On Certain Character Portrayals in Fire Season
The character of Reid Giordano heavily evolved as I was writing him—from a Southerner whose last name was Reed to an Italian American from New Jersey, then finally to a Jewish Italian American who is fairly religiously observant. During that last transformation, I was discussing how being Jewish might affect his characterization and was told by my wonderful, hardworking, and endlessly patient book midwife: KD, he was already Jewish.
We have an expression: Every Jewish soul was present at Mount Sinai. Meaning that everyone who is Jewish—by birth or by conversion—has always been Jewish. Reid was therefore Jewish in his approach to the world before I decided to put an evil eye bracelet on him or have him discuss the intricacies of keeping kosher.
The depiction of his Judaism is different from that of Zach Glasser in Unwritten Rules and from my Jewish characters in other books. There are as many ways to be Jewish as grains of sand. No way is inherently better or worse than any other. Jews will sometimes use being “observant” (as in observing certain commandments) as a shorthand. Observance is not a single sliding scale. It is multidimensional and contextual. Reid, therefore, isn’t more Jewish than Zach even if the former keeps kosher and the latter does not. (And keeping kosher isn’t contradictory with, say, swearing or having premarital sex.)
The evil eye is a catchall for inviting bad luck, particularly if you’ve declared that something positive will happen. (“We’re going to win the World Series!” would be a statement that would draw the evil eye.) It’s ritualistically warded off through faux-spitting or wearing protective jewelry such as evil eye bracelets or hamsa pendants, both of which are worn in other cultures as well.
Reid chooses to keep kosher for meals he eats at home. This isn’t unusual: people often have different rules for what they’ll eat at home vs. in restaurants vs. being served as a guest. There are different variations of these kinds of practices and every person/family keeps kosher a little differently.
Reid jokes that relief pitchers can’t believe in a just God. Jewish beliefs in a deity vary: Many Jewish people are agnostic or atheists or go through phases where their beliefs change. Generally, we do not believe in more than one God (and do not believe that a Messiah has come) but may believe in no deity or be unsure. Beyond that, Judaism does not believe in an afterlife that’s similar to those in other religions (ex. no heaven or hell), so belief in God (or lack thereof) does not generally affect Jewish ethical approaches.
It’s generally not appropriate to ask if someone has converted to Judaism. That question is often fraught with preconceived notions about who is (and isn’t) Jewish. Charlie’s approach—of genuine inquiry and wanting to learn more as part of a preexisting friendship/relationship is appropriate. Many resources are available for self-study as well. Rabbis (a title that literally means “teacher”) are often happy to provide answers, readings, and opinions.
Lastly, Judaism is a decentralized religion; there isn’t a hierarchy that oversees multiple denominations. We value debate, disagreement, and discussion. So the answers to a lot of questions about Judaism will be That depends. Which invites more discussion, disagreement, and debate!
