edenfenixblogs

[edenfenixblogs]

in light of Trump's inauguration speech declaring multiple national emergencies that require him to take god-knows-what executive actions immediately, I'd like to remember this chapter of "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder:

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When I was a kid in Hebrew school wondering how people could let the Nazis into power, what it was that made them turn the other way instead of facing such evil, I never imagined that the answer would be as stupid as the price of eggs.

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thejewishchronicle

Avera Mengistu is on the list to be released by Hamas as part of the hostage/ceasefire deal agreed upon by Israel and Gaza. If the deal goes to plan, he will be coming home for the first time in over ten years to a family that have never stopped fighting for him. May he return to them quickly and in good health.

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there’s a difference between “just do a little yoga it will cure your depression forever :)” and “going for a run won’t solve your problems but it will make you feel a little better and that’s the first step” but this site seems to treat them as the same thing

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Do not let them erase this. Do not let them tell you he meant "my heart goes out for you."

This man is the grandson of a Canadian Nazi sympathizer who moved to South Africa BECAUSE he thought the apartheid was just the coolest.

He has a gaggle of kids specifically because he believes his genes are superior and need to be spread to improve humanity.

He has thrown his support behind the neonazi party in Germany and the far right party in the UK, not to mention how far he's wormed up the ass of the Republican party.

He threw two sieg heil salutes back to back at the inauguration of the president of the United States and is trying to scrub the evidence off the internet.

Elon Reeve Musk is a fucking Nazi.

[edenfenixblogs]

On the streets of Free Damascus, I asked Syrians if they had a message to send to the people of Ukraine.

Here is what they said:

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Man. That’s beautiful

My non-jewish friends sent me a message yesterday in which they said that they wanted to acknowledge the ceasefire but weren't sure which tone to use. They then asked me how I was feeling about it. It sounds small but I honestly appreciated it so much.

I have heard so many stories of people losing non-jewish friends because of antisemitism, and that makes me so thankful for the friends I have. They have been nothing but supportive since the war began and made me feel so safe.

Goes to show that we do have some allies out there.

There are indeed some allies. I'm glad you get to have such a considerate friend

-🐺

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While it is obviously incredible news that a ceasefire/hostage deal has finally been agreed in Israel and Gaza, and I hope and pray more than anything for all involved that it holds, I won't ever be able to forget how quickly, easily, and happily a horrifyingly huge amount of people fell into vicious antisemitism.

Mocking Israeli dead, denying or cheering the atrocities visited upon Jewish bodies, tearing down hostage posters, gleefully buying into and sharing ancient propaganda and conspiracy theories, abusing, attacking and isolating Jews or anyone at all who has the audacity to care about them. Disgusting, evil cruelty.

How many people, now that the war is (hopefully) over will pretend that they never took part at all, never do an ounce of self reflection and then dare to wonder why any Jewish people in their lives no longer trust them or the organisations they represent? How many people will blithely continue imagining themselves to be bastions of human rights, compassion and social justice while completely ignoring the pain and trauma left in their wake?

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Blog PSA

The stress of Trump’s last election and subsequent presidency actively worsened my health in measurable long-term ways. My blog will continue to focus on antisemitism and it’s affects on our community until antisemitism stops being as pervasive as it has been since 10/7/23.

However, my consumption of news media will be limited. I have not watched news regularly in over a year and when I do read news, I seek it out. This shouldn’t affect the content I post about antisemitism, as I do not and will not ever seek out that kind of information and my news consumption level will not change. It’s some thing that finds me because of who I am. In similar ways, because I am queer and neurodivergent and zaftig, hatred for those groups tends to find me as well.

But if you notice me not speaking out on something awful affecting communities you hold dear, please know it is because I likely have not seen them. Or, if I have seen them, I have not had an opportunity to review and evaluate what I’ve read with appropriate media literacy.

We are in for a long road, all of us together. And we will drag each other along the road and survive it together.

I must keep my focus relatively small and focused primarily on what I can contribute to in a healthy way. Right now, I feel educated enough to speak out on and educate about antisemitism. As a woman, queer person, zaftig person, and neurodivergent person, I don’t know that I have the same amount of capacity to educate. In those identities I may very well just be trying to survive the horrors. If I can contribute something, I will do so. If I can’t, please do not assume I don’t care. I care deeply. Both for others and myself.

I don’t need to be inundated with terrible news every day, but if there is something urgent you think I should know, please do let me know.

I’ve learned a hard lesson these months about how horrific it feels to see performative activism. Assume that if the only action I feel capable of taking is performative, I likely won’t waste your time or mine taking that action. I will wait until I can contribute something meaningful and substantive. I love you all.

Protect your peace. Focus on what you can control. None of us can deal with all of what this next four years has in store alone. But we CAN each pick an area of focus and stick to that while supporting each other in their own areas of focus.

Love you.

[edenfenixblogs]

Reblogging gifs of people punching Nazis or tearing up Nazi flags is not actually taking a stand against antisemitism or supporting Jews btw. It's just meaningless, performative nonsense that does nothing and requires no actual work or introspection.

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why did no one tell me quantum computers looked like that

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Favourite Designs: Linda Friesen "Nightshade" Haute Couture Gown

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As we see a barrage of evil executive orders come in, they are not immediately enforceable and will takes months or years to implement.

That’s still not great, but don’t let these pile up to the point of hopelessness. Take a breath, and look community leaders who will fight it every step of the way.

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I grit my teeth and read the entire executive order regarding trans people, and I just want to take the opportunity to remind folks not to forget intersex people. One of the rescinded documents is “Supporting Intersex Students: A Resource for Students, Families, and Educators," and there is a huge emphasis on legally enshrining "only two sexes."

Yes, this affects trans people, but with the way intersex voices often get ignored in trans spaces, I just want to remind folks not to shut us out. Don't forget us. Don't keep talking over us. Don't act like we aren't on the front lines. Don't act like this is just about you. Please.

[edenfenixblogs]

now more than ever, it is imperative that you spend time with people you love and doing things that you love. be prepared but please please please don't dwell on things that have yet to happen. you have to have hope for a better future in order to build one. it's gonna be okay. we're gonna make it. i love you.

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It would be so easy to ghost most of my old friends that I’m still loosely in contact with since 10/7. They never reach out to me. I’m always the one making contact. I know it makes them uncomfortable when I bring up literally anything that’s affecting me. And yet I can’t bring myself to do it. I just…can’t. I don’t have the energy to confront any of them about how deeply they’ve failed me as friends or how deeply they’ve failed themselves as people who supposedly care about marginalized people.

But I also can’t bring myself to sever ties.

And I think I’ve figured out why. I refuse to be the one to take an emotional risk. There is a plate glass wall up between them and me now. We can see each other, but we can’t get close. Not anymore. But there is a door in the glass. On my side, I have a hammer. On their side, there is a hammer and a key. My only options are smashing that wall with my hammer or doing nothing. They have the same options, but they also have the option to open the door.

I feel like I’m surrounded by lots of other rooms where other friends got to make the same choice. Some opened the door. Most smashed the glass. But either way, I know where they stood.

The only group that hasn’t made a choice is still behind glass with the door locked. But the door is also made of glass.

So I’ve chosen to stand at the door. Glaring at them. I breathe on the window and write messages on the steam like “hi!” And “I saw a great movie today, have you seen it?” And “woohoo! Three hostages are released!”

Most of the time they pretend not to see the messages. Sometimes, if it’s not too visibly about being Jewish, they’ll write a message in their own breath. A small smiley face or a one word reply. But they’re very careful not to meet my gaze. If they did, they’d notice when I pointedly shifted it to the hammer and key lying side by side.

I know they want me to walk through the shards of glass or the doors that other, better friends have opened. They want me to give up and forget about them so that I don’t make them uncomfortable enough to make a choice.

But I’m not going anywhere. At the end of the day, the wall shouldn’t be there. If they want to be my friend, they’d need to open the door. If being friends with me is too much of a hassle for them, they need to nut up and break the glass.

Either way, I’m not absolving them of the responsibility of making that choice.

Their silence, like mine, is the third choice. But I do not consent to letting them make it a comfortable silence. I will pointedly be as direct in my silence as possible.

Some of them have been somewhat supportive. But not to anyone but me. Not where anybody outside our circle can see. It’s exhausting. But I have my nose pressed to the glass.

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Some of the faces of the male hostages who won't be freed in phase one