#judaism stuff

[fromgoy2joy]

I tried to raise my hand to answer something in Judaism class and the professor immediately shouted "No, Joy!" with the swiftness of swatting at me with a metaphorical newspaper.

It was really because I was the only person speaking in class, and he wanted more people to answer his questions.

But I'm just in the corner, massaging my invisible newspaper wound, and thinking in the silence of the room- "Please? Please can I just give my opinion on this talmud text? Plea-ase?"

[hindahoney]

Because I'm only seeing other Jews posting about this, non-Jews I need you to be aware that for the past month or two there has been a wave of bomb threats and swattings at synagogues all across the US. They usually do it when services are being livestreamed. I haven't seen a single non-Jew talking about this. High holidays are coming up in a few weeks, which is when most attacks happen against our communities. We're worried, and we need people to know what's happening to us.

[kosher-toasty]

Honestly what pisses me off about the Wikipedia "can't say they're Jewish" thing is how insidiously one-sided it is.

Take, for example, these three famous Jews: Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kirk Douglas, and Danny Kaye. Excerpts from their Wikipedia pages are below.

Notice: "of Jewish ancestry," "embraced his Jewish heritage," "born... to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants." Jewish, but not directly Jewish.

Compare now to right wing bigots Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer, and Jacob Wohl. See if you can spot it.

"Is Jewish." "Is Jewish." "Is Jewish."

Why are the worst of us proudly labeled as Jews but the best of us begrudgingly associated with Jews, Wikipedia? What agenda do you have?

[tboyemo]

Tapping the "your support and solidarity and care for Jews and Romani people and BIPOC should be more powerful than your hatred of nazis" sign so fucking hard rn.

Bcs u should support Jews and Romani people and BIPOC more than u hate nazis and some of u it is very clear that u couldn't give a shite about Jews and romani or BIPOC. You hate nazis but you've forgotten nazis aren't just generalised bigots or bad people and they have an ideology which targets "undesirables" and people who ate racially seen as inferior or less than. Only part of combating white supremacy and fascism is hating nazis and a lot of it is helping communities effected by white supremacy and fascism and listening to and understanding us.

[david-goldrock]

Would you keep me in your closet?

When they tell you that we're the murderers of Christ, blasphemous heretics, who poison the wells and eat christian babies, would you still keep me in your closet?

When they tell you we're of an infirior race, that our presence destroys culture, that we backstabbed your country, that having kids with us will leave them with the same flaws, that we are inherently and unchanginly evil, and that killing us is a mercy, would you still keep me in your closet?

When they tell you we're overlords of a secret society, secret cosmopolitiains of the deep state, controlling the media and the economy for our benefit, leaching on the work of good, hard working people, would you still keep me in your closet?

When they tell you we're white supremacists, fanatic nationals, colonizers, explotators, slave owners, oppressors, occupiers, starving, ethnically cleansing, genociding, harvesting organs off of Arab children...

Today, when they knock on your door and ask politely if you happen to hide me in your house or basement, whatever they may call me, whatever excuse they came with

Would you keep me safe in your closet?

[still-searching-for-something]

It's crazy to me that Kehila Kedosha Janina is the only Romaniote Jewish synagogue left in the entirety of the Western hemisphere, located in Manhattan. Romaniote Jews number some 57,000 worldwide, with 78% of them living in Israel. Romaniote Jews are not Sephardi or Ashkenazi, and constitute the oldest diaspora community in Europe, and have a presence in Greece dating to around 300 BCE, or around 2,300 years of recorded history. The Greek city of Thessaloniki is famous for having been a majority Jewish city for five centuries, the only such city in all of Europe.

I don't really know where I'm going with this, other than to note that it's sad how Kehila Kedosha Janina struggles to form a minyan every Shabbat, and that their distinct minhagim are being practiced less than ever. The history of the Jews in Greece is a fascinating one, and I feel it should get more attention and more life.

[ne0n-and-garbage]

Clarification on a common misconception about Israel.

(pasted from my reboot of an antisemite’s post because this needs to be said)

Israel is by definition NOT an ethnostate.

The definition of ethnostate is:

"a sovereign state of which citizenship is restricted to members of a particular racial or ethnic group."

As of 2022, the religious population makeup of Israel is:

"Jewish 73.5%, Muslim 18.1%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.9%"

Clearly, citizenship and residency is not denied based on religion. How about race?

"73.2% (about 7,208,000 people) are Jews. 21.1% (around 2,080,000 people) are Israeli citizens classified as Arab, some identifying as Palestinian, and including Druze, Circassians, all other Muslims, Christian Arabs, Armenians (which Israel considers "Arab") An additional 5.7% (roughly 554,000 people) are classified as "others". (various ethnic/racial backgrounds.)

A quick google search shows that while Jews are the majority, many people of different races reside in Israel. White Christians are the majority in America and many European countries, and yet I have never heard them called ethnostates. Is this only because Jews are the majority? Hmmmm....

In contrast, Gaza WOULD fit the definition of an ethnostate. It has specific ethnic requirements not only to gain citizenship, but also to even enter the territory legally.

[frownyalfred]

Martha was not an observant Jew at the time of Bruce’s birth, as evidenced by the use of “Thomas” as Bruce’s middle name and the high likelihood that, if she were canonically Jewish via retcon, she would be Ashkenazi. in this essay I will —

[fuzzytheduck]

I don't know what Ashkenazi needs to hear this but the old country sucked and the shtetl isn't your homeland.

[matan4il]

Every single time I hear someone referring to a Jewish person as ‘white’ another little piece of my soul dies.

As a non-American Jew, the first time I ever heard Jews being referred to as white was when I was a full grown adult watching an American reality show. I FOR REAL thought they were making that shit up in order to generate buzz and get people talking about the controversy! That’s how foreign the notion was to me. Imagine my shock and horror to discover that THIS IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES.

It’s the way that referring to Jews as ‘white’ ERASES white people’s antisemitism, it erases our persecution at the hands of white people, it erases our suffering, it erases the OTHERING that Jews had suffered for CENTURIES from actual white people.

Based on what the skin tone of some Jews in a few places might afford them SO LONG AS NO ONE KNOWS THEY’RE JEWISH.

If you have to hide your real identity in order to enjoy the privileges of being perceived as white, YOU’RE NOT WHITE (this is true for Jews just like it is true for other white-passing People of Color).

White passing is not the same as white.

WHITE PASSING IS NOT THE SAME AS WHITE.

Jews are NOT white. Not a single one of us. Not even the ones who can pass as white, let alone all of the Jews who can’t.

[fromgoy2joy]

Yesterday-

My very nice wonderful friend - hey!! I got you a cinnamon roll in because Passover ends tonight! (Hands me a Tupperware box). Just like you did for me and Iftar!

Me- thank you!! I love you!!! (Grips her shoulder.) you own this cinnamon roll until sundown tonight. Do you understand?

Friend- what?

Me- this cinnamon roll, in all technicalities, is in your possession until then. Then, I’ll Venmo you a penny to buy them. Are we in agreement ?

Friend- of course

Me- thankyouiloveyousomuch.

[thosefaroffconstellations]

‎שנה טובה ומתוקה!

For the past month of Elul (and for this past week for the Ashkenazim lol), we have been reciting selichot, preparing for Yammim Noraim, the days of awe. And finally, tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah.

So what’s so special? Why did we take the extra time to prepare? Isn’t it just the start of a new year, Nothing more?

There are two reasons why we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah:

One is a wake-up call, now is the time to do Teshuvah, now is the time to return to Hashem. We’ve sinned, we’ve transgressed, but now is the time to do better. We can always come back on the derech, the path.

Like how a king is announced with trumpets. Reason number two for the blowing of the shofar is that we are pronouncing Hashem as King of kings, Master of masters, and Host of hosts. We’ve grown comfortable throughout the year and we remind ourselves now of Hashem’s greatness while we renew our covenant with Hashem.

This year, when you hear the Shofars blows. Take the time to feel, to acknowledge, and to appreciate. May you have a year as sweet as Apple and Honey. Be plentiful in Mitzvot like a Pomegranate is in its seeds. And always dwell in the house of Hashem.

לשנה טובה ומתוקה

-רנה 3>

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

I am once again begging you not to say "Abrahamic" when you mean "Christian." Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are very different religions with very different theologies, philosophies, and histories.

[gonnauseanomdeplume]

Some people out there acting as if white supremacy is the only form of antisemitism. For instance, Christian antisemitism is far older than white supremacy and while they are entwined it is possible to perpetuate Christian antisemitism without being a white supremacist or even white. Antisemitism even predates Christianity and there are forms of antisemitism that are not connected to Christianity at all. It goes to show that antisemitism is complex and multifaceted. It can show up in many forms and it’s important to learn about the different ways it can show up. Anyone can be antisemitic and attributing antisemitism only to white supremacy is harmful and only tackles one part of the issue.

[420paki]

In honor of Tu BiShvat (the Jewish New Year of Trees), have some of my favorite Jewish art depicting trees.