Gamers keeping Shabbat

[garyh]

I'm Reform as well (and a convert to boot!), so I can't really help with the technical discussion. But it is an interesting discussion!!

All I can offer is the way I was introduced to Reform: "Be informed, and do what is meaningful to you."

And no offense to anyone on this thread, of course, but it's times like these I'm glad I'm Reform.

 

[Bagel Golem]

What are your stats bagel golem?

And I wanna see a pic.

I don't know what my stats are, but I definitely have the dreaded abilities of Schmooze, Kibitz and Chutzpah. Heaven help you if I use all 3 at once! I can also cast Create Chicken Soup three times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), but not on Shabbat.

I don't have a pic of myself, but if you imagine a vaguely humanoid figure made of variously sized bagels, you'll get a pretty good idea.

By the way, I would like to stake my claim as EN World's Iconic Bagel Golem.

 

[Quickbeam]

I'm Jewish, and three other members of my gaming group are as well, but none of us observe the Sabbath by attending synagogue all day. However, we still spend most of the spring through autumn months playing on weeknights or Sunday evenings to avoid schedule conflicts for various reasons. For us, things like golf & athletic leagues; social clubs; little league & youth soccer take up Fridays and Saturdays during the warmer months. We just adjusted accordingly.

I hope that you'll be able to find gamers in your area who also have Friday/Saturday conflicts and are willing to play at other times. Heaven knows you've got a good reason for not playing during those "common" time slots .

 

[Highmoon]

Thanks to all for your replies. Now to some replies of my own.

While it is certain that there are a lot of technical rules as to what you can and cannot do on Shabbat (or for anything else, really, when you are Orthodox), most of them are incredibly technical and known to only but the most learned rabbis. I am not one of them. But I do know what I can and cannot do--for the most part--according to my teachings, and hey, I learn something new every day. The reason I don't game is not so much because I cannot move a mini, or throw a dice or write (though those are all things you shouldn't be doing on Shabbat for one reason or another), but basically because to me Shabbat is a state of mind as much as a actual day. I'm sure that if I hit my Talmud books I can find enough support to game on Shabbat after prayers, but that would be looking for loopholes and becoming a rules-lawyer.

So far I've simply had to miss games or attend the rare Sunday session at one of the local stores. Of course, most of the local gamers do not know I am Jewish, so they haven't quite gotten yet why is it they never see me on the Saturday game days.

Like I said, thanks for the replies. I guess I will be the one gamer at Gen Con with a kippah. Perhaps I can have one embroidered with the d20 logo.

 

[Bagel Golem]

I guess I just want to know if I'll be the only one to show up at Gen Con with a kippah (or yamakah).

So do they have kosher sushi restaurants in Japan???

I've never been to Gen Con, so I can't say. But my guess is you wouldn't be the only Jewish gamer, even if you're the only one with a kippah. I know of at least one person who is in the RPG industry who is Jewish and goes to conventions.

Most sushi isn't kosher - it's made of trafe (unkosher foods). Even sushi made only of eggs, rice and seaweed often isn't kosher. Some vegetarian sushi is OK in theory, but I doubt there's any in Japan with a hershuh (official kosher certification). Just for the record, fugu (Japanese puffer fish) is definitely trafe.

 

[HellHound]

While I do not share your religion, I also schedule events based around our religious schedule. We never game on the eight Sabbats as it stands, and don't intend to change that.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Like I said, thanks for the replies. I guess I will be the one gamer at Gen Con with a kippah. Perhaps I can have one embroidered with the d20 logo.

I love D&D. Talk about a game bringing people of various different backgrounds together.

 

[mythago]

You could probably game if you walked to the gaming location, didn't bring any gaming items, didn't write anything down, didn't turn on any lights...but that's kinda missing the point, I think.

I'm not shomer Shabbos (bad Jew! No mitzvah! ), but if I were I could probably get our gaming group to accomodate me. I don't eat treyf, and they've gone to extra mile to make sure that, say, when the group postgame meal is roast pork, that there's another entreé for me. (I didn't ask them to do this, btw, they volunteered)

Indeed, you can eat kosher in Japan:

<http://www.kosherdelight.com/Japan.htm>
<http://shamash.org/kosher/>

 

[Henry]

...But I do know what I can and cannot do--for the most part--according to my teachings, and hey, I learn something new every day.

...as do I. While Christian, I have always been fascinated by Judaism ever since being introduced to the works of Chaim Potok. This thread has benefitted not just you!

 

[Olive]

While I do not share your religion, I also schedule events based around our religious schedule. We never game on the eight Sabbats as it stands, and don't intend to change that.

which religion are you, just out of interest?