It’s not easy being an atheist in a Jewish community. My parents are religious Jews, and have attempted to raise me as such. When I was a toddler, I envied the kids around the block who played with their happy meal toys. My parents never took me to McDonalds, because they did not permit me to eat non-kosher products. This includes all other fast food restaurants, all pork related products, among many other restrictions. Even gelatin was forbidden by my parents, as gelatin allegedly comes from animal connective tissue. So this ruled out gummy bears, jello, marshmallows and many other snacks. There are kosher marshmallows too. When I grew older I tried that the non-kosher marshmallows, and thought them to be more delicious.
Not to say I didn’t always believe in Judaism. I believed in god when I was a child. Some nights before I slept, I recited the “Shema Yisrael”, a Jewish bedtime prayer similar to “Now I lay me down to sleep”. Even so, I had always been a skeptical believer, and had never been too sure about my faith. Having lived in a Jewish community my whole life, I knew I was sheltered. I knew there were other religions out there. I thought it was silly to suggest that my religion is more legitimate than any other. It didn’t make sense to me that just because my parents followed a certain religion that I would have to follow it too.
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