What Makes a Ritual Jewish?
What is a Jewish ritual? What makes a ritual Jewish? These are interesting questions. Some would say that a Jewish ritual is one prescribed by tradition—a seder, a brit milah, a funeral—and that is the end of the list. For those of us who seek to create new ritual and who imagine a more expansive list, what makes a ritual Jewish? If Jews do it, is it Jewish? Or if it uses Hebrew words? Or is it something else that makes a ritual Jewish? Although the answer to these questions is ultimately subjective, we think that a successful Jewish ritual resonates with Judaism in some way. It takes Jewish symbols, Jewish concepts, or Jewish words and uses them in a new context consistent with their symbolism. An example of using a Jewish symbol in a new context while at the same time retaining its traditional meaning is the use of a Havdalah candle at a leave-taking ceremony. A Havdalah candle is generally used at the end of Shabbat to demarcate Shabbat from the rest of the week. (Havdalah means sep
