PSA: Jews are a racial group

[Anonymous]

Shana Tova! Op, it’s a new year. How do you plan to put this angst behind you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shana Tova! Op, it’s a new year. How do you plan to put this angst behind you?

I’m mostly just upset about the number of people who feel it necessary to attack someone for discussing their background.

I recognize the title was wrong; I wrote it hastily and it is inaccurate.

However, the number of you who continue to deny Ashkenazi Jews exist as an ethnic and genetic group is upsetting to me.

I don’t “crave” some identification as a descendant of Holocaust victims; that’s simply a fact of my family’s history. My great grandparents were some of the few in their family who escaped the pogroms in Ukraine and Russia. Most of my uncle’s family died in the Holocaust. I don’t find this interesting; it’s just a fact.

My sole point—poorly articulated—is that part of being Jewish, for some, is having Jewish ancestry. It doesn’t mean converts aren’t Jewish; it simply means there is a genetic, ethnic component to it for those with certain genetic backgrounds. The vitriol in this thread helps prove why the thread is necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

wtf? you realize that there are many jews of color, and a relatively small percentage of American jews are descended from Holocaust survivors, right? You sound anti-semitic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shana Tova! Op, it’s a new year. How do you plan to put this angst behind you?

I’m mostly just upset about the number of people who feel it necessary to attack someone for discussing their background.

I recognize the title was wrong; I wrote it hastily and it is inaccurate.

However, the number of you who continue to deny Ashkenazi Jews exist as an ethnic and genetic group is upsetting to me.

I don’t “crave” some identification as a descendant of Holocaust victims; that’s simply a fact of my family’s history. My great grandparents were some of the few in their family who escaped the pogroms in Ukraine and Russia. Most of my uncle’s family died in the Holocaust. I don’t find this interesting; it’s just a fact.

My sole point—poorly articulated—is that part of being Jewish, for some, is having Jewish ancestry. It doesn’t mean converts aren’t Jewish; it simply means there is a genetic, ethnic component to it for those with certain genetic backgrounds. The vitriol in this thread helps prove why the thread is necessary.

My grandmother is a living holocaust survivor, her entire family was exterminated.

With all respect OP, shut up. Yeah, youre Jewish. Great. Have some apples and honey. Stop picking internet fights and live your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

Are you aware of the level of anti-Semitism in this country? Jews are far from untouchable or treasured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

Are you aware of the level of anti-Semitism in this country? Jews are far from untouchable or treasured.

+ 1 There are more religious hate crimes against Jews than against any other religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

Are you aware of the level of anti-Semitism in this country? Jews are far from untouchable or treasured.

+ 1 There are more religious hate crimes against Jews than against any other religion.

Np, is this true? Is there tracking somewhere you could point me to? I thought muslim was the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shana Tova! Op, it’s a new year. How do you plan to put this angst behind you?

I’m mostly just upset about the number of people who feel it necessary to attack someone for discussing their background.

I recognize the title was wrong; I wrote it hastily and it is inaccurate.

However, the number of you who continue to deny Ashkenazi Jews exist as an ethnic and genetic group is upsetting to me.

I don’t “crave” some identification as a descendant of Holocaust victims; that’s simply a fact of my family’s history. My great grandparents were some of the few in their family who escaped the pogroms in Ukraine and Russia. Most of my uncle’s family died in the Holocaust. I don’t find this interesting; it’s just a fact.

My sole point—poorly articulated—is that part of being Jewish, for some, is having Jewish ancestry. It doesn’t mean converts aren’t Jewish; it simply means there is a genetic, ethnic component to it for those with certain genetic backgrounds. The vitriol in this thread helps prove why the thread is necessary.

So this is how it goes.

There's an area. People congregate, create cultures and languages (and dialects), and depending upon the climate, may have different skin tones. They hang together, marry and have kids. They keep the DNA "pure" in some cases. And guess what? They create a set of beliefs that gets through this lifetime - beliefs about a supreme being and traditions that go along with the beliefs in order to ensure that followers are obedient.

Religion is a belief system. The genetics around a group of people are more complicated. But when people travel, they take their religious beliefs with them, and more often than not, people traveled in "pacts."

I am 80% Greek-Italian, according to my DNA tests. I have 12% that represents Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of N. Africa. That doesn't mean I'm a practicing Muslim. same could be said for that odd 7% "Jewish" DNA in my make up

So while these genetic tests categorize by Jewish ancestry, it's the intermixing of DNA - or at the other extreme, the need to be insular - that creates someone's make up. NOT the religion

[Anonymous]

packs, not pacts

although they do often make "pacts" with their supreme beings!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shana Tova! Op, it’s a new year. How do you plan to put this angst behind you?

I’m mostly just upset about the number of people who feel it necessary to attack someone for discussing their background.

I recognize the title was wrong; I wrote it hastily and it is inaccurate.

However, the number of you who continue to deny Ashkenazi Jews exist as an ethnic and genetic group is upsetting to me.

I don’t “crave” some identification as a descendant of Holocaust victims; that’s simply a fact of my family’s history. My great grandparents were some of the few in their family who escaped the pogroms in Ukraine and Russia. Most of my uncle’s family died in the Holocaust. I don’t find this interesting; it’s just a fact.

My sole point—poorly articulated—is that part of being Jewish, for some, is having Jewish ancestry. It doesn’t mean converts aren’t Jewish; it simply means there is a genetic, ethnic component to it for those with certain genetic backgrounds. The vitriol in this thread helps prove why the thread is necessary.

So this is how it goes.

There's an area. People congregate, create cultures and languages (and dialects), and depending upon the climate, may have different skin tones. They hang together, marry and have kids. They keep the DNA "pure" in some cases. And guess what? They create a set of beliefs that gets through this lifetime - beliefs about a supreme being and traditions that go along with the beliefs in order to ensure that followers are obedient.

Religion is a belief system. The genetics around a group of people are more complicated. But when people travel, they take their religious beliefs with them, and more often than not, people traveled in "pacts."

I am 80% Greek-Italian, according to my DNA tests. I have 12% that represents Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of N. Africa. That doesn't mean I'm a practicing Muslim. same could be said for that odd 7% "Jewish" DNA in my make up

So while these genetic tests categorize by Jewish ancestry, it's the intermixing of DNA - or at the other extreme, the need to be insular - that creates someone's make up. NOT the religion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP craves attention and so wants to be able to identify as a holocaust descendant. That’s all this is. She needs to find her own reason to be interesting.

BTW, most American jews are just white.

Which is a blessing because they benefit from from both white privilege and from having protection as religious minorities. They are the most treasured and untouchable group here in America.

Are you aware of the level of anti-Semitism in this country? Jews are far from untouchable or treasured.

+ 1 There are more religious hate crimes against Jews than against any other religion.

Np, is this true? Is there tracking somewhere you could point me to? I thought muslim was the top.

Yes, it's true. Here are stats for 2016.. (I'll see if I can find 2017 stats.) Jews are 1.5 x more likely than Muslims to be a hate crime victim.

http://www.aei.org/publication/2016-fbi-data-jews-were-3x-more-likely-than-blacks-1-5x-more-likely-than-muslims-to-be-a-hate-crime-victim/

[Anonymous]

I’ll also note that the above report says Jews are 3 times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than black people. That’s because Jews are such a small group and are victimized by white supremacists as much as blacks and Muslims are (and in some cases more).

[Anonymous]

NP. The incidence of hate crimes against Jews is really under appreciated.

Every single year I was at Georgetown our menorah was vandalized. Every single year. Surprised? I’m not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. The incidence of hate crimes against Jews is really under appreciated.

Every single year I was at Georgetown our menorah was vandalized. Every single year. Surprised? I’m not.

Growing up, I experienced multiple acts of anti-Semitic vandalism, from the words "Jew" keyed into my dad's brand new car to our Shabbos candles being blown out. (Yes, the boys walked right into our house and blew them out in front of me.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. The incidence of hate crimes against Jews is really under appreciated.

Every single year I was at Georgetown our menorah was vandalized. Every single year. Surprised? I’m not.

Growing up, I experienced multiple acts of anti-Semitic vandalism, from the words "Jew" keyed into my dad's brand new car to our Shabbos candles being blown out. (Yes, the boys walked right into our house and blew them out in front of me.)

PP here. Yep. I actually didn’t even think about the incidents that much because they seemed so normal to me.

I also think people who say “oh Jews are just white” aren’t appreciating the fact that true white supremacists can tell if someone has Jewish ancestry. My dad has curly brown hair and a big mustache. When he went to Russia for business (a place that obviously has a long history of anti-Semitism) his cab driver took one look at him and glared and said “you’re a Jew.”

Yes it’s often easier for us to “hide” our identity, but not always so. It also remains dangerous for us to do things like wear a Star of David. We remain more likely to be a victim of a hate crime than any other religious group, as well as black people.