The word “unorthodox” has been popularized recently with the Netflix series sharing a title with the word. But for me, unorthodox is a word I often use to describe myself. While studying at the University of Rochester, my oldest sister decided she would want to become an Orthodox Jew. She met a nice boy through a mutual friend and the rest is history. She now lives in the Jewish neighborhood of Hyland Park in New Jersey, with four kids, and follows ancient practices that were created thousands and thousands of years ago. But I am still a girl who lives in Solon, Ohio, who wears shorts and tank tops in the summer and occasionally enjoys a seafood dinner.
Obviously, compared to my sister, I’m Jewish. I am unorthodox in the sense that I don’t cover up my knees and elbows and don’t follow the strict rules of keeping Kosher- making me Unorthodox. But, when placed next to peers from my school, I’m pretty religious! Going to synagogue every Saturday? Unheard of. Lighting candles every Sabbath? Odd. Not eating pork? “But bacon’s so good! I could never do that!”
Guilt often washes over me as I compare our levels of piety. Will my nieces and nephew view me as the “Unfaithful Aunt”? Judaism is something I never want to put on the back burner, but this is the life I’ve known forever. However, even though my practices are vastly different from that of my sister’s, I’ve never once felt out of place or excluded from her home. We still share our interest in watching ridiculous Instagram Reels and calling every week to catch up. So, even though I may be unorthodox, I would choose this life anytime.
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