#judaism stuff

[fromgoy2joy]

My friend was just telling me about how he was the head of the Jewish Student Union at his high school. And I was nodding along until I remembered-

“Josh- didn’t you go to a school where there was no other Jews??”

He then very grudgingly admitted he was both the president, student body and only member of the JSU. All because he wanted to find a way to complain about all the bullshit that was happening.

[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?

[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.

[fuzzytheduck]

I think a lot of Americans have a hard time grasping the idea of Jewish indigeneity because they dont know where their own ancestors came from. Maybe they'll have vague ideas like German, Italian, or Irish, but what they know has very little bearing on their day-to-day lives. They don't dress any different, they don't speak the language their great grandparents spoke, they don't hold regular ceremonies and rituals that harken back to the old days.

The idea of an ethnic group maintaining a constant identity over thousands of years is patently absurd to them. "You're telling me you're still mourning something the ancient Romans did? That's ridiculous! Clearly you've fallen for modern Israeli propaganda, otherwise you're deliberately arguing in bad faith in order to justify land theft and genocide!"

It's very frustrating, because when I say these things I do not say them in bad faith. My friend once said "it's a very American thing not to understand large timescales", and I think she was right on the money. The process of American assimilation has cut peoples ties to their ancestors to such a degree that they can no longer comprehend a continuous identity spanning millennia.

So I'm going to say this in the clearest language I can:

There is a genuine, historically provable, continuous connection from ancient Israelites to modern Jews. By the laws and customs of those ancient Israelites I am one of them. Let me reiterate. I am an Israelite, a Hebrew, like from the Bible, and the fact that my identity has been so mythologized and talked about as if it's a thing of the past will never change that.

[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?

[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 —

[thosefaroffconstellations]

I’ve been seeing a lot of people talking about accepting Orthodox Jews recently. And while I’m very happy that we’re getting some positive attention for once. I’ve noticed a lot of peoples arguments for why Orthodox (they really mean modern orthodox) Jews are cool is that they’re “not like ultra-orthodox Jews”. So here’s your reminder that if you don’t accept Jews you consider “too orthodox” then you don’t accept Orthodox Jews period.

Internalized antisemitism isn’t a cute look babes.

[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.

[yekuthiel]

hot opinion from me as christmas and hanukkah fall on the same day this year — coming from an american jew

american jews celebrating christmas in their own way doesn’t make them less jewish ,, and just because YOU have negative associations with christianity with christmas doesn’t mean every jew does

for as much as jews on here say christmas can’t be secular to an extent i agree but y’all are forgetting the fact many american jews observe christmas in a secular way — when an american jew celebrates christmas it’s often celebrating they get time off to be with their families,, that’s what their celebrating

not the birth of christ, or anything to do with christianity itself

just being able to spend time with family without the looming stress of work or school and to have a few days to just laze around

and for jews who’s family are interfaith — they practice christmas and hanukkah together and celebrate the love between them as a family under different faiths yet united

a jew is a jew — just because a jew practices differently from you don’t mean their less of a jew, y’all seriously need to get your act together cause this is just disappointing

tdlr; stop shaming american jews for liking or celebrating christmas, stop shaming interfaith jewish families for celebrating both hanukkah & christmas and y’all need to understand christmas can be celebrated in a secular way

[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.

[fuzzytheduck]

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