Giant Noah's Ark likely landing in Kentucky

[orogenicman]

OGman, in strange coincidence:

I have no idea where my menorah is. I do not WANT to know where my menorah is. "Itty bitty shitty candles" are no fun. I don't care. I have to skype my mother tonight, nonetheless, because she's worrying herself sick that I will not be able to "celebrate Chanukah". Upon hearing my "predicament", a passing Jewish coworker took it upon himself to offer me his spare menorah. It's shape? Noah's Ark.

If you want, I could convince my ex-wife to send you hers. She hasn't used it in probably 16 years. lol

Noah's ark, huh. Too funny.

Personally, I do celebtrate the season, mostly out of old habit, and because my children and their children do. But to me it has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. I do think it is good for families to get together and exchange gifts regardless of the reason (well, that's not entirely true. I wouldn't want them to do so because Aunt Sally was run over by a bus).

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That was an act of kindness, which would earn a blessing. Unless of course he knows you are anon-practising Jew, in which case he is a sanctimonious twat.

He sorta maybe discovered I'm one of the "lost" today. Apparently he hasn't noticed "humanistic" jew on my facebook. He asked about the bible and I said it was a collection of Aesop's fables and he said "[gasp] that's...almost...atheist!"

Tangent,from none-of-my-business-curiosity:

Ask all you like and I'll try to find and relay the answers. I've been asking some myself - with a widespread, but SMALL family, most of whom have died out, I don't have many answers. However, I'll ask mum about a small history and large family tree my great aunt did. It doesn't offend me in the slightest - history is something I enjoy, especially family histories, so you and I are holding two links in the same 'interest' chain.

You mentioned your family is from Eastern Europe. Does mean you are Ashkenazi ? From the Schetl or large city? When did your family leave? Did any of your extended family remain im Europe?.If so,did any survive The Holocaust?

Yes - if you saw a picture of my grandfather he looks like a stereotype, down to the ridiculous beard. Members of the family, on the rare occasions we get together, still say prayers with the "s" sound in place of the "t" (Kaddish, for example, saying "yiskadash" rather than "yitkadash"). Not sure where besides countries - it's been hard to get to talk to the people who know these things due to family squabbles (or, in my case, shunning because of my tatts). I'll figure that out soon, if you like. What I do know is that one major branch on my mom's maternal side came over in the 1800's - some of whom settled in England for a bit, so we supposedly have a smidge of British blood (according to her, but knowing that Jews tended to stick to their own kind up until fairly recently in historical terms, I doubt it). Her father's side came over *I think* around WWI. My dad's side, who is not Jewish, I will have to ask - they are not reliable, so other than being Romanian, I don't know.

Hmm. Interesting. Now that I think about it, there is a certain familiar resemblence. What I mean is that my ex-wife's mother is originally from North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham, I think). Her family has a similar history, and I believe, also came out of Romania. They are a small family, but are spread out all over the country today. I know of one that is in Chicago, another in Boston or New York, while some are still in N.C. The Ex is from San Francisco. Her father was a converted Episcopalian, but is of Portugese ancestry. Her sister still lives in San Francisco. The are members of the Bnai Brith.