New Tattoo and Wow, I think Chewbaka and I could be cousins…
Well, asides from the fact that after looking at the photo I clearly need to get laser hair removal so I’m not mistaken with a wooky or as Chewy’s cousin, you can now see my new Tattoo (Christie, Candie, Frank and I all got ritually scarred together…ahh, the memories…)
Anyways, the new Tattoo:
Quick rundown of FAQs I’ve received over the past four years (I think it’s been four years) since I’ve been inked:
No, Tattoos are not actually against Jewish law – though there’s rules about them, like not getting them while in Mourning. No it doesn’t mean I can’t be buried in a Jewish Synagogue, that would violate the laws about respecting the dead among a few other things (though I’ve always wanted to be buried in one of the hippy type, card board box, return to the earth quickly cemeteries anyway). Yes, in Jerusalem there is a Tattoo Parlor. There’s one in Tel Aviv too. Actually, I’m sure there’s many more I didn’t find. Yes, Many Israelis Have Tattoos. No Hillel International doesn’t care one fig leaf that I have a tattoo especially given the populations that they want me to work with (e.g. prostitutes, homeless, druggies and frat boys among others are in my Job Description as “Special Projects Intern”). My Boss’s Nephew has many more than I do (read: he’s totally covered). Yes, all of mine are covered up when I wear a suit which means I can still, one day, find gainful employment outside of my field if I want to (…sort of like Anthropologists, I’ve found that if you’re not interpreting, they really don’t care how you look in your bedroom, office, or cafe – wherever it is that you translate – so long as you can translate well. I did find, however that the U.S. Government does care, apparently, who you sleep with…apparently being Gay means you’re not able to translate Arabic well…which is why they fired a slew of Gay Arabic Translators right before 9/11). Yes my parents know, yes my grandparents know, yes my Rabbi Knows, yes my Shaliach Knows…even the Chabad Rabbi Knows.Aanyone who feels the need to: get it out of your system now and on your own time, not in my comments field