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March 3, 2009 | 2:28 pm

A Christian at Jewlicious Festival

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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I spoke Saturday at Jewlicious Festival, which is sort of like Burning Man for religiously observant Jews. Yes, they needed a foil for “Cool Jew” Lisa Klug, Y-Love and Matisyahu.

Originally I was going to speak on a panel with Bizarro Brad, also known as “My Jesus Year” author Benyamin Cohen. But he wasn’t able to make it, which is why two hours before I needed to be in Long Beach, I was at Coffee Bean writing my talk. We called it “My NOT so Jewish life.”

I talked about my family’s Jewish history, my Christian beliefs and my miserable experience getting the business from El Al when I flew to Israel. You can listen to my 15-minute talk here. The Q&A, which I anticipated being more interesting, was too long to upload. Here’s an excerpt from the opening:

Some of my friends say that I have the best of both worlds—as one of my colleagues like to refer to me, that I am a daywalker. ... That I have all the strengths and none of the weaknesses. Though some days it feels the other way around. I can get my Jewfro on with the best of them. I have thick glasses, you can see that, a penchant for Chuck Taylors and a neurosis that makes Larry David uncomfortable. It’s hard for me to go down the street, pass a couple of Chabadniks and not be asked, “Are you Jewish?”

On the other hand, I’m sort of a Jesus freak, I love my neighbor and I really enjoy drinking the blood of Christ. My name is Brad Greenberg and I’m not a Jew ... I’m so not Jewish that for lent I gave up corned beef.

That last part is actually not true. Eating is probably the most Jewish I get. But you get the point. I might live in Los Angeles and be senior writer for The Jewish Journal, but I was raised, and remain, a God-fearing Christian – albeit one with, as I like to claim in my bio on The God Blog, devilishly good Jewish looks. As the Jewish Forward said in an interview with me from 2007: “Funny, Brad Greenberg, Doesn’t Look Christian.”

Don’t fear: I’m not with Jews for Jesus or to convert you. But rather to share with you what prompted my Jew-ish journey and what it’s like being a Jew to gentiles and a gentile to Jews.

That’s actually the point in my talk when I dropped the notes and, consequently, sounded a lot more comfortable. Now if only I could feel comfortable enough to plum the depths of my Jew-ish journey and put it on paper.

7 Comments — Leave your comment

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Great talk (just listened to the MP3) although it seemed, from the audience (non)reaction you were casting pearls before swine.

Comment by Space Brother Number One on 3/03/09 at 3:38 pm

Harsh biblical reference. They seemed a lot more into it in person, and the questions they asked afterward definitely indicated that.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 3/03/09 at 3:55 pm

It was a small gathering of young people who really wanted to be there to listen to Brad. In my opinion, the characterization of casting pearls before swine as judged by someone who listened to an audio recording is pretty unfair, not in terms of Brad’s words, but in regard to the audience.

Comment by Esther Kustanowitz on 3/03/09 at 3:55 pm

listened to your speech, good stuff, some of it resonated with me being Mexican-American, (being the brunt of beaner jokes among my white friends and not being accepted fully as Mexican by the real deals), though your situation has some different complexities.

Comment by Daniel Magos on 3/03/09 at 5:34 pm

I kind of get where you are, Brad. My dad was the first one to marry outside of the Jewish faith and bloodline. I grew up serving myself, then became a Christian. Recently, I began to study my heritage more closely. What I’ve found is that there seems to be a distaste from Hebrews about being a Christian with Jewish heritage, and Christians don’t seem to understand why I would want to honor the Torah, eat kosher, etc.. Outsiders also comment that even though my father’s side is Jewish, I am not, since my mother is not Jewish. Doesn’t bloodline run down both sides of the family? Any insight here would be most appreciated…

Comment by Jonathan Esterman on 3/03/09 at 6:08 pm

The fact that both my grandmother’s were Jewish is a bit of a game-changer. But I certainly find that there are both Christians and Jews who disapprove of my co-mingling identities. I guess it all just depends on who you’re dealing with. Like I said during the Q&A period: I have a pretty thick skin, and I don’t really mind the criticisms I get from time to time. I do, however, always enjoy the encouragement.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 3/03/09 at 10:08 pm

Great comments and insight Brad.  As a reform Jew who accepted Yeshua as my savior in 1981, I have always had difficulty synchronizing my faith with Jewish life and community.  I have been part of Messianic Synogagues, but they are on the outskirts of Jewish life.  Great how you have been able to be open and share your life with them.  Would love to have a cup of coffee with another believing Greenberg if you ever come to DC.

Comment by Bud Greenberg on 3/04/09 at 12:22 pm

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