There are a ton of stereotypes out there about we Jews. They range from violent and aggressive to passive and wimpy, from filthy rich to just plain old filthy.

Some stereotypes insult, even though other people flatter.

And some just appear to just come from out of nowhere, ranging from controlling the media to poisoning wells.

So, here I am, sitting in my auto listening to the radio, when a song pops on the radio from a band known as Black Eyed Peas.

Here you have a catchy hip-hop song with zero connection to anything within the vicinity of Judaism, and they’re semi-randomly tossing in words like “mazal tov” and “l’chaim” (extremely loosely translated from the Hebrew as “congratulations” and “cheers”).

The theme of the song is an all-night, out of control, super enjoyable party… some thing I am not utilized to the world associating with Judaism.

Depraved, immoral mossad agents, deceptive diamond dealers, and overly righteous religious fanatics, this stuff wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

But Black Eyed Peas shouting “mazal tov“, this caught me off guard.

But I will tell you: It caught me off guard in a great way.

You see, I spent a lot of my life (as I suspect several a Jew does) thinking of my religion and individuals as a tad dull. We went to synagogue… occasionally… and there we monotonously chanted statements with out paying a lot attention to there meanings, and then struggled with all our could to stay awake throughout the rabbi sermon (a lot of of us unsuccessfully). We had been plain old lawyers and doctors, and rarely athletes or rock stars.

It wasn’t until adulthood that I discovered how not only meaningful and fulfilling, not to mention just downright enjoyable, Judaism may well very be.

I heard this song and got nostalgic for my college days, singing and dancing (and drinking) at the Chabad Home at the university where I studied. Most of my ideal college memories came out of that Home. And I forsook all the parties in the world to invest as a lot time as achievable in the location where the real enjoyable was happening.

For me, fraternities had been where you went to have superficial relationships and meaningless experiences, with alcohol making every thing appear additional profound. The Chabad Home was where I went to have unadulterated enjoyable… although simultaneously reaping the advantages of meaningful relationships and experiences as well.

Maybe just maybe the Black Eyed Peas know additional about the “real Judaism” than the average Jew does…

Thank you for the memories!