I'm Jewish, ask me anything!

[rockymountaindem]

As a way to relax after a stressful day and in response to LDSTXJock's fascinating thread on Mormonism, I'm offering to answer all the things you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about Judaism! I'll try to respond as fast as I can, but I'm not promising anything if this thread gets to be more than 75 or 80 posts long. I'm figuring conservatively because I think most people are in other forums right now.

Note: Lame jokes will illicit no response. Not because they are offensive, but because they are lame. I mean, "Hey, I think there's pork in that water/yogurt/cake/gefilte fish" was funny the first 100 times, but now it's gettin' kinda old.

If you come up with something more original, I'll be happy to hear it.

So gimme your best shot!

[thoughtanarchist]

1. what's the deal with zionism?

...is it a legitimate philosophy? ...or just fodder for tinfoil hats?

:tinfoilhat:

[rockymountaindem]

5. Zionism is a political idealism with religious undertones.

There are many different branches and it's history is very controversial. If you could clarify I'd be happy to answer some more specific questions.

[thoughtanarchist]

13. I understood it as...

a return to the homeland. Does this effect Isreali policy on Palestine? Is there a connection b'tween zionism and keeping the 1967 (?) borders as-is?


Does this translate into RW politics as the neocons are so eager to blast apart the middle east to protect modern Isreal?

I'm really asking the questions I was afraid to ask so don't be offended pls.

[rockymountaindem]

15. Ok, I was confused before.

Well, some people feel that a Jewish homeland doesn't belong in Israel at all. That aside, the thing about the 1967 borders is a highly complex issue. Boiled down to religious terms, the answer is yes. There is a highly influential group of Israelis who believe Israel to mean the historical homeland of the Jews, which many consider to be the historical boundaries of ancient Israel and Judeah, which includes the West Bank. To these people, any pullback from the West Bank would be an offence to God and a betrayal of the Jewish people and our history.

Now, that's a pretty polarized view. However, it is out there. There are other Israelis who don't want to pull back to the 1967 borders for security reasons, which is something I don't want to get into now.

[thoughtanarchist]

21. Thanks... I learned something today...

[rockymountaindem]

22. Glad to help.

Zionism is really complex. I've heard people argue about it for hours. I could start typing now and not be finished talking about it until tomorrow night.

If you've got any more questions just let me know.

[drdon326]

2. Can you name 4 Jewish Baseball players ?

.

[rockymountaindem]

6. Gabe Kapler, Sean Green, Sandy Koufax, and... Harmon Killebrew?

[kanrok]

7. Here's two:

Sandy Kofax, Rod Carew, (Steve Stone?)

[drdon326]

12. PRETTY GOOD

ALSO

Hank Greenberg
Art SHAMSKY
Ron Bloomberg
Koufax
Jason Marquis...you heard me right.

[kanrok]

28. As a Whitesox fan

How on earth could I miss Ron Bloomberg?

[welshTerrier2]

27. the first known Jewish baseball player ...

Hank Greenberg ... hit 58 home runs one season ... career batting average: 313 ...

cool little story about Greenberg and Jackie Robinson, the first black major league player:


Hank Greenberg was the first Jewish player not to hide his ethnic background.

Jackie Robinson gave credit to Hank Greenberg for an incident that happened during the early part of his career as the first black player in Major League Baseball. In his retirement article that appeared in "Look" magazine, Robinson recalled his meeting with Greenberg. Robinson was standing on first base while Greenberg was in the field for the Pirates.

Robinson wrote, "He (Greenberg) suddenly turned to me and said, 'A lot of people are pulling for you to make good. Don't ever forget it.' I never did."


to read more: http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/g/greenberg_hank.html

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Why are jewish guys ....

.... so CUTE?

[rockymountaindem]

8. I'm flattered.

We're just born that way, I guess!

[reprehensor]

4. Is Spock's V-shaped hand greeting...

Jewish in origin?

[rockymountaindem]

9. Indeed it is.

The "live long and prosper" hand sign was originally used at Jewish weddings. The Rabbi makes the sign in front of the couple to represent the Hebrew letter "Shin", which is the first letter in the word "Shalom", meaning peace. It's part of a blessing asking God to bless the newlyweds with happy peaceful lives.

[reprehensor]

29. Thanks!

Cool. I'll use it more often now that I know what it means.

[Maiden England]

10. Chicken soup or Gefilte fish?

[rockymountaindem]

11. Depends.

Is there horseradish around? Gefilte fish is nowhere without horseradish.

[Maiden England]

14. ooh I've never tried it with horseradish

I'll have to give it a go

[rockymountaindem]

16. You're missing out.

That's like a soft pretzel with no mustard, man!

[Maiden England]

17. Magen David or Chai?

[rockymountaindem]

18. I've got a little mezzuzah around my neck.

It has a Magen David on it with the word "Tzion" in tiny Hebrew letters inside. I had a Chai when I was younger, but I unfortunately lost it in a freak accident when the chain just broke when I was at tennis practice. I have no idea where it went.

[Maiden England]

19. is there much of a community where you live

I'm in Louisiana, and there is diddly squat around me.

[rockymountaindem]

20. There is, a little.

Colorado Springs only has two synagogues. Denver has a pretty big community. Down in the Springs, however, we've got all the fundies who want to be best buds with the Jews because they want to get in good with God for being nice to the "chosen people". It's a little disconcerting, to be honest. One of the mega churches took to selling "prayer shawls" which is just a talit in disguise. It's not cool that they try to co-opt our ritual items.

[Maiden England]

23. No that is not cool, and I'd hate to be 'befriended' by a fundy

only because I can imagine them at church on sunday talking about 'their pet Jew'.

[rockymountaindem]

24. I'm everybody's pet Jew.

It's kind of wierd, especially when they tell me how they're "praying for my soul". Thanks... it's nice to know you think I'm going to hell, pal.

My best bud, though, is a devout Christian who doesn't swallow the Fundie Kool-Aid. He's pretty cool. He's also a Republican who voted for Kerry!

[Maiden England]

25. in which case are you furry?

:P

[rockymountaindem]

26. My barber says she's never seen anyone with more hair on their head.

She says I'm practically guaranteed against going bald.

[Dukakis88]

32. I hope that wasn't a jinx!

[Danmel]

33. Fundies in Prayer Shawls

Hey when they start wearing tefillin, it's time to get nervous!

For a while the Angels had a Jewish starting pitcher LeVine and reliever- Scott Schoenweiss.

Why is chicken meat and not Pareve? The admonition is against cooking an animal in its mothers milk- chickens ae not mammals!

[Dukakis88]

30. Why do authentic deli sandwiches have so much meat on them?

It's like they want to choke the customer or break his jaw with meat in order to give value for the money... They could make a "Super Size Me" movie about pastrami sandwiches.

I love how they taste, tho!

[Dukakis88]

31. Did "Egg Creams" ever have eggs in them? I know they don't these days.

[rockymountaindem]

34. Just be thankful.

More pastrami = better.

It's just one of those beautiful mysteries of life, I guess.