The Joys of Research

Sometime during last month, around Christmas & Chanukah, I began asking myself some crazy questions:

1. Why is there so much arrogance and intolerance when it comes to religion?
2. Do people even know the history or reasons for the holidays they celebrate?
3. What does buying a bunch of crap at the mall and going into debt have to do with Christ’s birthday?
4. What does Jesus of Nazareth have to do with Santa Clause & light laden trees?

And if that isn’t enough, how about these:
1. How many generations did my family live in Russia before they immigrated to the United States?
2. How come blond hair and blue eyes run in my family if we are Jewish and Semitic?
3. Why do Jewish people tend to look like the other people in the countries they live in?
and..ta da, here's a big one!
4. Why don’t the Republican presidential candidates behave with dignity and stop disparaging Obama AND each other? (Disgusting!)

Well, guess what? I’ve doing a whole lot a reading lately. Thanks to the wonders of my handy dandy new Kindle that I got for my birthday (thanks guys!), the Denver Public Library, & the wonders of internet research, I've been learning a lot that either I never knew or I've just forgotten. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's being a grandma, maybe it's because I indulged in buying myself a new comfy, recliner that's back-friendly, but for the last couple of months, I've been carving 3 hours of reading time out of each morning before I go to work, or shul, or excercise.  What's going on with me?

I'd like to share with you some of what I've learned. My goal is not to induce controversy, only knowledge & understanding.

And, of course, good manners.
I invite your comments.