Bat-Mitzvah

I just got back from a trip to Seattle with my parents and brothers for the Bat-mitzvah of my cousin Melissa Kipersztok. The bat-mitzvah is the rite of passage to adulthood for jewish youth. It was an eye-opener for me to be immersed in the jewish culture and religion. I am ashamed to admit it but before this trip I sub-conciously believed that the jew was no longer a jew when they believe in Jesus. I think this partly comes from misinterpreting Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Jesus." But if the jew is no longer a jew then is a female no longer a female? The service was in a conservative synagogue which lasts quite a long while and is almost completely in Hebrew except for the message given by the rabbi and the bat-mitzvah. It was so cool to hear the parts from psalms, leviticus, and jeremiah read in the original language they were written in. Below are some pictures from the trip.



I stuck my head under the United States second highest year round waterfall, Multnomah falls , Oregon




That's my Dad. Click on the picture, insert your ("Is God trying to tell you something?" joke here)





(Insert your Garden of Eden joke here)





I am the vine you are the branches John 15:5





My cousin Oscar





We went to Portland, Oregon's best peruvian restaurant (only?)





This is their Lomo Saltado with yuca instead of potato fries




Recien llegue de un viaje a Seattle con mis padres para la bat-mitzvah de my prima Melissa Kipersztok. La bat-mitzvah es un rito de paso para las jovenes judias cuando empiezan ser adultas a la edad de 13. Fue impressionante para mi estar summergido en la religion y cultura judia. Estoy avergonsado admitir esto pero antes de este viaje creia sub-concientemente que cuando un judio cree en Jesus ya no es judio. Crei esto por mal interpretar Galatas 3:28 "Ya no hay judío ni griego; no hay esclavo ni libre; no hay varón ni mujer; porque todos vosotros sois uno en Cristo Jesús." Si ya no somos judios entonces las mujeres ya no son mujeres? La sinogoga era uno en la rama de judiasmo que se llama conservativo donde los servicios demorran mucho tiempo y casi todo esta en hebreo. Fue hermoso escuchar partes de Levitico, los psalmos, y jeremias en su idioma original. Arriba hay fotos del viaje.