Personal Story: It doesn't get more Multi-Cultural than this!
A few years ago I received a phone call from my mom.
The conversation went something like this:
Mom: "Guess What?"
Kim: "What?"
Mom : ""We're Jewish!"
Kim: "What do you mean we are Jewish?"
Mom: "We researched the family tree, and grandma (from Germany) was Jewish!"
Kim: "What do you mean we are Jewish?"
Mom: "Isn't that exciting?"
Kim: "Mom, you sent me to Catholic School, I had to wear a uniform my whole life,
and I live on a XMAS tree farm, and now I am Jewish?!"
Mom: "I know, fascinating isn't it!"
side note: (Many people ask me why I never changed my name when I got married a few years ago. I really wanted to, and planned on it - and always was like "What's up with the hyphenaters?" That was until I had to go down to legally change my name, and I panicked. I thought - "How much identity does a girl have to lose!"I had just sold my Day Spa, moved back to my family farm, found out I'm Jewish, and now a different last name!
Kimberly Matthews - A Jewish Farmer,
who is this person?
My husband felt insulted when I came back and was like "Sorry, nope - didn't do it" He still gives me a hard time every now and then - The only way I can answer is "I'm thinking of just dropping a last name all together and having one name like Cher or Madonna, or maybe just changing my name to a symbol like Prince, maybe just a Lightning Bolt".
So I was brought up Catholic, just found out that I'm 1/4 Jewish, (my cousin Judy really took this to heart - switched her faith and moved to Israel for a year to study), my mom re-married a man who is from Egypt who is Muslim.
So this is an example of how Christmas at my mom's house has gone for the last few years :
(try to keep up!)
We have a X-mas tree, and my Muslim step-family helps put it up - all the while talking that Jesus was really born under a date tree, not in a manger (I view the "manger scene" from the neighbors yard - think if an "under a date tree" scene would be just as successful-don't think so). Mom's cooking dinner, I steal a pineapple ring off the X-mas ham. Enter my Jewish cousin Judy & family who chimes in at the same time with my Muslim step-family "Don't eat pork!" But I love the X-mas ham! My mom takes out the ham alternatives (turkey, lamb, hummus) and asks if I can run down to the "King Falafal" cart, which is parked in her driveway - a hobby my step father had - to grab the spice "black seed" We separate the serving areas into kosher, halal and everything else.
Graces are said, usually led by my grandmother, who is really of Jewish heritage, but always keeps a Holy Rosary and handkerchief in her hand or front pocket of her dress. Dinner is served, and usually some kind of "Did you know that (insert religious comment) is really the way things happened?" Followed by a "Oh, no, no, no - this is what really happened (insert religious comment). Followed by "Can you please pass the mashed potatoes?
My step father and his family disappear for about 15 minutes to wash & pray, my cousin Judy helps me get the X-Mas presents out, and tells me about her Hanukkah and what it's like to live in Boston at a Jewish Center that a Rabbi runs.
We all sit down and open X-mas presents. Laugh and have coffee, cake and listen to some classic Carols like "White Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman"
What? Doesnt everybody have holidays like this!
Back to Original Story (sorry I jump around like that!)
So we finally met our "Lucky Multi-Cultural Raffle Winner" in Stamford this season, and she has been along for the twirls and whirls of our stormy season. She was there even before the lightning blast - she was there, like many of you during our "Un-invitation" - where we were uprooted and tossed out of our market just weeks before the season started (all based on the games, greed and corruption of what is happening within our Ct Farm Market Structures). Like many of you know, we were forced to scramble all over Stamford to meet the needs of our CSA customers. We had drops in the commuter parking lot, at a horse farm, at peoples homes. CSA members were inconvenienced, pregnant, had children in the cars - just so unfair.
Our "Lucky Multi-Cultural Raffle Winner" suggested having a market at the JCC (The Jewish Community Center) in Stamford -and then she didn't stop. She had lunches with her friend who worked there, and pushed the concept - and everytime my husband saw her in the commuter lot, she would ask the progress - and if she thought of anything else that she could do to help us get into the center, she buzzed right back over to the JCC. Once word got out that we might possible be at the JCC, it was like high gear kicked in with alot of our CSA members, who were also JCC members - we had members offer to wait outside of the health inspectors office to get paperwork, write letters to the JCC - the community outreach was unreal.
Once we met with the JCC, and the market was a go - it was like a "Multi-Cultural Coming Home". Finally we had a place to set up our farm market again, and this time we were surrounded by really good people. For me, this coming home has touched me deeply - especially recently just learning about my Jewish Heritage and how my mom's grandparents possibly had to flee Germany during the Holocaust, and be hush-hush about their faith once they came to America out of fear. It made me think about all of the Jewish people who didn't have a home to go back to. It made me think about the development of Israel, and about our wars in the Middle-East today. Think about all of the hurt that has happened in history and still continues today from that "Un-invitation".
So you see, we were really "The Lucky Winners" in the "Multi-Cultural Raffle". When you give from the heart without hesitation or expectation, you never know what gifts you may receive.
What I have learned over the years, is that no matter what our faiths are - it doesnt change the fact that essentially we are all the same. We Eat, We Pray, We Love (I still have to see that movie!). We all have the same hopes and desires for our loved ones, we want to do good things for others, and ultimately are looking to a higher being for answers about this great mystery of life. I've "transcended" with Maharishi's from India, I've "sweat lodged and peace piped" with Native Americans, I've worn a Burqa as I learned about Islam in Egypt (well really the Burqa was worn as I was escaping the 1st Revolution against Mubarak many years back and had to flee the boarders of Sudan back to Cairo - a revolution that will never be in history books because it was squashed and covered up by the Egyptian government (maybe I will start an action/adventure page). If there is a faith out there, I have been witness to it one time or another in my life. What I find over and over again are the parallel lines that cross all the boards, old traditions that are twisted up to create new, different concepts - but same core.
I invite you all to celebrate Multi-Cultural Week, as we celebrate our splendid diversities here in our farm garden. Learn something new about your neighbors, tell your story to others!
Peace, Green & Love
xo Farmer Kim
