[Image: Quote reading “A young man studying for conversion turned to his teacher and said, “But, Rabbi Kushner, Fitzpatrick isn’t a Jewish name.” To which Kushner replied, “It will be.”]
This is on the first page of Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant. It’s a quote that really resonated with me. I just finished reading this one today and definitely recommend it for anyone thinking about converting or their loved ones!
this is actually a perfect addition. the hebrew in the tags there is a Jewish proverb/song, and it translates to “the whole world is a narrow bridge; the essential thing is not to fear at all.” the point is that, like. the whole world is scary, and that is exactly why you can’t live in fear of it. walk the bridge anyway.
🎶 CRACK 🎶 CRACK 🎶 MATZAH CRACK 🎶 I JUST LOVE 🎶 MATZAH CRACK 🎶
THANK YOU MARCY GOLDMAN
It's really interesting the difference between how people act when you talk about racism vs antisemitism.
Like when I've talked about racism that I face as an arab as well as talk to other poc about racism and even non poc about racism, people always are ready to jump in with their thoughts and have a proper conversation.
However when I talk about antisemitism, unless it's with other jews, most people just act uncomfortable and the conversation never goes anywhere. This is both pre and post Oct 7th.
And like, antisemitism inherently isn't anymore of an uncomfortable topic than racism. It just makes me wonder why.
Is it because antisemitism is less socially acceptable to talk about? Is it because there just aren't a lot of jews where I live so often it's people's first conversation about antisemitism? Is it because the people I'm talking to are closet antisemites?
I don't even know which answer would be the "good" answer.
The inability to discuss stuff like this with people i know irl just makes me feel so lonely offline.
wistfully remembering how people (pretended they) cared about antisemitism when it was primarily coming from the right. like there are pre-2023 posts with tens of thousands of notes about antisemitism. now any mention of the existence of antisemitism (when its worse than it ever was) doesn’t breach containment outside of jewish circles. its almost funny how quickly people stopped caring when it was inconvenient.
I'm a bit late, but anyways.
who knew the 1 massive frog from the plagues is celebrating pesach this year! good for him!
Hey, don't cry. A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shines, can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design, ok?
not only does judaism heavily value having multiple opinions for a singular topic, whether amongst a group or within yourself, it also values realizing when those opinions are not based in truth and changing your viewpoint would likely be helpful. this is a skill many goyim need to learn very fucking soon.
Chag Sameach everyone!
Here's your annual reminder that it was a Plague of singular Frog (who must have been so big)
Due to the Assyrian-Greeks’ attempt to destroy the menorah, they caused millions of menorahs to be lit around the world each year from now on instead.
Guys we are seriously so badass. Try to make us stop doing mitzvot? We make a new holiday with a mitzvah reminding us how we kicked your ass. Try to wipe us out? We will make a holiday about how we kicked your ass, make cookies making fun of your terrible taste in headwear, and boo your name from now until the sun blows up. We are awesomeness.
*walks under the ARch of Titus* HEY, WE’RE STILL HERE 3 GENOCIDES LATER
OK sorry I am interrupting this post now
Three weeks ago today I went on a trip to Poland for Holocaust studies. One of the first things we were told was this story.
After the Shoah, the Ponevezher Rav went to Rome to try to collect funds for his yeshiva. He left the airport, found his talmid who he was staying with, and as they got into the taxi, he said “We need to go to the Arch of Titus” (or, well, he said that in Yiddish). The talmid was incredulous: “Rebbe, it’s midnight, it’s pouring with rain, come to your rooms! Why do you need to see this Arch, anyway?” But the rabbi was insistent, so the talmid gave in. They arrived, and the rebbe got out of the taxi, looked at the Arch – this frail old man next to a towering 15 metre (~50ft) stone arch, and one to the triumphs of the Emperor Titus, no less, the man who led the siege against Jerusalem which culminated in the churban, the destruction of the Second Temple which we still mourn on Tisha B'Av.
He got out of the taxi, and roared at the top of his lungs into the night.
“TITUS, TITUS! AVU BIS DU, VAHL ICH BIN DO?”
Titus, Titus! Where are you? For I am here.
.
When we stood at the crematoria at Auschwitz, that’s what the rabbi screamed. Hitler, Hitler! Where are you? Because we are here.
.
(please forgive any Yiddish errors – though do send me corrections – this is a write-up of notes from one verbal story of many at an understandably emotional time)
There’s a museum somewhere in Rome, or a gallery in the Vatican at the very least, where they have all of the busts of the Roman Emperors stored. A rabbi of my acquaintance was visiting the Vatican on an interfaith conference once and took a moment to visit the gallery. He found the bust of Hadrian, who looks just like he’s described in the Gemara, and spoke to you.
“You tried to kill us, and your empire is ashes, dust and historical curiosities. And we? We are still here.”
My niece (age 9) asked if the reason she’s the only Jew in 3rd grade is “cause you know how peoples have tried to kill us like Pharoah and the programs (Pogroms) and the trick camps where they thought there would be work but they just made all the Jews dead-do you think there’s so few of us left because they killed so many?”
And while I was there just befuddled at how one would even respond to this her mother with such grace said “maybe. There should be many more Jews in this world and we have a responsibility to the ones who did not live to carry on their traditions and memories. But sweetheart the point is not that you are the only one. The point is that there is one. Even one Jewish child means all those people who tried to end us did not win. We won.”
reminder that jack black is One Of Us.
Pesach sameach!
my mind for the past four days:
Dai-dai-yenu
(dayenu)
IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN FOLKS
attention this is your captain speaking chag sameach pesach to all celebrating and a reminder do not open the airlock to greet elijah the vulcan rabbinic council ruled that opening the door to the room where the seder is occurring is sufficient elijah can get on a starship just fine himself he just likes to be personally invited in to your seder we dont need another incident like last year thank you
~Happy passover~
