"Ask A Jew" Wednesday

[u/AutoModerator]

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[u/verrma]

This is more of a religious question. I also recognize that it’s not limited to Judaism, but it also applies to Christianity, Islam, and the other Abrahamic faiths. So if any Christians, Muslims, etc. see this, feel free to answer this as well.

I also want to emphasize that I mean absolutely no disrespect, I just want to understand other people’s beliefs.

I know the God of Abraham is considered merciful. However, some things I had read about the Torah have me confused (I have only seen summaries of the books, so I recognize that I may be missing context). In particular, I’m confused about the Binding of Isaac and the whole situation with Pharaoh. God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son just to test his loyalty definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I can accept that Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites and that he needed to be held accountable for it, but why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart further? It did lead to his downfall, but it made things worse for both the Israelites and the Egyptians, correct? And then there’s the 10 Plagues, and killing the firstborn sons of all Egyptian families. Was it really necessary to punish all of Egypt just because their ruler was evil?

Again, I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’ve basically been agnostic my whole life, and I want to understand other people’s beliefs. If I got anything wrong, please let me know

[u/quartzysmoke → u/verrma]

These are great questions, and I’ve had many discussions about them with friends and family. I plan to look for some scholarly articles to share, but in the meantime, here are some perspectives I’ve heard from others and/or had myself:

• the Torah isn’t a history book, it contains stories from which we can draw wisdom

• we don’t have to agree with everything that the Torah says God did. It’s more important to explore what we can learn from it

• my mom hates the story of the binding of Isaac. It makes her so angry at Abraham and at God. She thinks they were both wrong. That has been the basis for enlightening conversations between us about faith, parenthood, childhood, trust, and more

• I think that the idea that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart teaches us that most/all behavior, however horrible, is influenced by context. People do evil things bc their hearts have been hardened, not spontaneously, but because of the actions of themselves and others

• I think the story of the ten plagues and the killing of the first born draws our attention to the horror of collective punishment. At the Passover Seder, we set aside ten drops of wine to symbolize that bloodshed, and I think we should take significant time at the Seder to talk about and reflect on it

[u/gatoescado → u/quartzysmoke]

Torah isn’t a history book

This is really hard to communicate to many (tho not all) Muslims and Christians. Even Catholics and Anglicans have difficulty understanding the following…

…So many gentiles read Torah as a literal account of historical events, when even many of the most Orthodox Jews do not hold the same literalist interpretations of what is our own scripture… It’s highly likely that the entire book of Exodus has little basis in real life events. There is no evidence for mass enslavement of Israelites in ancient Egypt, and there is zero evidence of a mass migration of Israelites thru the Sinai. Which is quite shocking, because the Sinai weather is an excellent preserver of ancient artifacts. It’s very hot and very dry, ancient artifacts can survive in those conditions for tens of thousands of years. And such ancient artifacts are constantly being found in the Sinai, but nothing even remotely related to a mass group of Israelite slaves traveling north-east out of Egypt and into Palestine.

It’s far more likely that the Israelites inherited stories of their Canaanite ancestors being enslaved in Egypt after taken captive during the various ancient Egyptian incursions into the Levant. And the Israelites combined those stories with their own struggles, and by the time the Israelites evolved into the ancient Jewish People, this was now a formal straight-forward narrative of - Enslavement and Suffering + then struggle against the oppressor + then escape from the oppressor + then liberation in the promised land

So why has HaShem given us this narrative? What are we to make of it with this knowledge of the material world? I think these questions are far more interesting and demand more of my intellect than just accepting the literal account of Exodus on faith alone … And I know that HaShem wants me to be using my higher intellect, not uneducated assumptions..🙏🏽

[u/Thisisme8719 → u/quartzysmoke]

my mom hates the story of the binding of Isaac. It makes her so angry at Abraham and at God. She thinks they were both wrong. That has been the basis for enlightening conversations between us about faith, parenthood, childhood, trust, and more

Then she'd really hate that Abraham possibly did sacrifice Isaac in the E source lol. It's possible that the verses where Abraham sacrificed a ram instead were added in by the redactor of the J and E sources. Some midrashim actually accepted that he did sacrifice Isaac because only Abraham is mentioned to return to his boys/servants, not Isaac.

[u/verrma → u/quartzysmoke]

This is very interesting. From my understanding, the Torah is supposed to be Moses describing what God told him, and also his life as a prophet. I imagine more orthodox people would treat the Torah as historical fact as they view it as the word of God, the creator of everything, while more secular folks would view the Torah as legends with important messages about life.

Also, I imagine that the more orthodox people would have the view that nothing God does is ever wrong, and that even if something he does seems to bring harm, it is because he sees it as necessary to bring greater justice to his creation. It’s certainly interesting to see different perspectives on these sort of things.

[u/Thisisme8719 → u/verrma]

the Torah is supposed to be Moses describing what God told him, and also his life as a prophet

That's just what Orthodox Jews and some Protestant fundamentalists believe. Most other Jewish and Christian denominations (including Catholicism) accept that it was written over centuries and redacted. That's nearly the consensus in the scholarship aside from some fundamentalists on the fringes, but they differ in which models they use

[u/quartzysmoke → u/verrma]

Yeah, my point of view has been shaped by growing up in a progressive synagogue. There are so many different analysis within and across the movements of Jewish thought, the Sefaria website has great commentaries from different sources as a starting point maybe

[u/douglasstoll → u/verrma]

sibling are you sure you're not Jewish? These are very Jewish questions. ❤️

[u/verrma → u/douglasstoll]

Lol I’m actually a Buddhist, I just wanted to learn more about the Abrahamic religions in part due to recent events, and also more generally to learn about other people. However, I can’t say that the thought of converting to one of them hasn’t crossed my mind (although I was considering Christianity or Islam more mainly because I really like Jesus). Part of it is also that I find the Biblical narrative fascinating.

Like I said, I’m agnostic, which is part of what drew me to Buddhism. Being from a Hindu family, I had also already been exposed to some of its concepts as well. I also liked how Buddha encouraged his followers to challenge his teachings rather than put blind faith into them.

But I am glad that I started having more dialogue with people of other faiths. It has helped me understand people better. I’m particularly glad to see so many Jews take a firm stance against genocide

[u/douglasstoll → u/verrma]

If you have room in your reading pile, throw on The Jew in the Lotus

Great read.

[u/verrma → u/douglasstoll]

Maybe I’ll check it out. Honestly, another thing that got me interested in the Abrahamic religions was an article I read that pointed out the similarities between the teachings of Gautama Buddha and Jesus, in particular their teachings of compassion and forgiveness

[u/aniftyquote → u/verrma]

I don't think this is disrespectful at all, and in fact, the answer varies wildly - between and within each religion - because it is of such importance.

While I am not a religious scholar, I have found this question deeply important throughout my life. I can only speak to the arguments I know well, and I was raised in a form of Calvinist Protestantism, and converted to Reform Judaism in adulthood.

The Calvinist answer is that the Divine is merciful because humanity has never been wiped out, despite everyone pretty much deserving it. I'd hope that the reasons I found this answer unsatisfying are obvious, and while I can't say I remember other Christian arguments well enough to recount them, I can say that very few Christians or ex-Christians I've spoken to outside Calvinism had heard this argument in their religious practice. Calvinism is, however, a dominant influence on a lot of US protestant movements.

Judaism has a lot of arguments for why the Divine is merciful and why that's emphasized, and those arguments have been written down for thousands of years and kept because they are important. There is also something called midrash, almost like rabbinic fanfiction, that examines the possibilities in what's unsaid in Torah stories.

My personal favorite midrash on the binding of Isaac is the idea that G-d's request for Abraham to do so was a test that Abraham failed - Abraham thought it was a test of loyalty, when really, it was testing whether Abraham would be brave enough to argue with G-d to spare his son's life. Later, Abraham learned his lesson and pleaded the Divine have mercy if there were good souls in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Another interpretation is that Abraham had faith the entire time that G-d would never force him to actually kill his son and was teaching his son that even if all feels lost, G-d will provide. I don't like that interpretation as much, personally, but it's common.

As far as Pharoah... you're not alone in questioning that decision by a long shot. One interpretation is that G-d knew the kingdom of Egypt would not punish Pharoah for his mistreatment of Jews unless they hated him as much, which I think is interesting but unsatisfying. However, most Jews I know also have major issues with that idea of G-d hardening Pharoah's heart and hold that in tension with Divine mercy as well.

One argument for mercy on the atonement side of things is, sins one commits against people are accounted for differently than sins one commits against the Divine. To atone for sins against people is an active and collaborative process with the person you've harmed, and there is a month in the Jewish calendar dedicated to making sure you do so. We are required to attempt to atone, but are under no requirement to forgive. Yom Kippur, where we atone for sins against the Divine, is three days of ritual, after which we know we will be forgiven.

I hope that others have answers for you as well, and thank you for asking a brave question 🩵

[u/verrma → u/aniftyquote]

I appreciate the answer. The midrash about God testing Abraham’s courage seems to make more sense. But I thought that in the Abrahamic faiths, the emphasis is on obeying God without question because he knows best. I guess it varies with denomination?

For the explanation that God knew that the Egyptians would not stand up to Pharaoh, I sort of connect it to how later in the Tanakh, whenever the Israelites break the Covenant, God uses whatever is available to cast his judgement on them, typically the Babylonians or the Assyrians. God did not approve of either forces, but they were a means to remind Israel of his wrath. This feels like it’s saying that God’s actions occur through nature itself, which makes sense.

I also find it interesting that some Jews censor the word “God” as “G-d,” like you just did. I read that it was to show respect to him. My understanding is that if the writing containing the word “G-d” is erased, then God’s name would not be erased with it, correct?

Also, since you mentioned that you’re an ex-Christian, that would mean that you had to reject Jesus as the Messiah, as the Son of God, and as a prophet, right? That would also mean that you no longer believe that the Torah has been fulfilled, right? What convinced you of these things, and what was that like for you?

[u/aniftyquote → u/verrma]

Emphasis on obedience above all else is much more Christian than Jewish. In Judaism, we are called to wrestle with G-d. And yes, you understood correctly my reasoning for censorship :)

One major difference between Judaism and Christianity for me, that has been compelling and comforting, is that Christianity is an orthodoxy while Judaism is an orthopraxy. That means that what unites Christianity is the belief in certain ideas, while Judaism is united in the belief that certain actions are worth doing.

For example, I have Torah study twice a month, attended mostly by older women due to the time it takes place. There is a range of personal beliefs, from people secure in the knowledge that G-d exists in a tangible, trusting way, to devoutly religious atheists who think of G-d as a beautiful story we have used to keep community. It took over a decade to go through the Torah verse by verse, and it's been an incredible conversation. What matters is that we study Torah together.

I can't pretend that I was never a true believer in the evangelical thing as a young child, but my little community had a lot of problems and treated me extremely poorly. I was also a diligent student, and no one there seemed to be asking good questions but they always had answers that shut down discussion. I don't remember what that loss of faith felt like anymore, to be honest.

After a long time, I realized that I missed religion in my life. Through Jewish friends and a series of coincidences involving my philosophy course lists, I found myself to really admire Jewish thought. I had read Jewish theology and felt compelled to Judaism for years before I felt safe to even talk to a rabbi, and I'm glad I found my way home.

[u/kollontaienjoyer → u/verrma]

hi! just wanted to provide a muslim perspective.

our telling of the binding of isaac (AS) is a little bit different - in ours, abraham's (AS) son* is an active participant. in fact, the qur'an tells us that the son decides for himself that he is to be sacrificed:

(37:102) When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’

this whole thing illustrates some qur'anic morals (i'd say abrahamic, but i'll be honest and say i haven't read enough to be certain).

• prophets are held to a higher standard than other people. they sacrifice pretty intensely because and as part of their higher understanding and mission. abraham, ishmael and isaac (AS) are all prophets.

• the things that you really want on this earth, including your relationships with your children, are described in the qur'an as something like "adornments of the life on this world". they're to be treasured, but you are not entitled to them, and they are not real in the same way that God is Reality.

• the great struggle of our lives on earth is the defeat of the self, the tearing away of the illusion that makes you feel like you live a life separate from God. the binding of isaac just achieves this in a more literal sense.

*not necessarily isaac in the islamic tradition, because if i recall correctly genesis says it's his firstborn and a muslim wouldn't generally understand that to exclude abraham's gentile firstborn. the qur'an itself is ambiguous on this point.

i think the thing about hardening pharoah's heart making things materially worse for the egyptians, while true, reads the abrahamic reality backwards. God and the afterlife are not outside things which affect the material world we live in - this life is a temporary period which affects the much more real and impactful world we are going to. this is the reason why, for example, martyrdom is often celebrated rather than mourned. the experience of suffering in this life is an invitation to detach yourself from the material and find an inner strength that transcends it. (conversely, the experience of joy is a test of your inner character - are you really principled and religious, or was that just because you needed it to get through the hard times?)

moreover in the qur'an, the egyptians affected by the plagues (not just pharoah) know full well how to stop this and just choose not to:

(7:134-135) They would say, whenever a plague struck them, ‘Moses, pray to your Lord for us by virtue of the promise He has made to you: if you relieve us of the plague, we will believe you and let the Children of Israel go with you,’ but when We relieved them of the plague and gave them a fixed period [in which to fulfil their promise]—lo and behold!—they broke it.

[u/lweinreb → u/verrma]

Most of religious Judaism is puzzling over the answers to questions like these. My half-joking pessimist answer is that God is not actually a merciful being, but a vengeful, two-faced villain who the Jews have had to contend with in order to survive under their hateful, tyrannical thumb. But we also can’t admit that to God or in our religious texts, or they’ll make our lives much, much worse as punishment.

But when I’m feeling more optimistic, I think of God as a catalyst, a nudger but not a driver. They test Abraham to give him self-reflection, but Abraham’s the one who took up the knife. They harden pharaoh’s heart, but pharaoh was the one who used it to ignore the cries of the hebrews rather than ignore the whispers of his advisors. God lights us with sparks to start something within us, but they’re not the master of our destiny, we are. And we just have to decide for ourselves what those sparks mean.

And then there’s the cynical, atheistic answer that these were texts written by powerful men who were trying to keep people in check by promising them that if they just fell in line, it would all work out in the end, even if it doesn’t make sense initially. But to me, that doesn’t mean people can’t gain some philosophy and wisdom from these stories for themselves. People with bad intentions can inspire the good, even if they didn’t intend to.

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[u/ScottTheMonster]

It seems to me that Jewish culture advocates for education and vocational training. Is this an unfair or inaccurate stereotype?

[u/specialistsets → u/ScottTheMonster]

Jews from all over the world, even when extremely poor and persecuted, have always had near universal literacy. In the Ashkenazi communities of Europe, boys were first taught at age 5 to read and write the Hebrew alphabet (for both religious Hebrew and Yiddish, which uses Hebrew script) in small schools called "cheder" (Hebrew for "room"), and girls were taught to read and write at home by their mothers.

[u/CapitalArrival7911]

I don't have many jewish friends because there are few jews in Asia. In fact, I only know 2 jews.

Is it important for jews to wear a star of David necklace? My jewish friend wears it always. I've never seen him without it.

He's visiting me in my country but we are a muslim-majority country. It would be safer for him not to wear it.

[u/acacia_tree → u/CapitalArrival7911]

It's not mandated or anything but it's personal preference, like wearing a cross is for some Christians. If you think he would be safer to not wear it, have a conversation about it.

[u/CapitalArrival7911 → u/acacia_tree]

That's good to know.

[u/Medium_Newspaper_880]

What is most delicious, authentic jewish dish i can make with mutton?

[u/Yerushalmii → u/Medium_Newspaper_880]

Maybe cholent

[u/mysecondaccountanon → u/Medium_Newspaper_880]

Cholent/hamin maybe?

[u/ChickenNugget267]

Is "Jewish Christmas" really a thing (i.e. Jewish people eating Chinese food on Christmas a tradition) or is that just a stereotype?

[u/specialistsets → u/ChickenNugget267]

It is a 20th-century American/New York secular Jewish "tradition"

[u/douglasstoll → u/ChickenNugget267]

It's American, organically developed, and is a thing.

[u/reenaltransplant → u/douglasstoll]

I've always thought it would be really fun to have American Muslims join in.

[u/douglasstoll → u/reenaltransplant]

I agree, I bring my gentile family

[u/TTzara999 → u/ChickenNugget267]

Really a thing. Not everyone does it, and there’s been some discussion about its problematic elements, but it’s a thing.

[u/halfpastnein → u/TTzara999]

what's the problematic elements? the food can be kosher, no?

or is it religiously problematic to set up a tradition on a religious holiday of another religion? Genuine question.

[u/TTzara999 → u/halfpastnein]

Yeah happy to clarify. I’ve seen some discussion that the tradition otherizes Chinese Jews, insisting that the two groups are mutually exclusive, which of course they aren’t. Others have also suggested that since many many Chinese Americans are Christians today, they’d rather spend Christmas with their families but the restaurants are kept open because of Jewish diners. I don’t know how the numbers shake out on it but I think it’s worth thinking about. None of these mean everything is terrible, they just complicate the practice somewhat.

[u/acacia_tree → u/TTzara999]

My best friend is Chinese and Jewish and Christmas Eve we go out to a Kosher Chinese restaurant together and it's really fun.

[u/TTzara999 → u/acacia_tree]

Right on!

[u/halfpastnein → u/TTzara999]

thank you for explaining, I wasn't awake.

[u/TTzara999 → u/halfpastnein]

✌🏻

[u/Pitiful_Meringue_57 → u/ChickenNugget267]

Yes, it’s an American Jewish tradition that you’re gonna find in jews who are ashkenazi and had ancestors immigrate to New York. Other types of jewish Americans have probably adopted it. At least in my family watching a movie is also part of it.

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[u/sithmuffins]

hi!!! ive been a long time conversion hopeful (illness and not being able to drive have been my biggest obstacles), and id like to maybe have some advice for moving forward.

like, i do know the basic stuff about conversion. lots of studying, looking into synagogues, evaluating where i (would) stand on my personal observance, etc. but i have little idea on how exactly to navigate everything as an anti-zionist. mentally speaking, it feels like a doozy.

so if anyone here would possibly like to give input or a direction to start heading towards thatd be really nice 👉👈

[u/acacia_tree → u/sithmuffins]

where do you live? I would try to find an anti-zionist synagogue or rabbi. There aren't many but you can definitely be connected with one close to you.

[u/Sultan_Faruk]

Judaism. Many people in the west and all zionists I interacted with, say being a jew is an ethnic thing, some say it's a cultural group. I always saw jews as believer of Judaism. I do not see a connection between a jew in the US, a jew in Ethiopia and one in Russia besides their believe in the same religion, same as a Christian /Muslim in Egypt with one in China. They differ in ethnicity. Not only that, culturally the difference seem to be even bigger. I rarely would notice if someone is Jewish through his cultural aspects, same with Christians, only case if they are religiously more conservative. An aspect tied to my confusion is semitesim. The fact that the west bind jews to semites bothers me. Semites are a group of multiple ethnicities, non of them tied to a religion. Through research and extensive thinking I came to the conclusion, that the separation of Jews as an ethnicity and seeing them less of a religious group is the result of justification of racism towards jews as inferior people during the hight of European racism.

Now to my question after this long text.

Is there actually a connection, which I missed, that transcends the religion itself that ties jews together, which separates Judaism from Islam and Christianity in a meaningful way, meaning it being more then a religious school of thought?

No harm or disrespect intended of course. BTW. You guys are great. Know that you are appreciated and that u don't stand alone against zionisim.

[u/specialistsets → u/Sultan_Faruk]

say being a jew is an ethnic thing, some say it's a cultural group. I always saw jews as believer of Judaism.

The concept of Jewish peoplehood predates the concept of Judaism as a religion, which has evolved over millennia. Even the word Judaism comes from "Jews", it originated as the religious tradition of the Jewish people. There is no requirement for a Jew to believe in Judaism or God (or any theology) to be considered a Jew. Conversion has always been rare, but converts become ethnic members of the Jewish people, not simply practitioners or believers of a religious faith.

I do not see a connection between a jew in the US, a jew in Ethiopia and one in Russia besides their believe in the same religion

But Jews do see a connection. Ashkenazi, Sephardi and the overwhelming majority of Mizrahi Jews share genetic ancestry, ancient culture, the Hebrew language, a distinct Jewish calendar system, ethno-religious lifecycle traditions, and most importantly, the belief that all Jews are descended from the same people. I always find it interesting that Ethiopian Jews are so often brought up to "challenge" the concept of Jewish ethnicity, as they are a very unique outlier group who were isolated from the mainstream Ashkenazi/Sephardi/Mizrahi Jewish world until the last century and have a religious tradition that differs significantly from other Jewish groups. As for Jews from the US and Russia, they are very close cousins: Russian and Ukrainian Jews (and most former-USSR Jews) are descended from the Ashkenazi Jews who did not leave Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th century and didn't perish in the Holocaust, and American Jews were vital in securing the ability for them to escape rampant institutional persecution in the USSR until the 1990s.

They differ in ethnicity. Not only that, culturally the difference seem to be even bigger. I rarely would notice if someone is Jewish through his cultural aspects

This is probably because you aren't Jewish. The cultural and ethnic similarities that bind Jewish diaspora groups are far too numerous to list here, though my list above touches on some of the foundational similarities. Bear in mind that "ethnicity" doesn't refer to genetics (and certainly not phenotype), nor does it mandate total cultural homogeneity. One can also belong to multiple ethnic groups, as well as multiple Jewish ethnic sub-groups.

An aspect tied to my confusion is semitesim. The fact that the west bind jews to semites bothers me. Semites are a group of multiple ethnicities, non of them tied to a religion.

Semitic only refers to language. There is no such thing as semitic people or ethnicity, it is a fabrication of entirely non-scientific 19th century European race classifications. The word "antisemitism" was imposed on European Jews by their oppressors, but it has always meant Jew hatred.

[u/mysecondaccountanon → u/specialistsets]

Beautifully put!!

[u/sudo_apt-get_intrnet → u/Sultan_Faruk]

Is there actually a connection, which I missed, that transcends the religion itself that ties jews together, which separates Judaism from Islam and Christianity in a meaningful way, meaning it being more then a religious school of thought?

Some studies have indeed shown Jews of all subgroups to be closer genetically to one another than to the cultures around them. In addition, Jewish co-mingling was a constant throughout all of history; when one area became unsafe, the Jews of that area would flee to another spot in the world and mix with that area's current Jewish population, repeated for a thousand years.

But, more importantly, Jewish isolationism and cultural othering (and/or straight up antisemitism on occasion) everywhere we went meant both us and the people around us could never see Jewish blood as the same as the majority's. I, and most Jews I know, are descended from Jews for as long as we can trace; if there even is a gentile/convert in our bloodline they are few and far between. Meanwhile, most of my Jewish friends are specifically not "full blooded" Ashkenaz/Sephard; I myself am technically Ashkenazi but have enough Sephardi blood in me to need to be careful of Sephardi-specific genetic diseases.

Semites

Note that "semites" and "semitism" aren't really words in use since the 40s. "Semitic" refers to a language family, including Hebrew, Arabic, and some African languages. "Antisemitism" did emerge during that time period, but its current definition (and definition at the time of invention) is anti-Jew bigotry. We don't lament that the term "waffle-cone" refers to something that's no longer made of waffles, we accept the term for what it means now.

[u/MCbigbunnykane → u/Sultan_Faruk]

I'm not a Jew and so I can't really answer your question, but as a husband of a non religious Israeli Jew and father of Jews this is a conundrum I have wrestled with on the regular so I will offer my 2 cents. I've come to the conclusion after asking many questions that essentially Jews are an ethnic group that are good at keeping there traditions alive, which is a testament to how Jews have managed to survive despite thousands of years of persecution and attempts to eradicate them. Jews from the US to France and Russia and beyond all have the same traditions and historically only marry Jews so therefore also have close genetic links. For instance when Jews are expecting it's recommended that they do extra tests to screen for common genetic defects in the fetus. This is what Wikipedia says about ethnic groups;

"An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people who identify with each other on the basis of perceived shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include a people of a common language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, religion, history, or social treatment."

Jewish holidays are deeply routed in religion, it's weird and rather unsettling for me as a non believing ex-Christian to observe a table full of "Atheists" reading from the Torah and following a set ritualistic style menu like they do at Passover and Rosh hashanah. Unlike Christians in the west who just exchange a few gifts every December, eat a turkey then get a bit drunk while watching Die Hard, the Jews really take their holidays and their Jewishness seriously regardless of their belief in God and religion. There are billions of Christians and billions of Muslims but only around 15 million Jews in the world, because they're not in the business of converting people, they would rather you be born to a Jewish woman and then discover the religion than the other way around. I would argue it's more of an ethnicity than a religion. Hope this helps ❤️

[u/reenaltransplant → u/Sultan_Faruk]

Most ethnic groups of Jews do share some Levantine ancestry with other Jews going back to before Jews migrated out of the Levant. AND they also share quite a bit of ancestry with their compatriots wherever they lived for hundreds or thousands of years thereafter, due to conversions and intermarriages (which, even if relatively infrequent, add up over time).

So you will see Persian Jews usually look like other Persians, Iraqi Jews usually look like other Iraqis, Ashkenazi Jews look more European than Mizrahi Jews do, etc... AND at the same time, all these groups also share detectable ancestry with each other and with other Levantine people.

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[u/habibiTheWoke]

Hello friends.

I know many of you here don’t support the ADL and Stop Antisemitism organizations for their involvement in genocide, but how do you feel about their recently published list of Antisemitists of the year? I agree that misogynist Dan, Candace and many others, that I don’t know but checked out on twitter, are Antisemitists but do you feel that its political or selective because all what the 10 “candidates” for the title have anti Israel in common?

As someone who speak up about racism and hate towards any other groups as much as Arabs like myself, I stopped buying their shit since last year Rashida winning the “title” yet conservatives, Christian fanatics and explicitly Neo Nazis never made it to the list but somehow Bassem and Gretta are on it. How do you guys feel about this? And do you feel that these anchor Jewish organizations are jeopardizing antisemitism and your safety and comfort, or not?

All my support and love from all the hate I see online and sometimes in person and the isolation many of you have been voicing here.

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[u/Mammoth_Scallion_743 → u/habibiTheWoke]

I have been subbed to Hasan for a while now. I like Hasan and I saw his video on the list. I'm not letting Hasan lose to someone like Candace Owens no matter what the situation is. So I would vote Hasan as anti semite of the year.

Also, the list thing is pretty much a joke at this point. The only person who was actually in the antisemite of the year list and won who was actually anti semitic was Kanye.

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[u/Idioteque1234]

A family member enjoys going to hear rabbis/scholars speak about Talmud etc. He finds these men extremely knowledgeable and enjoys hearing their takes on life and religious teachings. As an atheist progressive, I am curious to know why this is interesting to him, but don’t ask out of fear of offending. In particular 1) how he rationalises the scripture about women and gentiles. I don’t understand how he can place any value in something written over a thousand years ago with some notably offensive passages. 2) I don’t know why he would place much value in what these guys have to say when all they know is from such a narrow lens. Any thoughts on how/if I should approach this question

[u/specialistsets → u/Idioteque1234]

I think it helps to better understand what the Talmud is and isn't. The Talmud isn't a rule book or code of law, it is a compilation of thousands of stories, conversations and debates of thousands of Rabbis from the Rabbinical academies of early Rabbinic Judaism in the Land of Israel and Babylonia, beginning after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and continuing until the 6th century. It aims to understand Jewish history, laws and customs and often presents multiple competing arguments without definitive answers. Even Orthodox Jews who view the Talmud as binding rely on an additional 1,500 years of Rabbinic commentaries and authorities to interpret it.

[u/blanky1]

Kwame Ture stated that "Judaism originates in Africa", and used this to explain (among other things) the existence of African Jews. To what extent is this true? Is it only referring to the biblical Jewish/proto-Jewish religion in Egypt, prior to their expulsion?

This was in his lecture on Zionism in 1990 which can be found on spotify and YouTube.

[u/specialistsets → u/blanky1]

To be blunt, this is completely false and often invoked in antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jews.

[u/blanky1 → u/specialistsets]

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it was rather odd in an otherwise powerful anti-Zionist lecture.

[u/acacia_tree → u/blanky1]

The Egypt exodus myth is actually just a myth and there is no archaeological evidence for it. u/gatoescado explains it well.

Judaism got to Africa via diaspora out of the Levant, same as everywhere else in the world.