#JUDAISM

[amillionmagpies]

I've seen a couple people on here say things like, "The US is being run by literal Nazis and you're upset about antisemitism from leftists?" And you know what? Yes, I am.

I am angry that the people who told me they weren't antisemitic are being antisemitic. I am angry that the people who promised me a safe space are now going back on that promise. I am angry that the people who said they were better than that are being cruel in the same ways as the people I've always expected cruelty from.

I expect antisemitism from Nazis. I get angry when it comes from people who claimed to be my friends.

[aprettyjewishyear]

Shavuot - The Harvest. acrylic on canvas by Harry Lieberman, 1974. born in the shtetl Gniewoszów in the Pale of Settlement, Lieberman immigrated to the United States in 1906. he began painting when he was seventy-six years old and continued to paint for the rest of his life, inspired primarily by Jewish history, religion, and mysticism.

[hailruth]

a hanukkiah bouquet . ݁₊᪥⋆. ݁

[curieklei]

[anonymousdandelion]

A general tip for students who are sending those dreaded Religious Absence Emails to your professors: Rather than asking permission to take the day(s) off, politely let them know that you will be taking the day(s) off.

In other words, consider not saying this:

"May I miss class on [date] so I can observe [holiday]?"

It's not that there's anything wrong with the above, per se. But because it's phrased as a request, it risks coming across as optional — a favor you hope to be granted. Problem is, favors are not owed, and so unfortunately asking permission opens the door for the professor to respond "Thanks for asking. No, you may not. :)"

Instead, try something along the lines of:

"I will need to miss class on [date] because I will be observing [holiday]. I wanted to let you know of this conflict now, and to ask your assistance in making arrangements for making up whatever material I may miss as a result of this absence."

This is pretty formal language (naturally, you can and should tweak it to sound more like your voice). But the important piece is that, while still being respectful, it shifts the focus of the discussion so that the question becomes not "Is it okay for me to observe my religion?", but rather, "How can we best accommodate my observance?"

Because the first question should not be up for debate: freedom of religion is a right, not a favor. And the second question is the subject you need to discuss.

(Ideally, do this after you've looked up your school's policy on religious absences, so you know what you're working within and that religious discrimination is illegal. Just in case your professor forgot.)

[princesssarisa]

Christians: Jews are rigid and legalistic. They oppress themselves with the laws from which Christ set us free.

Jews: *study the laws of the Torah carefully, find valid ways to interpret them that are less oppressive than if they were followed strictly "to the letter," and permit almost every law to sometimes be broken in order to save human lives*

Christians: Jews are slippery con artists, always trying to find loopholes out of their laws.

It's a no-win situation, isn't it?

There's this really frustrating goyish idea that Jews are always finding "loopholes" or "tricks" to violate the "spirit of the law" when it comes to observing Jewish law. No, they're following Jewish law. All ways in which one can follow the law are equally "in the spirit of the law" because the law's purpose is to be followed. The idea that finding easier ways to observe religious rules means "tricking" god or doing something otherwise shameful is reflective of Christian philosophy. Suffering is not virtuous in Judaism. Penance is not the purpose of Jewish law. Judaism is meant to enrich the current lives of its community, not ritualize hardship for some unknowable divine purpose.

[quantumshade]

when you hear zionists say things like “90% of jews support israel” or whatever you need to understand that this is because they deny the judaism of any and all antizionist jews. when zionists find out that i do not support the state of israel, they immediately leap to either calling me a “self hating jew” or denying that i am jewish altogether. it’s easy to claim that all jews support israel when you decide that the many, many antizionist jews aren’t actually jews.

[amieruby]

Jewish queer people deserve to be safe in queer spaces.

[askjumblr]

I work in digital forensics for my country's government. As a result, I see a lot of CSEM. And I feel dirty afterwards, which makes me feel gross entering the synagogue. Something about the hard cognitive shift between looking at some of the worst things human beings can do to one another and thinking about anything good and holy feels disorienting. I used to go to the mikveh when I lived in a city that had one, and that helped a lot. Now that I live where I don't have access to one, it's hard to get through this weird psychological block. I talked to my rabbi and he genuinely did not have a suggestion and said he'd need to think about it, since I'm the first person he's known who works in this field. Which is totally fine - I definitely prefer a well thought-out answer to a bad on-the-spot one - but I guess I was just wondering what other Jewish people do when what you've seen becomes impossible to stop thinking about or what you do to reset your mind? I am scheduled for a therapy appointment in a few weeks but I want to see if maybe someone else who's also seen some heinous things has a more Jewish approach to getting through this. (FOR: I was raised Orthodox, currently attend a Reform synagogue.)

.

[aprettyjewishyear]

Shavuot (Pentecost). oil on canvas by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, 1880. known by many as the "first Jewish painter," Oppenheim was the first Jewish painter to gain prominence in the non-Jewish art world while retaining his Jewish identity. much of his work emphasized the delight and beauty in Jewish life, including this colorful and reverent depiction of a Shavuot celebration.

[bophtelophti]

Once upon a time there was a girl whose wicked stepmother forced her to clean the entire house for Pesach all by herself. So while her stepmother and stepsisters left early for the grand seder at the Prince's palace, the girl spent the afternoon sweeping and dusting and washing and polishing. As she finally burned the last crumbs of chametz in the fireplace, she saw the sun setting and knew she would never make it to the Prince's seder on time, so she began to prepare her own meager dinner: a little Passover pizza. But miraculously, her fairy godmother appeared and transformed the pizza into a flying carpet to take her to the palace, and the cheese into a beautiful dress for her to wear. And to commemorate this story, to this very day, that cheese is named after that girl: they called her Matzah-rella.

[jhscdood]

Look who emerged from the kiln!!! GOLEMS!!!

[groovy-lady]

I also headcanon that Spock has the same Hebrew name as Leonard Nimoy: Yehudah Lev (which translates to “a Jew with a heart”)!!

Spock is a Jewish-coded fucking Vulcan who grew up on an alien world and was played by and basically created by a Jewish man and in 2019 you guys are still drawing him in Christmas sweaters and writing 18 billion Christmas fics about him

[girlactionfigure]

[mossadspypigeon]

i desperately need to know what the hell these people are smoking.

to immediately rebuke this, from rabbi halevy donin’s amazing work “to be a jew,” which i am rereading currently as i try to take on more mitzvot (i was 19 the last time i read it so i needed a refresher lmao):

maybe actually read about judaism and realize that judaism is about judaism. judaism is a way of life specifically for jews (although we recognize that parts of it, like the noahide laws, can be universal), and judaism has addressed every single topic or seemingly universal human experience.

this isn’t something we need to change or add to our culture and religion. it isn’t “radical.” it’s always been there. it’s why it was created in the first place. judaism IS about judaism and it is about jews. those topics brought up in the second screenshot are why we have the gemara, are why we have pirkei avot and shulchan aruch and so many other works by our sages. it’s why we have halacha itself.

i swear these “rabbis,” just print off certificates sometimes.