Whoopi says the Holocaust was not about race

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered. It was not about religion.

Many were actually saved — by Polish Catholics, while risking their own lives.

Many were saved who didn't convert. Many were saved by people who weren't Polish Catholics.
If you're the descendent of Polish Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust, that is great, but it has nothing to do with anything that's being discussed here.

The point is many Jews were saved by Christians, as a counterpoint to “Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered.”

The German Nazi were evil. And the German people quietly obeyed their evil politicians, without voicing their questions and concerns. Imagine that.

You mean how Americans have sit idly by during slavery, Japanese intermittent, voting laws making it difficult for minorities to vote? You mean the German people were like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered. It was not about religion.

Many were actually saved — by Polish Catholics, while risking their own lives.

This is true. But the opposite is also true. Polish Catholics as a group have a very mixed legacy of behavior toward Jews during (as well as before) the Holocaust. Both extremes were very well represented. People, individually and in groups, are complicated. It isn't something the present Polish government can handle, this complicated legacy, and I wonder if your repeated posts here suggest you are part of their ongoing sanitizing effort.

Either way, this is not so relevant to this thread.

Unless you mean to point out that Polish Catholics have never understood their Jewish neighbors as Poles, "white people" or no. That's kind of relevant.

Most of history has different perspectives, depending on which people you choose to believe. You seem to carry a chip on your shoulder. I am sorry if you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered. It was not about religion.

Many were actually saved — by Polish Catholics, while risking their own lives.

Many were saved who didn't convert. Many were saved by people who weren't Polish Catholics.
If you're the descendent of Polish Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust, that is great, but it has nothing to do with anything that's being discussed here.

The point is many Jews were saved by Christians, as a counterpoint to “Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered.”

The German Nazi were evil. And the German people quietly obeyed their evil politicians, without voicing their questions and concerns. Imagine that.

You mean how Americans have sit idly by during slavery, Japanese intermittent, voting laws making it difficult for minorities to vote? You mean the German people were like that?

How often do you support Chinese slavery these days? Do you even care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Whoopigate is highlighting a number of tensions in our current divisive time where many people feel like certain groups/issues must compete for “who has it the worst.”

We’re getting bogged down in purist definitions of race precisely because some don’t want to equate antisemitism with racism…as if one is worse than the other.

Guess what? They are both equally bad.

Saying Judaism is just a religion like Catholicism, etc. really misses the mark. Most Jews are born into not only the faith, but a Jewish culture that includes a language, foods, and a way of life. Muslims should understand.

While anyone can convert, that’s not the same as being born into a Jewish family.

I was born into a Jewish family. Not at all genetically Jewish. Not one person would know.

I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean you don’t look Jewish? Or, your Jewish parents converted or someone along the family tree converted and you don’t have any genetic Jewish heritage?

FTR, my comments aimed to highlight that for most Jewish people, it’s not just a religion. Rather, Judaism comes with a language, food, clothing, and other cultural elements that Christian religions simply don’t have.

I don’t think Judaism is a race per se. But there certainly is a robust cultural and identity element that Christian religions don’t have.

I stand by my original comment that the 2022 divisive nature of most people who are quick to argue and compelled to point out that nothing is as bad as racism is driving some of this. Whoopi herself succeeded at minimizing or at the very least missing the mark when it comes to not only holocaust but also the antisemitism that still exists today.

Well, you see, by your own comments, that Judaism cannot be nailed down genetically. I grew up speaking Yiddish and Hebrew, my grandparents were all immigrants, several of my aunts and uncles,too- and raised my parents my in an orthodox home.
I was raised in a conservadox home-in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, kosher, all Hebrew schooling, day school and camps, bat mitzvahed, I probably can tell you anything you want to know about Judaism. All my relatives are similar, heavy concentration still in Israel.

I am:
80 ish% British /Irish
20 ish% Swedish
0% Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardic or anything genetically linked to Judaism.

Are you going to tell my children they aren't Jewish? My grandchildren? I think they will tell you differently. You talk about culture- the food, the language, the clothes, the music, etc. I'm all that. All that- since birth. I can translate any Yiddish joke for you, and yet I have zero bloodline...and if you met me tomorrow you would have no idea unless I told you.

What are you going to tell the genetically linked Ashkenazi whose father was Jewish, but not the mother? Because- technically they aren't Jewish either. So what is it? The brisket or the bloodline? The way they look? How religious?

Whoopi isn't the only one confused. You can see how literally very few people even understand this concept of Judaism, race, and ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

Even Jews continue to argue about this among themselves.

For instance, my ex-MIL was Jewish. Therefore, most Jews would say my ex is Jewish. He, however, insists he is not Jewish. And there you have it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered. It was not about religion.

Many were actually saved — by Polish Catholics, while risking their own lives.

Many were saved who didn't convert. Many were saved by people who weren't Polish Catholics.
If you're the descendent of Polish Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust, that is great, but it has nothing to do with anything that's being discussed here.

The point is many Jews were saved by Christians, as a counterpoint to “Jews who converted to Christianity were still murdered.”

The German Nazi were evil. And the German people quietly obeyed their evil politicians, without voicing their questions and concerns. Imagine that.

You mean how Americans have sit idly by during slavery, Japanese intermittent, voting laws making it difficult for minorities to vote? You mean the German people were like that?

How often do you support Chinese slavery these days? Do you even care?

My point being no one is different than what the German people did, ignore the inhumanity happening around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

However, the Jews in Europe were murdered as they were deemed to be an inferior race by the Nazis, so it was about Hitler's misconception of race, and it was about his determination to create a master race. So it was racial.

Exactly. It was an ignorant comment on her part, because it shows a lack of knowledge and understanding of what the Holocaust was about.

Yes. She's not wrong that we're talking about white European attempted genocide against other white Europeans. But failing to acknowledge Nazi efforts to racially "otherize" Jews (and others who did not conform to the fabricated Aryan "ideal") was stunningly ignorant. Still, I don't think she intended antisemitism in her remarks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Whoopigate is highlighting a number of tensions in our current divisive time where many people feel like certain groups/issues must compete for “who has it the worst.”

We’re getting bogged down in purist definitions of race precisely because some don’t want to equate antisemitism with racism…as if one is worse than the other.

Guess what? They are both equally bad.

Saying Judaism is just a religion like Catholicism, etc. really misses the mark. Most Jews are born into not only the faith, but a Jewish culture that includes a language, foods, and a way of life. Muslims should understand.

While anyone can convert, that’s not the same as being born into a Jewish family.

I was born into a Jewish family. Not at all genetically Jewish. Not one person would know.

I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean you don’t look Jewish? Or, your Jewish parents converted or someone along the family tree converted and you don’t have any genetic Jewish heritage?

FTR, my comments aimed to highlight that for most Jewish people, it’s not just a religion. Rather, Judaism comes with a language, food, clothing, and other cultural elements that Christian religions simply don’t have.

I don’t think Judaism is a race per se. But there certainly is a robust cultural and identity element that Christian religions don’t have.

I stand by my original comment that the 2022 divisive nature of most people who are quick to argue and compelled to point out that nothing is as bad as racism is driving some of this. Whoopi herself succeeded at minimizing or at the very least missing the mark when it comes to not only holocaust but also the antisemitism that still exists today.

Well, you see, by your own comments, that Judaism cannot be nailed down genetically. I grew up speaking Yiddish and Hebrew, my grandparents were all immigrants, several of my aunts and uncles,too- and raised my parents my in an orthodox home.
I was raised in a conservadox home-in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, kosher, all Hebrew schooling, day school and camps, bat mitzvahed, I probably can tell you anything you want to know about Judaism. All my relatives are similar, heavy concentration still in Israel.

I am:
80 ish% British /Irish
20 ish% Swedish
0% Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardic or anything genetically linked to Judaism.

Are you going to tell my children they aren't Jewish? My grandchildren? I think they will tell you differently. You talk about culture- the food, the language, the clothes, the music, etc. I'm all that. All that- since birth. I can translate any Yiddish joke for you, and yet I have zero bloodline...and if you met me tomorrow you would have no idea unless I told you.

What are you going to tell the genetically linked Ashkenazi whose father was Jewish, but not the mother? Because- technically they aren't Jewish either. So what is it? The brisket or the bloodline? The way they look? How religious?

Whoopi isn't the only one confused. You can see how literally very few people even understand this concept of Judaism, race, and ethnicity.

You’re Jewish in my book precisely because of the cultural element. Genetics really don’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

A master Aryan race with blonde hair and certain features which were opposite of traditional Jewish features.

Hitler wasn’t religious. The holocaust wasn’t a religious crusade.

Much like modern times, an evil person thirsty for power manipulated the masses by othering an easily identifiable minority group.

Again seriously asking…aside from Hitler’s goal, why are the Jewish features considered not white? Or rather is there something wrong with those features being put in the same box with white people? Do Jews not want to be in the same box as white people? I seriously don’t know and I have asked these questions before on DCUM and got shut down. I have googled a lot of this and gave up because it was indeed a rabbit hole that I couldn’t commit to.

I mean clearly most white people think it’s great to be white, and in most cases it it, and they (white people) absolutely, positively, would never ever want to be anything but white. I’m black, but would never, ever want to be white, but if I could PASS for white, to get the privilege that being white sometimes hands you….hmmm maybe.

So again, because I don’t personally know many people that have identified themselves to me as Jewish, I don’t really clearly identify Jewish features. I mean see Jewish celebrities on TV and have heard people talk about “Jew fro” but that’s it. I know I must sound terribly ignorant on this, but I also don’t think this mindset would be out of the ordinary for African Americans educated in the south in 70’s about Jewish people.

Nazis CAN identify Jews, or at least a great many of them. If you go on white supremacist websites, there are detailed descriptions and instructions on how to identify Jews based on certain facial features. I'm Jewish and can usually identify Jews as well. It is not a matter of frizzy hair and hooked noses; it can be far more subtle. "White" Jews also have a specific tone to their skin. When I was a child, the mean girls at school called me "green". Anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists refer to Jews as "reptilian" for a reason.

I can't speak for all "white" Jews, but no, I do not want to be white. I am white to most people, and I do benefit from white privilege. I do not want to be white simply because I am tired of being defined by others based on what will best justify their hatred. For a long time, people --not just Nazis-- saw Jews as non-white, and that was one of many ways they justified their Anti-Semitism. Now, people define Jews as white because whites are privileged oppressors. So when I fill out forms I usually tick off "other" and write in "Jewish".

The bolded is absurd. You don't have a specific 'tone' that is green, you have olive skin. Some olive skin looks sallow if they haven't been out in the sun in a while. Some people have darker olive skin, others lighter. Jews range from the palest white to dark olive. This might depend on whether your ancestors were from Germany (pale with blue eyes) or closer to the Mediterranean (olive skin and brown eyes). Because Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Whoopigate is highlighting a number of tensions in our current divisive time where many people feel like certain groups/issues must compete for “who has it the worst.”

We’re getting bogged down in purist definitions of race precisely because some don’t want to equate antisemitism with racism…as if one is worse than the other.

Guess what? They are both equally bad.

Saying Judaism is just a religion like Catholicism, etc. really misses the mark. Most Jews are born into not only the faith, but a Jewish culture that includes a language, foods, and a way of life. Muslims should understand.

While anyone can convert, that’s not the same as being born into a Jewish family.

I was born into a Jewish family. Not at all genetically Jewish. Not one person would know.

I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean you don’t look Jewish? Or, your Jewish parents converted or someone along the family tree converted and you don’t have any genetic Jewish heritage?

FTR, my comments aimed to highlight that for most Jewish people, it’s not just a religion. Rather, Judaism comes with a language, food, clothing, and other cultural elements that Christian religions simply don’t have.

I don’t think Judaism is a race per se. But there certainly is a robust cultural and identity element that Christian religions don’t have.

I stand by my original comment that the 2022 divisive nature of most people who are quick to argue and compelled to point out that nothing is as bad as racism is driving some of this. Whoopi herself succeeded at minimizing or at the very least missing the mark when it comes to not only holocaust but also the antisemitism that still exists today.

Well, you see, by your own comments, that Judaism cannot be nailed down genetically. I grew up speaking Yiddish and Hebrew, my grandparents were all immigrants, several of my aunts and uncles,too- and raised my parents my in an orthodox home.
I was raised in a conservadox home-in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, kosher, all Hebrew schooling, day school and camps, bat mitzvahed, I probably can tell you anything you want to know about Judaism. All my relatives are similar, heavy concentration still in Israel.

I am:
80 ish% British /Irish
20 ish% Swedish
0% Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardic or anything genetically linked to Judaism.

Are you going to tell my children they aren't Jewish? My grandchildren? I think they will tell you differently. You talk about culture- the food, the language, the clothes, the music, etc. I'm all that. All that- since birth. I can translate any Yiddish joke for you, and yet I have zero bloodline...and if you met me tomorrow you would have no idea unless I told you.

What are you going to tell the genetically linked Ashkenazi whose father was Jewish, but not the mother? Because- technically they aren't Jewish either. So what is it? The brisket or the bloodline? The way they look? How religious?

Whoopi isn't the only one confused. You can see how literally very few people even understand this concept of Judaism, race, and ethnicity.

You’re Jewish in my book precisely because of the cultural element. Genetics really don’t matter.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

A master Aryan race with blonde hair and certain features which were opposite of traditional Jewish features.

Hitler wasn’t religious. The holocaust wasn’t a religious crusade.

Much like modern times, an evil person thirsty for power manipulated the masses by othering an easily identifiable minority group.

Again seriously asking…aside from Hitler’s goal, why are the Jewish features considered not white? Or rather is there something wrong with those features being put in the same box with white people? Do Jews not want to be in the same box as white people? I seriously don’t know and I have asked these questions before on DCUM and got shut down. I have googled a lot of this and gave up because it was indeed a rabbit hole that I couldn’t commit to.

I mean clearly most white people think it’s great to be white, and in most cases it it, and they (white people) absolutely, positively, would never ever want to be anything but white. I’m black, but would never, ever want to be white, but if I could PASS for white, to get the privilege that being white sometimes hands you….hmmm maybe.

So again, because I don’t personally know many people that have identified themselves to me as Jewish, I don’t really clearly identify Jewish features. I mean see Jewish celebrities on TV and have heard people talk about “Jew fro” but that’s it. I know I must sound terribly ignorant on this, but I also don’t think this mindset would be out of the ordinary for African Americans educated in the south in 70’s about Jewish people.

Nazis CAN identify Jews, or at least a great many of them. If you go on white supremacist websites, there are detailed descriptions and instructions on how to identify Jews based on certain facial features. I'm Jewish and can usually identify Jews as well. It is not a matter of frizzy hair and hooked noses; it can be far more subtle. "White" Jews also have a specific tone to their skin. When I was a child, the mean girls at school called me "green". Anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists refer to Jews as "reptilian" for a reason.

I can't speak for all "white" Jews, but no, I do not want to be white. I am white to most people, and I do benefit from white privilege. I do not want to be white simply because I am tired of being defined by others based on what will best justify their hatred. For a long time, people --not just Nazis-- saw Jews as non-white, and that was one of many ways they justified their Anti-Semitism. Now, people define Jews as white because whites are privileged oppressors. So when I fill out forms I usually tick off "other" and write in "Jewish".

The bolded is absurd. You don't have a specific 'tone' that is green, you have olive skin. Some olive skin looks sallow if they haven't been out in the sun in a while. Some people have darker olive skin, others lighter. Jews range from the palest white to dark olive. This might depend on whether your ancestors were from Germany (pale with blue eyes) or closer to the Mediterranean (olive skin and brown eyes). Because Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

This will probably blow your mind but I have pale olive skin and green eyes. It's not as black and white as you seem to think.
Anyway, my Jewish ancestors immigrated to the US from Germany but they certainly weren't native to Germany.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

A master Aryan race with blonde hair and certain features which were opposite of traditional Jewish features.

Hitler wasn’t religious. The holocaust wasn’t a religious crusade.

Much like modern times, an evil person thirsty for power manipulated the masses by othering an easily identifiable minority group.

Again seriously asking…aside from Hitler’s goal, why are the Jewish features considered not white? Or rather is there something wrong with those features being put in the same box with white people? Do Jews not want to be in the same box as white people? I seriously don’t know and I have asked these questions before on DCUM and got shut down. I have googled a lot of this and gave up because it was indeed a rabbit hole that I couldn’t commit to.

I mean clearly most white people think it’s great to be white, and in most cases it it, and they (white people) absolutely, positively, would never ever want to be anything but white. I’m black, but would never, ever want to be white, but if I could PASS for white, to get the privilege that being white sometimes hands you….hmmm maybe.

So again, because I don’t personally know many people that have identified themselves to me as Jewish, I don’t really clearly identify Jewish features. I mean see Jewish celebrities on TV and have heard people talk about “Jew fro” but that’s it. I know I must sound terribly ignorant on this, but I also don’t think this mindset would be out of the ordinary for African Americans educated in the south in 70’s about Jewish people.

Nazis CAN identify Jews, or at least a great many of them. If you go on white supremacist websites, there are detailed descriptions and instructions on how to identify Jews based on certain facial features. I'm Jewish and can usually identify Jews as well. It is not a matter of frizzy hair and hooked noses; it can be far more subtle. "White" Jews also have a specific tone to their skin. When I was a child, the mean girls at school called me "green". Anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists refer to Jews as "reptilian" for a reason.

I can't speak for all "white" Jews, but no, I do not want to be white. I am white to most people, and I do benefit from white privilege. I do not want to be white simply because I am tired of being defined by others based on what will best justify their hatred. For a long time, people --not just Nazis-- saw Jews as non-white, and that was one of many ways they justified their Anti-Semitism. Now, people define Jews as white because whites are privileged oppressors. So when I fill out forms I usually tick off "other" and write in "Jewish".

The bolded is absurd. You don't have a specific 'tone' that is green, you have olive skin. Some olive skin looks sallow if they haven't been out in the sun in a while. Some people have darker olive skin, others lighter. Jews range from the palest white to dark olive. This might depend on whether your ancestors were from Germany (pale with blue eyes) or closer to the Mediterranean (olive skin and brown eyes). Because Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

This will probably blow your mind but I have pale olive skin and green eyes. It's not as black and white as you seem to think.
Anyway, my Jewish ancestors immigrated to the US from Germany but they certainly weren't native to Germany.

Where did they originate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Whoopigate is highlighting a number of tensions in our current divisive time where many people feel like certain groups/issues must compete for “who has it the worst.”

We’re getting bogged down in purist definitions of race precisely because some don’t want to equate antisemitism with racism…as if one is worse than the other.

Guess what? They are both equally bad.

Saying Judaism is just a religion like Catholicism, etc. really misses the mark. Most Jews are born into not only the faith, but a Jewish culture that includes a language, foods, and a way of life. Muslims should understand.

While anyone can convert, that’s not the same as being born into a Jewish family.

I was born into a Jewish family. Not at all genetically Jewish. Not one person would know.

I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean you don’t look Jewish? Or, your Jewish parents converted or someone along the family tree converted and you don’t have any genetic Jewish heritage?

FTR, my comments aimed to highlight that for most Jewish people, it’s not just a religion. Rather, Judaism comes with a language, food, clothing, and other cultural elements that Christian religions simply don’t have.

I don’t think Judaism is a race per se. But there certainly is a robust cultural and identity element that Christian religions don’t have.

I stand by my original comment that the 2022 divisive nature of most people who are quick to argue and compelled to point out that nothing is as bad as racism is driving some of this. Whoopi herself succeeded at minimizing or at the very least missing the mark when it comes to not only holocaust but also the antisemitism that still exists today.

Well, you see, by your own comments, that Judaism cannot be nailed down genetically. I grew up speaking Yiddish and Hebrew, my grandparents were all immigrants, several of my aunts and uncles,too- and raised my parents my in an orthodox home.
I was raised in a conservadox home-in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, kosher, all Hebrew schooling, day school and camps, bat mitzvahed, I probably can tell you anything you want to know about Judaism. All my relatives are similar, heavy concentration still in Israel.

I am:
80 ish% British /Irish
20 ish% Swedish
0% Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, Sephardic or anything genetically linked to Judaism.

Are you going to tell my children they aren't Jewish? My grandchildren? I think they will tell you differently. You talk about culture- the food, the language, the clothes, the music, etc. I'm all that. All that- since birth. I can translate any Yiddish joke for you, and yet I have zero bloodline...and if you met me tomorrow you would have no idea unless I told you.

What are you going to tell the genetically linked Ashkenazi whose father was Jewish, but not the mother? Because- technically they aren't Jewish either. So what is it? The brisket or the bloodline? The way they look? How religious?

Whoopi isn't the only one confused. You can see how literally very few people even understand this concept of Judaism, race, and ethnicity.

It's up to you how you want to identify. I have a friend with a similar background to yours and she does not consider herself Jewish.
It certainly is confusing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Straight up here. Not joking. I am very ignorant in this area. I was educated in the south, didn't know a Jewish person until I was 40 years old (now over 50) I thought Jews were conidered white. I had no reason to think otherwise. I mean of course I knew the horror of the holocaust, but I always thought it was PRIMARILY about religion and Hitler's goal to create a master race.

A master Aryan race with blonde hair and certain features which were opposite of traditional Jewish features.

Hitler wasn’t religious. The holocaust wasn’t a religious crusade.

Much like modern times, an evil person thirsty for power manipulated the masses by othering an easily identifiable minority group.

Again seriously asking…aside from Hitler’s goal, why are the Jewish features considered not white? Or rather is there something wrong with those features being put in the same box with white people? Do Jews not want to be in the same box as white people? I seriously don’t know and I have asked these questions before on DCUM and got shut down. I have googled a lot of this and gave up because it was indeed a rabbit hole that I couldn’t commit to.

I mean clearly most white people think it’s great to be white, and in most cases it it, and they (white people) absolutely, positively, would never ever want to be anything but white. I’m black, but would never, ever want to be white, but if I could PASS for white, to get the privilege that being white sometimes hands you….hmmm maybe.

So again, because I don’t personally know many people that have identified themselves to me as Jewish, I don’t really clearly identify Jewish features. I mean see Jewish celebrities on TV and have heard people talk about “Jew fro” but that’s it. I know I must sound terribly ignorant on this, but I also don’t think this mindset would be out of the ordinary for African Americans educated in the south in 70’s about Jewish people.

Nazis CAN identify Jews, or at least a great many of them. If you go on white supremacist websites, there are detailed descriptions and instructions on how to identify Jews based on certain facial features. I'm Jewish and can usually identify Jews as well. It is not a matter of frizzy hair and hooked noses; it can be far more subtle. "White" Jews also have a specific tone to their skin. When I was a child, the mean girls at school called me "green". Anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists refer to Jews as "reptilian" for a reason.

I can't speak for all "white" Jews, but no, I do not want to be white. I am white to most people, and I do benefit from white privilege. I do not want to be white simply because I am tired of being defined by others based on what will best justify their hatred. For a long time, people --not just Nazis-- saw Jews as non-white, and that was one of many ways they justified their Anti-Semitism. Now, people define Jews as white because whites are privileged oppressors. So when I fill out forms I usually tick off "other" and write in "Jewish".

The bolded is absurd. You don't have a specific 'tone' that is green, you have olive skin. Some olive skin looks sallow if they haven't been out in the sun in a while. Some people have darker olive skin, others lighter. Jews range from the palest white to dark olive. This might depend on whether your ancestors were from Germany (pale with blue eyes) or closer to the Mediterranean (olive skin and brown eyes). Because Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

This will probably blow your mind but I have pale olive skin and green eyes. It's not as black and white as you seem to think.
Anyway, my Jewish ancestors immigrated to the US from Germany but they certainly weren't native to Germany.

Where did they originate?

I don't know. But they didn't have pale skin and blue eyes and they didn't speak German. Their ancestors likely traveled eastward from Portugal or Spain, but guess what, I'm not Spanish or Portuguese either. I'm Jewish. According to online DNA tests, I come from the part of the world known as "Jewish". It's stupid, but they have it right.

[Anonymous]

Well, your German ancestors very likely had Germanic DNA. When groups of people invaded or migrated they assimilated with the local population and along with conversion came intermarriage.

https://www.livescience.com/40247-ashkenazi-jews-have-european-genes.html#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20the%20Ashkenazi,may%20derive%20largely%20from%20Europe.