Unified Spirit

Orthodox Gold

Could somebody clear up some confusion regarding possesion of a Christian symbol as a convert to Judaism?

I am currently looking forward to converting to Judaism (right now I'm still in high school and have no access to a rabbi or anything like that).

At the moment I am keeping the Noahide Laws, studying the Torah, and slowly but surely easing myself into the Kashrut.

I am in posession of a gold cross necklace, a family heirloom. It was my grandfather's, then my father's, and now mine.

In the 613 Mitzvah, it says not to deny possesion of something entrusted to you. My grandfather died when I was younger and I would really rather not have to part with it, for the sake of remembering him. But the Torah also says that God is one.

In keeping the necklace, would I be defying God? I'm not worshipping Christ through it or anything, but remembering my grandfather. However, the cross is a well-known symbol of Christianity, and it doesn't seem compatable with Orthodox Judaism.

John 4:22
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

However...judaism misses out on the savior they waited for but never embraced

Regardless of what time of year you choose to get married, you could end up competing with holidays, religious observances, as well as sporting events. Not only will trying to book facilities during these times cause your budget to spiral out of control, you could end up with problems with guests not being able to attend.

Prepare to pay a huge surcharge to a venue that is not normally open on a particular holiday or religiously important day. On top of that, your guests will likely be faced with higher travel costs as well, if they can even make arrangements in the first place.

These are key dates you'll want to avoid if at all possible:

Federal Holidays - In addition to the added expense of having your wedding on one of these dates, your most important guests may not be able to attend due to other commitments.

New Years Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - 3rd Monday in January

President's Day - 3rd Monday in February

Memorial Day - last Monday in May

Independence Day - 4th of July

Labor Day - First Monday in September

Columbus Day - The Monday closest to October 12

Veteran's Day - November 11

Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November

Christmas Day - December 25

Religious Observances

Ash Wednesday

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve

Easter Sunday

Good Friday

Hanukkah

Kwanzaa

Muharram

Orthodox Easter

Palm Sunday

Passover

Ramadan

Rosh Hashanah

Tisha B'Av

Yom Kippur

Major Sporting Events

If you are getting married in an area where there is a large sporting event on the date you want to get married, you are not only going to pay a premium, but your guests may have trouble finding accommodations. Also - having a wedding on the day of a major sporting event may not sit well with your male guests.

NFL Playoffs (January / Early February)

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (March / April)

Stanley Cup Playoffs (May / June)

NBA Championship (June)

World Series (October)

College Football Bowls (December & January)

Other Observances

These aren't holidays, but days when you can expect to either spend more or run into issues with guests who have other plans on these days.

Valentines Day

Mother's Day

Father's Day

Becky has been writing about several topics that have touched her life in the last decade. When she was engaged to be married back in 2002, both she and her fiance knew that in order to have the wedding she'd always dreamed of, they were going to have to get creative. She has taken to writing about her wedding on a budget experiences so that others can experience a first class wedding without having to pay for it the rest of their lives.

Becky also maintains a number of web sites on a wide range of topics. You can check out her latest site here: Luxury Bedding Sets featuring Luxury Duvet Covers

Orthodox Celts Green Roses