Jewish Burners?

[Kinetik V]

tangent:

Does an orthodox jew need to have his ingested drugs be Kosher?

That's a question I've actually wondered about. (Don't ask why, it gets even stranger than the question)

I had someone looking over my shoulder at BM pix when we came across Barbie Death Camp pix...this person freaked out until I told them Dr. Pyro was Jewish. They stopped, pondered it for a second and then was in awe that he had the courage to do it to begin with.

I just had to ask the question and share that...we now return you to whatever the original discussion was.

[Badger]

About as rare as polite ones in my experience.

A few years back a group of about 12-15 arrived on the playa pretty unprepared and demanded that Black Rock Rangers set their tents up for them because they were tired from their travels.

[wedeliver]

About as rare as polite ones in my experience.

A few years back a group of about 12-15.....................................arrived on the playa pretty unprepared and demanded that Black Rock Rangers set their tents up for them because they were tired from their travels.

12-15 what. Just some group? Or do you mean jews?

[Dork]

12-15 what. Just some group? Or do you mean jews?

I think he means Israelis. I've had a number of Israeli camp mates over the years and they were all quite different, as you might expect from an arbitrary categorization. One guy last year did about 20x his share of the setup/teardown duties around camp. I wish I had that much energy. If something needed to be done, he was jumping in to do it. Another Israeli campmate last year was a bit on the shy side.

[Badger]

Dork's correct. I meant 12-15 Israelis. Collectively the most abrasive, obnoxious group of people several Rangers ever encountered at Burningman at any one time. That one group that is.

[blyslv]

I was cleaning up after a fire and an Israeli offered to help which was very welcome!

I asked him not to put the ash in cardboard boxes because there were still embers. He told me that it had been too cold for the fire to have lasted through the night; which was one of the more curious things I've ever heard on the playa.

[skygod]

there were still embers.
(but) it had been too cold for the fire to have lasted

Anything can happen on the playa.

[Green Hexagon]

Hey,
I'd like to set the record straight about a couple of things:
1) As far as "kosher" drugs, that's a good question. I know for sure that herb is kosher, because I have known orthodox-Jewish potheads. And according to Daniel Pinchbeck, ancient Kabbalists were ingesting a precursor to LSD. But I wouldn't necessarily bet the ranch on that second one. However, there was a massive quantity of anointing oil prepared by Moses himself that was hidden after the destruction of the second temple, for fear it would fall into the wrong hands. What was in the oil? Some archeologists theorize it was a psychedelic compound.
2) There seems to be some confusion here about my original question--obviously there are going to be hundreds of Jews on the playa, if not more. However, the question is are there any Jews that daven on a regular basis, and have a true relationship with Hashem. Or at least study Judiasm in their free time. They don't have to be orthodox, just believe. Most Jews are Jews by heritage only, and even those that do some sort of practice may not have pierced the smoke-screen. The question is NOT can an orthodox Jew vibe with the playa experience. This is question of belief, nothing more. Make sense?
Also, most Israelis that you would meet at a psychedelic festival (for lack of a better term) are going to be secular Jews, party-animals that are looking to vent after their mandatory army duty. Those people are a lot of fun but probably not looking to spend a lot of time discussing religion. That's not really what I mean.
Anyway, even if most of the comments are off topic I'm glad people are responding to this post.
Peace
Mx

[wedeliver]

There are thousands of Israelis at BurningMan and as you indicate quite a few are x-military and quite good at managing in the desert (and could kill someone with their little finger). What I found both amazing and very funny was once as my Israeli friends were about to take a photo instead of saying SMILE he yelled... holocaust ..

Green Hexagon, to find you must search, both the answer to your small question here and to your larger question! And doesn't every question once answered beg another question? You might not find answers, but you will find other ways. See ya in August

as to not smiling, mamma told them not to smile that people will think they are rich.

[Dr. Pyro]

I don't want to nitpick, but "thousands of Israelis" at Burning Man is a bit of an exaggeration. If there were more than just a few dozen I'd be very surprised. Now there are hundreds of Jews, perhaps a thousand, but rather few Israelis. Being one of The Tribe, I know of what I speak.

[Eric]

Or at least study Judiasm in their free time.

Free time on the playa? Or at home?
Reading your questions & responses it looks like you want a more insular experience than you'll find at Burning Man. Going with strong religious beliefs is fine (there are services out there in many different faiths), but I don't think you're going to find a lot of people who want to sit all day discussing the divine nature of Hashem exactly like you want to. You'll find people who want to talk faith & belief all day and night, but theirs as well as yours. If you're open to learning the different faces of belief, and teaching yours, it could be a great time. If you only want to hear your voice....... *blech*

Open your mind to experience what others have to offer (or be willing to take a week off of your single minded pursuit of whatever it is you're seeking), or don't go. You're asking the playa to deliver up what you want, and expectations at Burning Man are a recipe for disaster.

An aside on the Kosher drugs.
From what I understand from some Orthodox friends, they won't take any sort of gel cap unless it's in a vegetarian-safe version, as there are too many variables involved in where the gelatin came from and if it's treif (non Kosher) or not.

[Green Hexagon]

I meant at home.
Good response, by the way. I think what you're saying is pretty dead on.
One thing that contributed to this initial post, though, was the NYC Decomp. It seemed like a pretty aloof crowd, didn't seem like anyone was into talking about anything, especially the divine. I'm guessing it was a poor representation of the festival. The setting wasn't as cool as you would think it would be either. Between the security and the Communist Chinese art (which seemed to be at every step of the way), I just found it to be a bad scene.
I realize that last statement may not make any kind of linear sense here, but take it for what it's worth.

[BitterDan]

It seemed like a pretty aloof crowd, didn't seem like anyone was into talking about anything, especially the divine. I'm guessing it was a poor representation of the festival.

It really depends on the person and the mood. I mean, if I was sober and I didn't know you and you started talking Kabbalah to me I would probably become stand-offish as well. It's not because I do not enjoy spiritual debate and discussion, it's just that I would be weary that you were trying to convert me which would put me on defensive about my responses to your inquiries.

On the other hand, if you had been hanging around and I had gotten to know you a little bit I would more readily discuss such a deep, personal topic.

I am not sure about others but in reality, at burning man, you will find ALL sorts of people; Some that want to talk philosophy, others that want nothing to do with such a discussion/debate. It's like Eric said, don't go there with an agenda of philosophical debate but rather open your mind to what other people find to be spiritual. It might just bolster your own faith or even give you doubts. Who knows?

[Green Hexagon]

Sure. I hear you. Thanks for the response.
In any case, I just saw this:

Wherever I can find events like this, that's what I think I'm looking to check out. This kind of vibe is what I'm looking for in a festival.

[skygod]

didn't seem like anyone was into talking about anything, especially the divine.

Everyone is looking for the divine.
I'm just trying to stave off the Alzheimer's.

[accordionMan]

Hi another member of the tribe signing in.

As far as Israeli's on the playa... met many over the years. I think it was about 3 or 4 years ago I saw a giant inflatable "flying saucer" balloon with a giant star of David on it.

Also ran across a huge Shabbat service one year.

[BitterDan]

As far as Israeli's on the playa... met many over the years. I think it was about 3 or 4 years ago I saw a giant inflatable "flying saucer" balloon with a giant star of David on it.

That wasn't inflatable! That was the Thetans!

[accordionMan]

Who or what were the "Thetans!" ?

[theCryptofishist]

Thetans are the evil dead beings that haunted L. Ron Hubbard and which he incorporated into his religion. Tom Cruise hates them. They provide much eplaya conversational fodder.

[thirt33n]

Green-
I was at the NYC decomp around the holidays back in uh,...2004-ish, think it was at Crobar...and although it was a great time and I saw some true playa friends it was definitely NOT a true representation of BRC. Not possible when thrown as an open party in such huge meltingpot of the "real" world.

You will find long drawn out conversations about almost anything in BRC but no one's gonna sit around for that at a club in NYC when there is something called "last call" and locked doors and that hottie twisting just across the room.

Take the leap.
you ARE welcome.

[athenademos]

There are several very observant groups on playa. I know of two groups that hold Friday night and Saturday morning services. Here is an article from the Jewish Weekly about it. http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/695 ... da-desert/
And a YouTube video
One year the Black Rock Census added the question of religion to their census and found that 25% of the people at Burning Man consider themselves Jewish. Thats a huge amount. I guess we love going to the middle of the desert for our radical self expression. We have been doing it for 5774 years. In Los Angeles, we have a group called Tribe within a Tribe which is a for Jewish Burners, so we can celebrate the Jewish traditions year round with our burner families.

[theCryptofishist]

6 years and counting. That's a good long while to be replying to a dead post.

[Nipple]

Maybe it was the post's yahrzeit.

[Captain Goddammit]

Every time this happens I always hope/wish the OP actually sees it and fills us in on what happened. But that never seems to happen.

[Simon of the Playa]

according to Daniel Pinchbeck

OY!, you just fucked your entire post by putting these four words in it...


seriously.....daniel is a turd.

[VultureChow]

I think we should resurrect this thread around this time every year.

[Simon of the Playa]

we should resurrect this thread

never forget...

[zorro sings]

I think we should resurrect this thread around this time every year.

And this one too.One of the greats. viewtopic.php?f=66&t=3989

[Christian The Jew]

Shalom!

[munney]

BurningMan is a Do~Ocracy, meaning, if you see something that needs to be done, then Do It!

I am Jewish and have been going for over 10 years, sometimes observing, other times not. I am OK with that,

Do what you have to do, yet If you want something to happen, Make it happen.

See you on the Playa

Munney