Introductions - a place to get to know each other

[Neto]

Hi everyone. Here is the introduction I promised to post.

I actually feel like I kind of know many of you, because I have been reading and following along on the forum (and on the previous forum) for over two years, I think from around October of 2009 (except that I stayed away during the time when random advertising would constantly pop up when trying to open a discussion topic for viewing).
I have learned a lot, and decided to ask for forum membership for two reasons: to let you all know that I am here, following along with the forum topics, and to be able to ask questions from time to time.

I am 56, married with 3 children. Our oldest is our only daughter, and she is married. Our two sons still live at home. I was born in California, grew up in Oklahoma among the Cherokee Indians, and now live in Ohio.

I do understand the forum rules, so I have been reluctant to join, because I am a Christian. If it matters at all, I am Mennonite (Dutch), a tradition which is neither Catholic nor Protestant. In fact, many Mennonites were arrested and killed by both of these groups during the early to mid 1600’s. all of my great-grandparents came to the USA as refugees from the Russian Empire (between 1873 & 1890), having lived in the Ukraine for around a hundred years. (My people had previously been forced out of their own country of Holland, and then spent 100 or so years in what is now Poland, then a German state known as Prussia. I said 'their own country', but we are almost certainly not true Dutch, as many of us are dark skinned and dark-haired - it is believed that they had earlier come from Spain or Portugal, during the Inquisition, or during the time in which Spain controlled the Netherlands.)

My interest in Torah studies from a Jewish perspective has grown over the years, especially as I saw serious inadequacies in commentaries written by Christian authors. In fact, the only one which I found of value was one written in the 1600’s. The author (John Gill) often quoted the targums, so it lent it some credence. (I hope that I am using this term correctly, and not just showing my ignorance.) I grew up in a family that highly valued study of the Scripture, and also studied it extensively in the Bible college where I attended after high school. I then trained in linguistics to do Scripture translation, and worked in this capacity in Brazil, translating for a small Amazonian tribal group.

I began reading on various Jewish forums after an American Jewish man began posting on a Mennonite forum where I was active. (It has since closed down.) He pointed us to Chabad.org, and my search for other forums brought me to AISH.com and Torah.org.

Neto
(By way of explanation, the forum name I chose is a nick name based on 'Eneto', the name given to me by the tribal people with whom we lived in Brazil for 17 years. 'Eneto' is in turn based on the Portuguese name Ernesto. My legal name is Ernest. So I answer to any of these names.)

[rivka]

Hi, Neto! Nice to meet you.

[Hart60]

Hi Neto,welcome to the forum,I'm pleased you decided to join.

Dan.

[David_L]

What is your religious background?

Late-in-life Ba'al Teshuva.

What brought you to the Torah?

Searching for meaning in life.

Where have you studied Torah?

Mostly reading on my own (books and internet articles).

What brought you to this particular forum?

Internet search. Desire to learn Torah and Judaism.

What part of the world do you live in?

Eastern U.S.; no nearby orthodox Jewish community.

How shall we address you? (eg: your username, your first name, your title, initials, etc)

Dave or David

Anything else - family, etc.

I've learned a little Hebrew, but my knowledge of it is very limited.
I currently divide my available study time among Torah (daily aliyah), Nach (Prophets/Writings), Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and Daf Yomi.

[rivka]

Welcome, David.

[David_L]

Thanks

[Yisroelp]

Welcome Dave/David. Look forward to your questions/discussions.

[ittai]

What is your religious background?
I beleive in torah, neviim and all the ketuvim, old and new.

What brought you to the Torah?
My sister sent me a book on the profecies of Bible and I sought to find whether the book was right.

Where have you studied Torah?
At home and with other believers.

What brought you to this particular forum?
I love the Jewish people.

What part of the world do you live in?
Finland

How shall we address you?
My username or my first name, Antti.

My family
I prayed for family and wife. God sent her before me.
I was shy and did not know how to become friends.
Then I found to ask her: Shall we start to learn Hebrew together?
To that question and somewhat later to another question she answerd "yes".
We started our common life with a trip to Israel.
Seven children have been born to us_
Leevi, Noomi, Jooshah, Roni, Tirzah, Uri, Neta.

My mother left us a lily. Every time a child was born to us the lily was in blossomed, never else.
When Tirzah was in the womb there was his brother or sister, too,
but he or she came from the womb before time.
When Tirzah was born the lily prepared two places for blossom but only one blossom.
We shall se him or her in time to be soon.

To Ville and Noomi two daughters have been born.
To Leevi and Ruth one doughter has been born and her broher or sister we wait
to be born in the autumn.

[ittai]

Three weeks ago the second daughter has been born to our first son Leevi and his wife Ruth.

[David_L]

Mazel tov