Welcome to Gaia! ::

Thanks for being so helpful, guys.

Sorry, i was kinda impacitent.

Thanks for responding!
I don't know, my dad can be very controling, not like in a bad way or anything, but he gets mad at me.

I Now in response to your poll.

I don't have the same problem, but my mom I think doesn't like who I'm close to people at shul, and talk to them about my problems. :sigh: she's just afraid i'll like abandon her or something.

yea people suck when they are like that -.-

rolleyes funny people, funny times rolleyes


I like your name it's my boyfriend's little sister's name smile
sad I miss him, he's gone off to school now.

Talking to him doesn't work. that's the problem..

Sadly, this is one of the things about being a Jew that's hard: our laws demand a lot of us. One of them is "Honor your father and your mother." That's easy when your parents are doing things that you feel good about, but when they do or say something with which you fundamentally disagree, that's when you feel how hard it is sometimes.

I think in your case you need to say, "Dad, I've been thinking and I believe I know why you'd rather I didn't have so many friends who aren't Jewish. It's scary knowing that your kids could come into contact with ideas that will seem attractive and exotic, and may pull them away from their Jewishness. But this is a part of what it means to be a Jew: to be surrounded by the rest of the world, and to still remain a Jew within it. It's not any easier for me today than it was for our ancestors. But you've given me a great Jewish education and a pride in my Jewishness, and I know that part of my purpose as a Jew is to be a light to the nations. It would be very hard for me to fulfill that part of my Jewish purpose if I never encountered the other nations. Maybe by knowing me, these friends will later have a much better concept of Jews and Jewishness. Maybe later when they encounter anti-Jewish sentiments, they'll be able to think of me and decide that those sentiments are wrong. You never know what I could accomplish if I go out into the world and serve as an example. And you never know what lessons I could learn by being part of the world. Hashem doesn't call us to separate ourselves from the world, like monks and nuns. He calls us to be within the world, to be involved in it, to love it, and to help it. I need to do this. Sooner or later, you need to let me go, and trust that the upbringing you've given me was a good one, and that you've taught me what I need in order to maintain my Jewish identity and principles out there among the rest of Hashem's people."

lol, where do you live? If I had no friends but Jews, I'd have had a lot more imaginary friends growing up. I was the only Jew in school for, lets say, my entire public school career. The only Jews I knew were from sunday school, and lived far away.

I'd explain to your dad that friendship is a part of growing up, and just because someone was born into a different faith doesn't make them a bad person. My mother is bothered when I talk about Muslim people I've met, but she lets me be. Maybe your father is just worried that you will grow up too quickly and forget your heritage if you have non-Jewish friends. Explain to him that this won't happen. If possible, introduce him to your friends (and their parents) in an open, non-threatening setting. If he knows they are good people, he might allow you to spend time with them.