#but the condescending “sorry youre not a real jew��� shit is fucking asinine

[eye-in-hand]

I really hate commenting on intracommunity issues between the different branches of Judaism. I really fucking hate it. But what I hate more is when people sit there acting like their shit don't stink

Really wish orthodox Jews would stop saying they don't see reform converts as real Jews as if they have the final say or monopoly on Judaism. As if they're the ultimate authority. Sorry, my rabbi and congregation say I'm Jewish and the antisemites also think I'm Jewish so. We all end up in the same place idk what to tell you.

And we're allowed to criticize orthodox practices. It's not an attack on orthodox Jews. I swear you say one thing about how orthodoxy has harmed you and people immediately get pissed off at you for calling it out (not just converts. I've had plenty of talks with reform Jews who grew up Orthodox and had a lot of insecurities because of that. My Rabbi has flat out said there's a lot of unlearning of harmful orthodoxy that needs to happen, and I 100% agree.)

There are real issues in the Orthodox movement, and while I'm glad things sound like they're getting a little more progressive, we can't sit here and pretend there aren't problems that are more inherent in orthodox movements than other ones. And this pseudo authority is annoying. Reform Jews are real Jews. Patrilineal Jews aren't "converting", they're born Jewish just as much as Matrilineal Jews are. They can be as connected or disconnected as any other Jew. Jews in inter faith marriages are real Jews. Secular Jews are real Jews. You are not the gate keepers of jewery, all Jews get a say in who is and isn't Jewish.

Are there problems in the other branches? Yes. But we're allowed to talk about how orthodoxy has harmed us without that disclaimer.

So while I don't need your approval on my Jewish identity, you constantly going around saying "sorry, you're not a real Jew unless you follow my specific idea of what being a Jew means" is such a slap in the face to all the hard work reform converts put in. Sure it's not exactly the same as an Orthodox conversion. But it's still living a Jewish life whether you like that or not.

Judaism is about interpreting the texts and the laws. Reform Jews interpret things differently. That doesn't make them less valid than orthodox Jews. That's the whole fucking point. Get this religious purity shit out of here. It's condescending and unnecessary.

And I say this as someone who's interested in converting to Orthodox jewery, but I can't. Because I live in rural America and the closest synagogue is an hour+ away and it's reform. The next one after that is reform. And so is the next one. The closest Orthodox Jewish community is over 6 hours away. I can't afford that shit. And not just that, but I'm trans. And I've already been told on online Orthodox Jewish spaces that "well you were born a woman so you still have to do what the women do" fuck that transphobic shit I'm a fucking man, and I will live my life as a Jewish man.

I love Orthodoxy. I love a lot of its ideas. But it is not accessible to me and never will be unless there's significant changes to how the movement treats LGBT+ or Jews they "don't approve of."

Reform Jews are real Jews. It's a Jewish movement made by Jews for Jews. The conversion process is valid, ya'll are just full of yourselves. No Jew is more Jewish than the next. We are all living a Jewish life because we are Jewish and we are alive. It's not a fucking competition.