My life as a Shiksa ? the pleasures and pitfalls of inter-cultural ...

These days, chances are high, that at school, work, or university, you will be mixing with people who have come from very different social, cultural and religious backgrounds to yourself. Chances are you may decide to embark on a romantic relationship with someone who is not from your clan.

Australia is home to an incredible variety of different cultural and ethnic groups. The earliest immigration to the Australian continent is thought to have begun about 50,000 years ago when ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on its fair shores via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans arrived in the 17th and 18th Centuries colonising in 1788.

Greeks and Italians were one of the main groups targeted by Australian Government migration schemes during the 1950s and 1960s. Australia?s Indian population more than doubled between 2004 and 2009 making it the second largest non-Anglo population in the country after Chinese born Australians.

In 1828, there were just 100 Jews in Australia. Today, approximately 120,000 Jews live in Australia. The majority of Jewish Australians are Ashkenazi (literally meaning German Jew) descending from medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany. Many Ashkenazim were refugees or Holocaust survivors who arrived here after World War II. There is also a significant population of Sephardic Jewish living in Australia, which literally means Jews from the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain) or more broadly, Jewish people who follow the Sephardic liturgy whether or not they have any geographical connection to the Spanish region.

I was once in a long-term relationship with a Jewish male that ended when he eventually moved to Jerusalem. Perhaps I can offer advice to others embarking on their own cross-cultural relationship. In this case, I specifically refer to assimilating into Jewish culture, however, the principles of my argument can be applied to any cross-cultural relationship.

At some point in most long-term relationships, you will be required to meet the family and friends of your significant other. If that family happens to be of Jewish heritage, it is essential to the survival of your relationship, that you at least make an attempt to learn about Jewish customs and traditions. Tradition is tightly woven through the life of practicing Jewish people. Solidarity of faith is revered above most things, protecting the rich teachings of both the Written and Oral Torah. It can be difficult for a non-Jew to appreciate the importance of religion in the life of their Jewish partner, positioning the non-Jew as an outsider looking in on a world both strange and often, impenetrable. However, as Jews have so long been outsiders themselves, they often make an extra effort to be welcoming. As the Torah repeatedly reminds Jews to welcome the stranger ?as you were strangers in the land of Egypt? and Abraham himself is the role model for welcoming strangers, Jews with a good understanding of the teachings of the Torah appreciate the importance of inclusivity.

Shiksa is a Yiddish slang word for a woman who is not Jewish. It is almost always used in a pejorative way to describe a non-Jewish woman or a Jewish woman who does not conduct herself in the appropriate manner. A Jewish woman need only change her manner to alter her Shiksa status, while a non-Jewish woman faces far greater challenges outgrowing this label. Should you resign yourself to derision, or perhaps even end the relationship to save the trouble that comes with cross-cultural love? If you refuse to give up hope, there are some things that you can do to make your relationship run more smoothly.

Firstly, respect your partner?s culture and religion. Don?t insult their beliefs and traditions because they are unfamiliar or different to your own. Learn about Shabbat (the weekly day of rest), the Jewish Holidays and the Yamim Noraim (the High Holy Days). Learn about the Torah and its cycle over the course of the year. Research Jewish dietary laws and ask about ceremonies such as Bar Mitvah celebrating the transition from childhood into adulthood. Learn about Jewish ethnic divisions, and, learn how to say Kiddush. You don?t have to believe in something that you do not believe deep down. Find aspects that you admire within the religion and celebrate them. If your partner is Hindu, learn about Shiva, Ganesh and why these deities are so important in the daily lives of Hindu people. If your partner wants to abstain from eating beef because they inherently believe that cows are sacred animals, respect their decision.

If you find yourself in a relationship with someone from a different cultural or religious group, communicate with your partner about your differences, establish whether you both believe they can be overcome for the sake of your partnership, and move forward respectfully considering both individuals choices.

Following my advice may help, but it would be foolish to make guarantees in this game. Culture and religion aside, love and the search for a life partner will present you with hurdles that in many cases, may be insurmountable.

Source: http://theadelaidecollective.com/my-life-as-a-shiksa-the-pleasures-and-pitfalls-of-inter-cultural-relationships/

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