#fromgoy2joy thoughts

[jewish-joy]

I will never forget the car ride where my dad was trying to convert me back to Catholicism, after I'd told him that I was actively pursuing Judaism.

He was waving one hand, when he professed- "Joy! You have to look for the signs from G-d! From the universe! Everything pulling you back in- back home!"

Then, the car rattled, crapped out, and rolled to a stop on the curb. Literally right outside was a synagogue with a huge Magen David stain glass window.

We were stuck there for an awkward two hours

[marcy2028]

Christian media: "Scroll if you support the Devil, but stay for salvation from our savior, Jesus Christ"

Jewish media: "HOLY SHIT HOW ARE WE NOT DEAD?!"

[jewish-joy]

Always open! Please feel comfortable asking me questions on whatever

You know, an interesting tumblr transformation that's happened gradually, and which I've seen no one talk about: ask-culture has essentially dropped off to nothing.

By which I mean, asks used to be WAY more of the tumblr economy. They used to be more common to send, and receive, and see. They were integral to the collaborative, forum-like behavior of old tumblr communities, not even to speak on the HUGE number of ask-blogs that used to exist to only be interacted with in ask-form.

I'm not saying this in a vying-for-attention way but instead in an observational way: I used to get way way more asks in like 2015, even with a fraction of my follower count. I wonder if it's due to the homogenization of social media sites? There's a lot more of this divide between "content creator" and "consumer" instead of just a bunch of peer blogs who would talk to each other. "Asks" aren't really a thing on twitter, are they? And as I understand it, the closest thing to an "ask" on instagram or tiktok would be a creator screenshotting some comment and responding to it in a new reel or video or whatever those content mediums are. Are asks just too tumblr-specific? Is that aspect of the site culture dying out as more and more people converge to using all their social media sites in the same way?

[jewish-joy]

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.

[jewish-joy]

May a child’s name never represent more than them.

Let them grow up in peace, where the only difficulty they face is spelling out the letters in the first years of school. Let it never become the echo of a movement, or the beat of a battle drum.

Let their name be theirs and theirs alone. To grow into, like a comfortable knit sweater with holes on the side and only for them to wear.

Because a child is a child- a person a person- a world a world. These things are enough on their own- they don’t need to be the face of tragedy or torment.

Please, Hashem. Do your best. Endeavor. Give us the due we’re owed. Do not let anyone take more children. Let them grow up.

[jewish-joy]

I love being involved with Jewish life on campus because I got to miss class once for “religious reasons” and the religious reason was that I went to this sick Purim drag show.

[jewish-joy]

And I’m very glad to be here!

(Currently having to wipe tears from my eyes because of the pain of a migraine. But I’m very glad to be here in this current moment)

[jewish-joy]

Let's write about Jewish characters in dynamic ways- that make it clear "Yes this is us. Yes, we are living our lives with this happiness and ritual, and we love it. "

Like it's so easy to write about, to have casual observances of Judaism and cultural practices be in the background of stories. I'll write of the few examples I can think of in my frame of reference as a college student-

there's a mezuza in the doorway of a college kid's apartment. Whenever his friends come over, it's a reach for some of them to touch it because both he and the rabbi who installed it are 6 foot three. The others feel like a middle school boy slapping the ceiling as they try and reach for the damn thing.

Characters rush on public transport to get to a rabbi's house on shabbat. The train is due. There's a flurry of regrouping, then trying to call a missing friend to get there, and then the process of methodically hiding Magen davids and jewish objects because getting to shabbat dinner without a situation was an order from college Hillel staff.

A character is half-drunk at 2 AM at the convenience store but has to scan the list of ingredients on their chemically disgusting snack for gelatin.

Said character is prevented by her friends from only sustaining herself on 7/11 slushees "even though it's all kosher!"

There are references to the Purim incident constantly- it is never clarified what happened on Purim.

the hypothetical gang of characters are in the middle of nowhere on a grand magical adventure. The main character notices a mezuza on a door of a cabin, knocks on it, and has an in-depth conversation with the resident. Then, he waves his friends over. "Hey, guys! We have a place to stay tonight!" Because through the magic of Jewish geography, it was discovered that the grumpy old Jewish man in the woods is the grand uncle of one of his Jewish Day school teachers

A character who eats cheesy bacon bagels regularly on passover has a deep respect for jewish ritual items. He kisses the siddurim as they're handed back into a pile, he always kisses his kippah that he wears for ritual purposes of shabbats and minions. He's very careful with these objects and keeps on claiming dropping something He is observant, and he cares so much, but not in the "typical" way. Just... please show the nuance in practice.

The big "going out night" for our fearless college student isn't Friday but saturday night because of shabbat.

The stain on the rabbi's couch is not to be mentioned

A character keeps on mentioning the stain anyway.

Jewish goodbyes after any event take a minimum of two hours and that's why the gang is delayed on their journey to save the world .

I want more representation than characters in novels saying "haha I'm jewish but eat bacon and love Christmas!" in such flat ways. Please feel free to add more hypothetical ways of representation in the comments !!! About or inspired by your own life and experiences ! Let's make this post vibrant!

[jewish-joy]

What irks me so so much about the Pro Palestine movement and how it took place on my college campus was just how it... fizzled out.

In fall 2024, we've entered the new school year, and knock-on-wood, harassing Jews is not the go-to activism now.

Which I am elated about- we no longer have to hide the locations of events so stringently or keep our heads down in classes, fearing someone will catch us and know. And demand for us to answer for our supposed crimes.

But what stands out to me is that this activism only came from a place of anger they wanted to let out like a rabid animal. Teenagers and twenty-somethings wearing keffiyehs they bought from Amazon screamed about the evils of Zionism. They rattled their signs and beat their drums. They vandalized and attacked. There was nothing held back.

And you know what I never saw? I never saw a bake sale, or any sort of fundraising for Gazans. I never saw food drives for local refugees. There was nothing tangible. There was only a vehement rage for a cause they didn't seem to really care about.

Because they didn't care about the people suffering and dying- they just wanted an excuse to be angry at someone and that "someone" was Jews.

But they got their encampments with machine gun doodles and "glory to the resistance" on their posters. They got their yelling out and their pretty pictures they'll save for their children one day- "Look, Mommy was an activist!"

But you know what sustained me, just a bit? I tried to believe that my peers were in the end well intentioned. That they didn't mean to hurt us. That this was all an awful trick being played and that their goal at the end of the day was a more equal world and end to tangible suffering.

But now- their keffiyehs are abandoned and only taken out for a little progressive fashion statement, paired with pink go-go boots. They are so painfully apathetic, it hurts me.

And I think- I really think- the next time they'll pick up their picket signs again is when Jews get hurt, either in Israel or the diaspora. And they'll line up once more to cheer for it.

[jewish-joy]

So, as a Jewish Club board member at my college , I was tasked with making a sukkot meal flyer but the details kept on changing.

At first we were getting bagels catered, then it was pizza, and now it’s completely unknown. Then the dates kept changing - from the 19th to the 20th to the 18th ETC .

So this is what I have so far.

I really don’t know how we made it out of the desert.

[jewish-joy]

To all who observe whatever holiday this was. I hope you had a wonderful tidings this year and that your time with family and friends awaiting Satan was joyous.

So happy for the discounts! This is such a little treat specifically catered to us.

Happy half price Sukkot decorations day for all who observe! Not sure why it takes place a whole three months after Sukkot, at the end of the twelth month of the Christian calendar. I think it has to do with the feast day of a minor goyische diety known as Sunta? Senta? Something like that. Anyway, go forth and find something pretty to hang in your sukka next year!

I am really going to have to look up that deity figure. I feel appallingly ignorant for not knowing his name. I have friends and neighbors who are Christian. I really should educate myself more on their culture.

EDIT: It's Satan.

[jewish-joy]

I've had several friends text me this exact interaction over the course of the morning: "My professor is being really nice :)))))) He's helping us with the angst of the election results. This feels good- I'm so glad ."

And then five seconds later-

"Oh shit, never mind, he's somehow blaming everything on the Jews."

And I really don't like what this is spelling out for the next four years.

[jewish-joy]

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.

[jewish-joy]

Me, at our torah book club- I really love this passage where Esau and Jacob make tentative peace. It's my favorite, maybe after Isaac and Ishmael burying their father together. Ah, that's such a toss-up.

Rav David, off the cuff- Hmm. Into all the parts about familial dysfunction, aren't you?

Me, who's just been read for filth in front of 10 other people- Listen-

[jewish-joy]

Two Plates, Three Jews

One night, my friend Josh was insisting that keeping kosher cutlery and dishware is actually a very easy task. Our other friend Hao and I were nodding along until he exclaimed “This is why you only have two plates!”

“Two plates?” I clarified, distracted from the task of subtly trying to pick out a hair from my hand. Hao sat up from where I’d stacked pillows from him, sending them all to the ground. “Like you only have two plates?”

“Uh, yeah,” Josh shook his head like I was stupid. (And to be honest I am but for reasons separate from this conversation. ) “Two plates. Two forks. Two knives. That’s all you need for your life.”

Hao and I stared at each other. We shared a look encompassing what I can only describe as complete horror, comprehension, and the tiny feeling of being a bit impressed.

Josh pointed to the two cupboards in his tiny student kitchen, side by side. “That’s my dairy one,” He pointed to the left. “That’s my meat one,”

“Ha, ha.” Hao said, still a bit horrified. “Your meat”

We approached the cabinets tentatively. I can’t describe to you how hilarious it is to open them side by side and just in each of them, see a singular plate, fork and knife sitting forlorn like lonely soldiers.

“I really, really” Josh insisted as we turned to stare at him in wonder. “Don’t see what the big deal is.”

[jewish-joy]

A very progressive group at my college just posted an infographic that states “ Zionists believe that Jewish people are indigenous to Israel” and I am losing my shit.

They said this in a post including that it’s okay to kill Zionists and they explicitly support all armed resistance

This is quite something. This is really quite the situation.