Reconstructing Being Jewish and Autistic

As my 2023 came to a close and I reflected on the outgoing year, I saw some cars coming and going three days in a row for what appeared to be a <a href="https://www.amisraelmortuary.com/shiva-jewish-funeral-customs#:~:text=What%20is%20Shiva%3F,Shacharit)%20on%20the%20seventh%20day." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">shiva </a>for a resident in my housing complex. It got me thinking about life, mortality, the closure of another year, and what being Jewish has meant to me as an autistic person. I value my Jewish upbringing. The particular sect I was brought up in fostered inclusiveness, <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tikkun-olam-repairing-the-world/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Tikkun Olam</a>, striving to be ethical, and, most of all, the expectation of achievement and accomplishments. Well, I don’t value that last one so much. Yes, I said it. The not-so-hidden expectation that one achieves great things as a Jewish autistic person can feel like suffocation. In my own case, I can’t pinpoint this feeling to any one person. It’s the culture that makes people feel this way. <a href="https://medium.com/blue-notes-to-myself/reconstructing-my-judaism-and-autism-b0fc5d0d0a82">Website</a>