so Jewish in the eyes of the antisemitic. Judaism by those people is seen more as a race I guess, and we can not escape how they perceive us, even if we do not necessarily agree with their definition. So, Jewish people can feel a strong Jewish identity without being religious.

As far as the Torah, and religious teachings, even though I am not religious, I think there are parts of the religious texts that had great wisdom. I feel this about the New Testament, some Buddhist principles, philosophical writings by Aristotle, and more. But, I feel these books are written by men, some self identified as very spiritual men, but still men, not God.

Actually, since I mention Aristotle, he was said to have influenced Jewish thought or vice versa. His work in the physical sciences and his logic and analytical way of approaching things was/is very Jewish, or one might say the Jewish way is very much Aristotle. If you google Aristotle and Judaism probably there are comparisons drawn, I don’t have time now to do it. I gotta run, be back later today.

I don’t have time for a lengthy answer but most of our holidays derive from events in our past or are reaffirmations of our beliefs. Look up Passover and/or Chanukah if you want examples of this.

Pretty much agree with @JLeslie so I don’t have a lot to add. I’m an atheist and I celebrate most of the Jewish holidays. Simchat Torah is actually my favorite.

@JLeslie @Rarebear @janbb Thanks for the answers to my question.

@plethora You said the answer is helpful, particularly regarding the commercialism of Christmas, what exactly did you mean there? Did it change your opinion about the commercialism?

@JLeslie gave a wonderful answer.

I identify as an agnostic Jew. I follow some of the traditions of Judaism not necessarily because of the religious aspects of them, but because it makes me feel connected to my ancestors who went through the same motions and said the same words hundreds of years ago. I like knowing that my grandparents, their parents, their parents, and on an on did the same things at the same time of the year. Just as some people may pass down an object as an heirloom, my family and many Jewish families pass down traditions.

@JLeslie I think Christmas in America is a retail desecration of the religious meaning of Christmas. I much prefer to see the religious symbolism handled privately within families or group of people with similar beliefs with every religion having the freedom to do its own expression…or not, for the benefit of the atheists.

@plethora Which religious symbolism are you referring to?

@Rarebear I’m referring particularly to the symbolism in my own religion, Christianity. But I feel the same about all religious symbolism being plowed away in the name of the dollar ***Christmas Sales**** etc etc etc

@plethora I didn’t understand your last line, ”...for the benefits of the atheists.”

I think Chirstmas should be kept as a religious holiday also. If it were up to me, I think the secular stuff should be on New Years, or some separate American holiday. Easter bunny for a spring celebration, not the holiest day of the Christian calendar. But, I guess some of this came about when the Christians adopted some Pagan traditions, and then modern day commercialism just took over. I understand there is a small movement of people who think Christians should not have Christmas trees, not sure what else they are trying to promote. I actually love the trees and the decorations, but the emphasis on the gift giving I find exhausting. I sometimes think families should pick whatever day most convenient for them during the 12 days of Christmas to celebrate, and then the airlines will not be able to sting people so severly, and Christmas shopping would take on a new dynamic, and people might not feel so bad if they are not with their family Christmas Day. But, not sure if that would actually work out the way I think it would.

People always talk about the commercialization of the holidays. Funny, that’s one thing that doesn’t bother me. Actually, I think it’s kind of cool.

@JLeslie I like the idea about spreading it out over the 12 days. And the extent of gift giving is insane.

I do think that the holidays and traditions connect Jews, but perhaps not in the way that you might imagine. Traditionally Jews were isolated from others, partly of their own accord and partly due to discrimination. As a result, Jews were as much an ethnic group as a religious group. The greatest danger now to Judaism is assimilation. There are a lot of secular Jews. I do not mean by this that they are necessarily non-believers, but they do not guide their lives by the writings in the Bible or the Talmud. The holidays and traditions are a unifying force, even though the events celebrated are not necessarily of much relevance.

@Rarebear In one way I think it is cool, in that I like the decorations as I mentioned, and I like to see the Nutcracker Suite, and the Christmas parades. But, the gift giving seems out of control to me. Pressure on people to get the right gift, or spend money they don’t have. I like how the holidays move the year along, Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New years, Memorial Day, Labor day, and the other holidays in-between. But, I don’t like how people get sucked in to spend a lot of money, especially on the religious holidays. Passover is my favorite of all holidays and there is no gift giving, it was when my family all got together, the onne holiday where extended family was there, and my grandma made her yummy matzah ball soup and other goodies. I think maybe I am just looking for a balance of some sort.

Many of these answers demonstrate why I don’t think it is hypocritical to celebrate holidays but generally not be a church/temple goer. Or, even if a person does not go to a place of worship on the holy days, just celebrates the holidays in their own way. The traditions still hold a purpose, even when the person is otherwise not religious.

@JLeslie Chanukah is my favorite holiday, only because it’s the only time in the year that I can be totally justified in eating deep fried food guilt free.

@Rarebear So Jewish. Food food food. LOL. Do you make your own donuts?

It is difficult for many to understand that people who have been raised as Jews or who have chosen to become Jews see Judaism not only as a religion based on Jewish Law and custom but also feel a kinship with all Jews throughout the world regardless of how observant or tradition they or other Jews are.

Jews do not seek converts but under appropriate circumstances will help non-Jews to become Jewish. As Jews we share a common ancient history even if we have greatly divergent more recent histories based on what countries we inhabited and how tolerate and respectful the majority groups in those countries have been.

The Holy Days are a repeating cycle of celebrations that help us to commemorate who we are as Jews and what common culture we share. Even if we go through periods of our lives where we drift far from our traditions, Jewish communities are always welcoming to fellow Jews who want to re-affiliate with their people.

Intermarriage and assimilation in countries where Jews are generally tolerate if not accepted probably are the greatest risk to the preservation of the Jewish Community and our shared traditions, history and customs. We are not just a group of people with some form of common religious beliefs and practices. Even an Agnostic or Atheist person who was born a Jew or chose to become a Jew remains part of the collective.

Even Jews who have chosen other faiths are seen as apostates who are always welcome to return to their Jewish routes. There is no active movement among Jews to draw such people back to Judaism unless such individuals seek out such contact from some part of the Jewish community.

We Jews have never considered our faith to be superior to any other faiths or to no faith at all. Judaism teaches that our traditions, customs and Laws are the best choice for Jews.

The Holy Days do help Jews of all ways of living to connect with other Jews and re-experience customs, traditions, practices and yes, foods that are part of our common culture.

@Dr_Lawrence GA. Especially the food part.