[Karen]

Jews must bury their dead by the second day after the death occurs (therefore the third day) unless that day happens to be the Sabbath, in which case the burial is postponed one more day. Please remember that this is a 4000-plus-year-old custom, and embalming and other methods of preservation had not been discovered at that time. Quick burial helped prevent desecration of the body through visible decay. Since the Diaspora (the scattering of the Jewish people across the world), one of the major concerns was the afterlife, and how dead Jews would be recognized. From this concern came the concept of a Jewish cemetary - to be a Jewish cemetary under the law, there must be a specified amount of soil from Israel present within the cemetary. Jews who are buried properly in a consecrated Jewish cemetary will be recognized as such when Judgement Day occurs. Any body parts that are missing at that time will remain missing unless they, too, are properly interred in consecrated ground. Jewish cemetaries have a special section set aside for amputated and otherwise removed body parts. Jews may donate blood and other organs if they desire; however, for the above reasons, they may not donate to anyone who is not Jewish, as those parts will then not be buried in properly consecrated soil. This is an ethical issue, and is less open to interpretation for more observant Jews. As a Reform Jew, I donate blood on a regular basis and I am not concerned about who recieves it.

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Name : Karen, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 33, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Karen]

Women who are menstruating are considered ritually unclean in many cultures, including most of the Middle East, where Judaism has its roots. No one knew what was occurring at that time; all they knew was that, for some inexplicable reason, women would bleed, and there would not be a visible wound. After the menstrual cycle is completed, women visit the mikvah, or ritual bath, to cleanse themselves. Until that happens, anyone they touch - specifically, adult males - also become ritually unclean and must also visit the mikvah.

Wearing a wig is a sign of modesty - only a woman's immediate family is supposed to see her bare head. This is more of an Hasidic custom than pure Orthodox Judaism. The Hasidim are a sect of Judaism that came from central Europe, and habitually the men wear dark suits with white shirts and no ties, and the women wear dresses below their elbows and knees. Both genders keep their heads covered to respect G-d.

Your last question involves kashrut, the kosher laws. If your friend's parents do not keep a kosher home, then none of the food or utensils there are kosher, either. This affects mainly meat and dairy products; fresh fruit and vegetables that have not touched any utensils in the home are still kosher, as are any packaged goods with the appropriate markings (K, P and U are the most common). She can eat in their home, but only if the food is kosher, and only touched by disposable utensils that have not been used for any other purpose. This includes all forms of cookware.

User Detail :  

Name : Karen, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 33, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Karen]

People who are born with Down Syndrome have a similar appearance (epicanthic folds, for example) because they share a genetic inheritance. Down Syndrome is caused by a tripling of the 47th chromosome (usually, chromosomes are doubled); this tripling causes the similarities in appearance and affects development in many other ways, too. Some ways include learning disabilities or retardation and health problems, including heart valve deformities and a higher than normal risk of Alzheimer's Disease. There are lots of sites that discuss this and other disabilities if you want more information.

User Detail :  

Name : Karen, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 33, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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