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What Does Being Jewish Mean?

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Growing up, the only thing that being Jewish meant was that a person followed a different religion.

Most of the people I've know, I have no idea what their religion was let alone whether they were Jewish. Maybe a few told me they were Jewish, which to me had no relevance in our relationship.

I didn't know antisemitism existed.

Has antisemitism become more prevalent since my youth? Antisemitism comes up almost weekly these days. Has it become worse since the '60s? Or was I just isolated and naive?

I suppose Jewish culture was different which allow them to be identified. Supposedly, there was some claim of physical differences, which never seemed true.

And why target the Jews? Is it just because of Christianity or did something else happen?

The Jews I know today, I see no reason they'd be picked out of a crowd. Antisemitism doesn't make any sense, but it exists. I guess my question is why.

I accept it exists but I don't understand why it exists.
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
Antisemitism is old. Like biblical old. Like old biblical old (pharaoh in Egypt started it). It got coopted over the years but it has never gone out of style. I could list all sorts of reasons for it, ranging from "jealousy" to "being tools of God's wrath" to "fear and resentment" but much of it comes from the Jews' practice of maintaining a distinct identity. And washing our hands. They hate that.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Antisemitism is old. Like biblical old. Like old biblical old (pharaoh in Egypt started it). It got coopted over the years but it has never gone out of style. I could list all sorts of reasons for it, ranging from "jealousy" to "being tools of God's wrath" to "fear and resentment" but much of it comes from the Jews' practice of maintaining a distinct identity. And washing our hands. They hate that.
In some places, even being a non-observant assimilated Jew did not matter.

And why target the Jews? Is it just because of Christianity or did something else happen?

There's the Jews killed Christ, thing, of course. But as @rosends wrote, bigots make up many reasons for bigotry.

I accept it exists but I don't understand why it exists.

It exists for the same reason that Catholics were hated, Irish were considered subhuman, racism exists, Native Americans are to be exterminated and so forth. That's been around for ages and can be summarized as 'my tribe is superior', yours is subhuman trash.
 
Growing up, the only thing that being Jewish meant was that a person followed a different religion.

Most of the people I've know, I have no idea what their religion was let alone whether they were Jewish. Maybe a few told me they were Jewish, which to me had no relevance in our relationship.

I didn't know antisemitism existed.

Has antisemitism become more prevalent since my youth? Antisemitism comes up almost weekly these days. Has it become worse since the '60s? Or was I just isolated and naive?

I suppose Jewish culture was different which allow them to be identified. Supposedly, there was some claim of physical differences, which never seemed true.

And why target the Jews? Is it just because of Christianity or did something else happen?

The Jews I know today, I see no reason they'd be picked out of a crowd. Antisemitism doesn't make any sense, but it exists. I guess my question is why.

I accept it exists but I don't understand why it exists.
I have been friends with a few people in my life who said that they were Jewish. I didn't notice anything different about them, except the women. They all seemed to have this prettiness that is somehow, for me, undefinable. Just the ones I knew, I have not gone around looking up pictures of Jewish women so I can only speak to the ones I knew. All of the people I knew who said they were Jewish were very normal people and I think every one of them had a very normal or I would say good upbringing. They were all just nice regular people. I'm not sure what to think about how all this hatred is thrown at them, I have never seen any kind of justification for it. I should mention that my wife, who is not Jewish, also has a certain undefinable prettiness, so I think it is not just women who say they are Jewish, at least as far as my eyesight goes.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
Antisemitism is old. Like biblical old. Like old biblical old (pharaoh in Egypt started it). It got coopted over the years but it has never gone out of style. I could list all sorts of reasons for it, ranging from "jealousy" to "being tools of God's wrath" to "fear and resentment" but much of it comes from the Jews' practice of maintaining a distinct identity. And washing our hands. They hate that.
Typical Jew. Making me laugh about a serious topic and feeling guilty about it.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
I could list all sorts of reasons for it, ranging from "jealousy"

I think there was/is a jealousy of their success as many excel in both business and especially education. As for business the practice of usury was condemned by the church, it was to the Jews to lend money and charge an interest. I have met Jews who came to this country with no more than a couple of dollars and amassed success and wealth but what has impressed me the most is the love the arts and insistence on education as opposed to common labor.
 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
But even in Europe anti-semitism has faded; there is very little of it now.

lol


Generally speaking, it is much less now than it was before, at least in Europe. A widespread, general dislike of Jews was very prevalent throughout Christian Europe up until World War 2. You say it comes up often now, where you are, which is surprising. What makes it come up?

Oh great there's less of it now compared to the time where there was a genocide against us.

"Today my neighbour didn't kill my daughter, he just sew her leg off."


No. The Jews are not an ethnicity, though a few of them will tell you that it is. Many Jews (Ashkenazis) are of European or Russian descent, and are therefore ethnically 100% Caucasian, and (physically) indistinguishable from other Caucasians. Other Jews are Middle-Eastern, and therefore ethnically akin to Arabs, and physically indistinguishable from them. Yet others Jews are ethnically North or East African.

Oh look another non-Jew who tells us what the Jews are.
I love how everyone is free to self-identify and set the boundaries of that identity except us.

Funny how all your claims have been proven false by basic DNA testing.
But that's probably just Jewscience.


Anyway, one thing I think is safe (I hope) to say, is that historically Jews have been very influential in business. Jews were the first to lend money (at interest), and for a long time the only ones because theirs was the only religion that did not forbid it. So in those days they were the only ones profiting from finance and credit arrangements.

dv3tc24vuk4s.jpg
 

Roguish

Member
I love how everyone is free to self-identify and set the boundaries of that identity except us.

I do not understand all of your response, or the pictures you included.
As it seems you have taken offense, I have removed my message.

Best regards,
Roguish
 

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Growing up, the only thing that being Jewish meant was that a person followed a different religion.

Most of the people I've know, I have no idea what their religion was let alone whether they were Jewish. Maybe a few told me they were Jewish, which to me had no relevance in our relationship.

I didn't know antisemitism existed.

Has antisemitism become more prevalent since my youth? Antisemitism comes up almost weekly these days. Has it become worse since the '60s? Or was I just isolated and naive?

I suppose Jewish culture was different which allow them to be identified. Supposedly, there was some claim of physical differences, which never seemed true.

And why target the Jews? Is it just because of Christianity or did something else happen?

The Jews I know today, I see no reason they'd be picked out of a crowd. Antisemitism doesn't make any sense, but it exists. I guess my question is why.

I accept it exists but I don't understand why it exists.
Being a Jew is part of being a people. One becomes being part of the people by birth (the overwhelming majority) or by conversion (the few). Some Jews keep the covenant of our people, and some Jews don't. Some Jews are even atheists. One can be a sinner, and still be a Jew.

There is no rhyme or reason to anti-semitism. All forms of racism are irrational.

The Ashkenazim, like all Jews, have genetic markers of Middle Eastern decent. Trust the science.
 
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IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Perhaps you are in the USA? Strong adverse feelings against Jews are mostly a thing of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Other parts of the world mostly have neutral opinions (or no opinions at all) about Jews. But even in Europe anti-semitism has faded; there is very little of it now.

Generally speaking, it is much less now than it was before, at least in Europe. A widespread, general dislike of Jews was very prevalent throughout Christian Europe up until World War 2. You say it comes up often now, where you are, which is surprising. What makes it come up?

In the present day, there are many among those who are "technically" Jews (i.e. who meet the requirements for being defined as Jewish by the Jewish community), but who take little or no interest in their Jewish heritage or background. As a result, there is nothing about them that makes them noticeably "Jewish". Quite likely the Jewish people you have known were of this kind. It is different, however, for Jews who actively engage with their Jewish background. They may be a minority now, but you'll know them when you see them, or at least when you get to know them.

Of course. Search the web for "orthodox jewish dress", for example.

No. The Jews are not an ethnicity, though a few of them will tell you that it is. Many Jews (Ashkenazis) are of European or Russian descent, and are therefore ethnically 100% Caucasian, and (physically) indistinguishable from other Caucasians. Other Jews are Middle-Eastern, and therefore ethnically akin to Arabs, and physically indistinguishable from them. Yet others Jews are ethnically North or East African.

You ask a fair question, but discussing it is difficult because the current political climate strongly condemns anything that implies even the slightest critical assessment of Jews. What I mean is, if one were to make lists of "what's good about the Jews" and "what's not so good about them", you're likely to get in trouble for putting anything on the second list, no matter how much you put on the first list. That's just the way things are. (And similarly for groups other than the Jews, actually. To assess any group, be it religious, ethnic, or political, is dangerous these days, even if your analysis is based on fact and careful, objective argument.)

Anyway, one thing I think is safe (I hope) to say, is that historically Jews have been very influential in business, especially big business, including banking, finance, large-scale manufacturing, pharmaceutics, motion pictures, etc. Jews were often the first to set up the large companies that came to dominate markets, first on a national level and later on a global level. This certainly caused resentment among the native non-Jewish populations of the countries where succesful Jews got involved in such big business, and thus managed to exert considerable influence over the economies and societies of those countries. Jews were also the first to lend money at interest, because theirs was the only religion that allowed it. Thus they were initially the only ones to profit from money lending, which created tensions with the non-Jewish who were at the other (paying) end of such arrangements.
Anti-semitism predated Jews being good in business and banking. In the middle ages, Jews were forced into lending money, as other trades were forbidden to us. But Haaman didn't seek to eradicate the Jews because we charged interest.

You are perhaps unaware of the rise of anti-semitism in Europe. Jews are leaving Europe for Israel and the US, especially Jews in France.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Anti-semitism predated Jews being good in business and banking. In the middle ages, Jews were forced into lending money, as other trades were forbidden to us. But Haaman didn't seek to eradicate the Jews because we charged interest.

You are perhaps unaware of the rise of anti-semitism in Europe. Jews are leaving Europe for Israel and the US, especially Jews in France.
What then shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews? . . .Their synagogues . . .should be set on fire, and what does not burn must be covered over with earth so that no man will ever see stone or cinder of them again. . . .Their houses also should be razed and destroyed. . . . All their prayer books. . .should be taken from them.
Why the Jews: History of Antisemitism

This seems to place the blame on Christianity.
I guess this is possible but hard for me to imagine the power of religion being able to persecute a people for 2+ centuries.
 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
Yeah Christian Antisemitism is truly a novel idea that no one has ever talked, let alone written about.

Sometimes I wonder if people on the internet ever entered a school.
 

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
What then shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews? . . .Their synagogues . . .should be set on fire, and what does not burn must be covered over with earth so that no man will ever see stone or cinder of them again. . . .Their houses also should be razed and destroyed. . . . All their prayer books. . .should be taken from them.
Why the Jews: History of Antisemitism

This seems to place the blame on Christianity.
I guess this is possible but hard for me to imagine the power of religion being able to persecute a people for 2+ centuries.
Actually Christianity's persecution of Jews has been for more like 2000 years, not just 2 centuries.
 

Earthtank

Active Member
Has antisemitism become more prevalent since my youth? Antisemitism comes up almost weekly these days.

Maybe yes maybe no but, the definition of Antisemitism has become so watered down that anything said, even if true, can now be defined as antisemitism even when it is not.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
Growing up, the only thing that being Jewish meant was that a person followed a different religion.

Most of the people I've know, I have no idea what their religion was let alone whether they were Jewish. Maybe a few told me they were Jewish, which to me had no relevance in our relationship.

I didn't know antisemitism existed.

Has antisemitism become more prevalent since my youth? Antisemitism comes up almost weekly these days. Has it become worse since the '60s? Or was I just isolated and naive?

I suppose Jewish culture was different which allow them to be identified. Supposedly, there was some claim of physical differences, which never seemed true.

And why target the Jews? Is it just because of Christianity or did something else happen?

The Jews I know today, I see no reason they'd be picked out of a crowd. Antisemitism doesn't make any sense, but it exists. I guess my question is why.

I accept it exists but I don't understand why it exists.
Yes, dislike and suspicion of Jews is on the rise in the West lately. It doesn't help that Jews have a wildly disproportionate amount of power and influence over Western society, especially in the US. You can go years without ever meeting a Jew in many parts of the US (they're like 1% of the population and concentrated in major cities), but they're all over our media, in academia, the entertainment industry, finance and politics. Our government is very beholden to Zionist interests, as well. It's not PC to state those things, but facts are facts. People notice this stuff and some react with resentment.
 
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