9/28/08
HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH!
Back to blogging tomorrow, but I just want to list a few things I like about Jewish people:
- the religion tends to emphasize excellence, and values intelligent analysis
- the essence of Judaism is enlightenment through constant questioning, rather than having doctrine beaten into your skull
- they don't proselytize, in fact, they don't care if you become Jewish or not
- the youngest person at the Seder gets to ask questions, leading to discussion rather than sermons
- they could have stopped at Marc Chagall, Isaac Asimov and George Gershwin, but continue to give the world a wildly-disproportionate number of the greatest writers, artists, musicians, scientists and thinkers that ever lived
- the Jewish chicks in my prep school were super hot. What was a lapsing Mormon kid to do?
yeah, but then there's Paul Wolfowitz....
just saying that most religions/ethnicities have their fair share of awesome and not so awesome people.
I think we've got Amy Winehouse too. I wish she would convert to something else.
By the way, Mormon = sexy.
And... their stories of strength in the face of tremendous suffering and hardships are really inspiring. I can recommend two great books I recently read that highlight this..
The Book Thief and
People of the Book
I have to enthusiastically echo Neva's vote for People of the Book. An absolutely brilliant, fantastic read.
Don't forget Elie Wiesel's Night.
I don't want to say anything that implies Jewish exceptionalism, since I have a Jewish friend who says I'm anti-semitic pretty much any time I say anything about Jews.
But I will say this: thanks for Yiddish!
My Mother-In-Law is a Brooklyn Jew. When I first met her family, I thought I had fallen into a sitcom. That family could not be more different than my NC relatives. They debate about real topics. They read and discuss books. Sure, they argue, but they forgive and love each other more deeply than any other family I have ever known. I feel so lucky to be amongst them.
Thanks Ionosphere; we like you too.
L'shana tovah.
Oy vey! Ian, you know more about my tribe (well, half of it, on dad's side) than most goyim do Thanks for the props.
Check out this video of Sarah Silverman's comedy gold, encouraging Jewish grandkids to schlep to Florida (like the Jewish freedom riders during the civil rights movement) to persuade their Bubbies and Zadies to vote for Obama:
www.thegreatschlep.com
Hilarious and subversive! (But how could it not be, it's Sarah Silverman!)