#jew by choice

[is-the-fire-real]

When I was last on tumblr, it was ten years ago and one of the biggest faux pas you could commit was incorrect tagging.

It was Literally Colonialism to use a tag that was For Certain Oppressed Groups. The actually-autistic tag was created because allistics "took over" the autism tag, and this/other tags became heavily policed by users to make sure they remained a "safe space".

I remember seeing countless posts about how autistics would never be safe if we didn't have a bubble to protect us from interacting with allistics. The same went for tags about transliness and queerness. The going approach used militarized and hyperbolic language to characterize and other folks who weren't in the community: autistics (the group I had the most direct experience with) were attacked by allistic invaders who violated and conquered autistic tagging systems.

The "Literally Colonialism" isn't a joke. I saw plenty of suggestions that to even use a tag which was perceived as being "not yours" was colonization of ideas and thoughts. To be allistic, have an opinion on autism, and tag it as "autism" was held up as being exactly the same as the behavior of empires and nation-states.

Obviously, I don't entirely agree, and don't think this particular hyperbolization is helpful for advocacy or for dialogue. But I do find it interesting how, in the decade since I was last here, it seems to (mostly) still be true that you should only use certain tags if you have a particular identity...

... unless you're not Jewish, in which case feel free to use any and all Judaism-related tags and break the system's meager functionality for Jewish people.

As someone who is using Tumblr to connect to online Judaism, it's daunting to see how many posts under "judaism" are by non-Jews screeching about Israel. Seeing non-Jews openly talk about they tag their posts with gore, rape denial, Holocaust denial, October 7 denial, and other deliberately-triggering material with Jewish-themed tags specifically to make Jewish users of Tumblr feel unsafe. Reading them telling each other about how this is advocacy, this will absolutely win the war for Gazans, and how anybody who blocks them (in order to make sure the tags can actually work as intended) is a genocidal coward. Using that self-same militaristic language to describe their activities, only instead of criticizing, they're bragging.

It's, uh, kind of fucked up.

Imagine going to the actually-autistic tag and finding nothing but a wall of allistics claiming that they've victoriously conquered the tag from those inhuman monsters pretending to have problems when other Real People are the ones who are suffering. I think we would all intuitively understand that this would be Wrong. Even if there was some supposed outward justification for being mad at certain autistics, we would understand that holding all autistics everywhere responsible for it is wrong. That breaking a community's ability to talk to each other is wrong. That trying to trigger people and then telling them to commit suicide is wrong.

And we'd also understand, or come to, that the very action of going "This community I'm not part of doesn't deserve to have this tag, I'mma take it back, or at least ruin it so no one else can have it" is an expression of privilege. It is wrong, and it is immature, and it is cowardice.

These smug, self-involved, active attempts at causing harm make no sense at all if seen as advocacy; they help no one, advance no cause, stop no Zionists (whatever that means) from expressing themselves online.

They only make sense when seen as Jew-hate.

[ofshivelight]

i love judaism. i love the jewish people. it's a love that's lived inside me, quietly, my entire life, and now i can recognize it and carry it in my heart. baruch hashem i am so grateful to have been set on this path where i belong

[soxiyy]

Every Jewish person is ethically jewish weather they are born from the waters of a womb or the waters of a mikvah

[nesyanast]

A young man studying for conversion turned to his teacher and said, "But, Rabbi Kushner, Fitzpatrick isn't a Jewish name." To which Kushner replied, "It will be."

-Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant

[meanderingdownthelongroad]

i love you visibly jewish jews. i love you jews that keep tznuit. i love you jews that wear tichels or head scarves. i love you jews that wear tallit katan and who openly and proudly wear their tzitzit. i love you jews that wear kippot. i love you jews that wear chai or magen david necklaces/earrings. i love you jews that are open and proud.

as a conversion student i see you. and i want nothing more than to be just like you one day.

[germiyahu]

Actually don't listen to me. I'm an impulse buyer with credit cards. You want a nice looking pitcher and basin to perform the hand washing mitzvot? That's an excellent opportunity to go thrifting! You might even find Judaica there, like a Chanukkiyya perhaps?

You don't want to wait 8 years for Shabbat candles to arrive from Israel? Ask your rabbi! When I asked her if you can reuse a Havdalah candle, she sensed I was worried about the cost of buying all these candles and said her shul has tons of extras.

You absolutely do need a Chumash, a Tanakh, and probably a study Bible too... but Sefaria has all that and more! Especially the Talmud and other Rabbinic sources! It literally blows my mind that this site exists and is free.

But what about all the books on Jewish history and philosophy? What about textbooks for Modern and Biblical Hebrew? See if there are scanned versions online, or go to your local library. Invest in notecards, you're going to want to write down prayers and such, this will especially help if you don't own the books you're studying from.

It's a good idea to have a Siddur, but your shul will most definitely have their own, and as others have told me, you can ask your Rabbi if you can borrow one to take home (make sure to treat it with reverence).

If you want to start baking Challah and are living on your own, or maybe in a dorm room, see if there are community cooking spaces so you don't have to buy your own materials, or just ask your parents if they can gift you some kitchenware because "You want to get into baking."

You literally don't need anything other than a cup that you think is pretty and has meaning to you for the Kiddush. And don't splurge, I've seen hundreds of very attractive Kiddush sets and candle holders and all that for modest prices.

And take it slowly! Don't buy everything at once. We're nowhere near close to Chanukka right now, so don't even put that in your mind. If you want to acquire holiday items, focus on Pesach and worry about other festivals in their due time, let your wallet recover a little. This also goes for Shabbat! You don't need a pristine set of everything all at once, I'm just an idiot. You can slowly build up your perfect beautiful intricate table as the months go by.

[your-soul-stood-at-sinai]

Your conversion story is fascinating, unique, precious, and holy. When you become a member of the Jewish people, your story enriches the heritage of the Jewish people [...] which will be forever changed by your presence.

 —Anita Diamant, Choosing a Jewish Life

[fromgoy2joy]

Sometimes, converting to Judaism is a beautiful process where you explore texts that just feel right, as if you have read these words before and your heart is leaping out at it.

Other times, converting to Judaism entails you internalizing the opinion of a random unbending Orthodox rabbi whose book you found off a discount box at the thrift store, who is so pretentious you take his commentary on Jewish law as-is. Then casually mentioning this to born-Jewish friends who have no idea what you're talking about

[climbingmountsinai]

Things people tell you about converting to Judaism:

You don't have to

It's a lifelong commitment

It takes years of studying, immersion, prayers, and rituals

Really, you don't have to

There will be circumcision involved

And a big swimming pool, and a panel of judges

Your life will be harder

People will look at you differently

If they deign to look at you at all

It never ends

Things people don't tell you about converting to Judaism:

It's actually really fucking hard to keep a kippah on your head

[jewishautism]

First ever time lighting a menorah

[is-the-fire-real]

Me when they bring up Haman

[ofshivelight]

i've been trying to avoid talking about the conflict here, but my temple got vandalized with pro-palestine graffiti yesterday and i just. it really feels like no one cares about jews except other jews. it's not even on the news in my city. why is it acceptable to blame every jew everywhere for the actions of a different country halfway across the world. it's just a nightmare that goes on and on

[socialist-microwave-laser]

i've had so many people ask me how i could possibly want to convert to judaism, especially after the 7/10 attack, but honestly this has been a better convincer for me than anything else. judaism has given me access to a community that not only requires and craves and inspires and encourages intellectual diversity, but it also calls for nuance that is vanishingly rare in goyische spaces. it's sad to me how rare this ability to be nuanced is in mainstream goyische spaces of course, but i also can't help but just take a moment to feel lucky and grateful for my jewish community

[nesyanast]

Some suggestions for experimenting with Jewish practice and experiencing Jewish culture

Observe one full Shabbat. For 25 hours, do no work- not even the laundry. Attend services, read and relax, but don't go shopping or cook. If you have children, do something fun together as a family on Saturday afternoon.

Attend a synagogue-sponsored retreat for a sense of what a complete communal day of rest can be.

Try to keep kosher in a basic way for a month as a way to infuse one of the most basic of human needs with Jewish content. At home and when you eat out, avoid all shellfish and pork products, don't mix meat and milk, read the labels in the supermarket and don't buy foods prepared with lard.

Plan and host a holiday celebration.

Go shopping in a kosher food store and Jewish bookstore.

Attend Jewish theater performances, Jewish choral groups, shows by touring Israeli pop stars.

Tour the local Jewish community center (JCC).

Attend an Israel Independence Day celebration.

If you are a member of a congregation, get involved in a congregational program or two. Attend an adult education class or sisterhood events. Volunteer for committee work.

Include Jewish tours and expeditions while on vacation or business trips. In New York City, visit the lower east side, the Jewish Museum and Ellis Island. In Washington go to the Holocaust Museum. In Rome, visit the ancient Jewish ghetto. Whether you find yourself in Baltimore or Bombay, try to find the oldest Synagogue in the city, or makes a pilgrimage to the best Jewish deli. If you're in a strange city on Shabbat, go to services at a local synagogue.

From "Choosing a Jewish Life" by Anita Diamant

[jaymesdoodles]

The path with Ruth - a poem about converting to Judaism

[germiyahu]

But what to choose, what to CHOOSE 😱