Kol nidre

tonight was the first night of Yom kipur. We had a nice pre-fast dinner at the house with my aunt, uncle, his three kids and two grand children. Afterwards, we went to the temple. Of course, i knew no one and had crazy trouble following the service: not only were the translated portions in portuguese, but the few prayers I shoudl have known by heart were either slowed down alot or sung to a different tune, making it really really hard to keep up!

but that's not why i'm posting. I'm posting because as we were walking back to our car, some dude driving by called out the window, "JUDEUS FILHO DA PUTA!"

It was pretty clear to me who the "filho da puta" was in this situation and although i am trying to experience as much of brazil as possible, I have no intentino of geting acquainted with their prisons. My uncle on the other hand had other thingso n his mind and chased after the guy. I couldn't let my 60yo uncle get his ass kicked by some anti-semite, so I followed him.

My uncle gave the guy a good scare. When the asshole saw him coming, he almost hit a car trying to get away. David (my uncle) chucked his keys at the car since they were the only things handy, then foudn a rock and continued the chase as the car went around the corner. he never got a chance to use the rock, but luckily he didn't get hurt either.

I don't know how common this is. One of the people on the Caconde trip relataed a very similar experience that had happened a few montes prior.

I would have liked to have caught up with the car and beat the guy through the open window he shouted at us from. I would have liked to have thrown things and gotten all worked up. But would good would that have done? if he thinks badly of us, that behavior certainly wouldn't change his mind or encourage positive attitudes towards jews. If he thinks badly of us, his opinion has that much less value and shouldn't effect me. If he thinks badly of us, fuck him. It's Yom kippur, and i'm focusing on my own sins tonight. I don't need to worrya botu some other asshole's problems.

Watching my uncle chase after the guy when I had made the decision that "fuck him, he's jsut some asshole" made me wonder if i had done the right thing. As a foreigner, playing it safe makes sense. As a Jew, I believe my pacifism was the right decision as well.

Shanah Tova.

Stay safe.

Peace.