The Torah explicitly states that people of Jewish faith are forbidden from getting tattoos and if you choose to do so then you would be limited from participating in many of their religious practices and rituals, including being buried in a Jewish cemetery.
On a hot summer day back in July of 2015, a year and a bit into my mental health journey and before the #summerofrich was even a thing, Rich and I were casually strolling through Kensington Market, enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon together while the kids were all away at camp when we passed by a tattoo parlour. I had been thinking for some time about getting a tattoo for the first time in my life. I was 44. I’d been holding onto a photo in my phone, which I had created, and felt it symbolized a piece of who I am and would be a beautiful reminder of what is most sacred in my life.
I went for it. I got the tattoo with Rich’s encouragement.
I decided to place my first tattoo on my left shoulder blade and although it’s tiny and only visible on a hot summer day when I am wearing a tank top or bathing suit, it’s truly meaningful to me which is what I believe a tattoo should be (I’ve gotten 2 more since, each one representing another piece of who I am and have shared their importance with you many times since).
It’s a “Chai” which I added a dot on top of in order to also make a semicolon symbol as well.
“Chai” is a Hebrew word that when translated to English simply means “Life” but also possesses a numerical significance in the Jewish religion as well. It represents the number “18” which has become a longstanding Jewish tradition of gifting, contributing or donating in increments of $18. It is also considered a Mitzvah (a good deed in English) meaning “a gift of life”.
Along with its meaning of life it also carries many symbolic principles too, including kindness, thoughtfulness and selflessness which are three of the greatest characteristics a person can hold during their time here on earth. So you see, my tattoo has a lot of meaning behind it and is a permanent reminder of my daily struggle to continue living and the importance to continue sharing my story with you.
You see, a semicolon is not just any ole punctuation mark that an author would use to end a sentence, it instead indicates a brief pause, and for me that brief pause is a symbol of my life and the need to catch my breath in order to continue the rest of my story. We are all authors to our own stories and it’s ok if you need to take a pause between sentences.
My semicolon which is etched in ink on my shoulder forever has also become a symbol of great strength for me and its significance that my story isn’t over quite yet either.
The Jewish community is struggling immensely right now, many of whom are wanting to find meaningful ways to shout out in solidarity to the rest of the world that they are Jewish and proud as f*ck of it. Some have even been using their Facebook feeds to ask the question, would it be acceptable to get a tattoo as a way to express my feelings and still honour my faith?
Tattoos were once used to dehumanize us as Jewish people but over time they have become more and more of an accepted symbol of beauty, reflection and even reclamation.
To say that many people have been more critical than ever in the world right now would be an understatement. I came across this quote recently by Eleanor Roosevelt and I think it is a perfect way to answer their question;
“Do what you feel in your heart is right, for you’ll be criticized anyway.”
Expect criticism no matter what you do, but don’t allow it to derail your decisions. Resist the urge to criticize other people’s opinions and actions. It’s okay to feel deeply with your heart and not worry about what others think is right for you so long as you do it with kindness, thoughtfulness and selflessness.
Am Yisrael Chai
#tattoos #jewishreligion #Torah #standwithisrael #semicolon #Chai #yourstoryisntoveryet #amyisraelchai #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #tolife #neverforget #suicideawareness
YouAreEnough 