Jewish Culture - Tumblr Posts
starts talking about the importance of jewish representation and the christification of jewish figures and characters
Ashkenazi jews generally don’t name their children after the living. I don’t know how or why that tradition was established- but it is considered very bad luck.
I think the idea is that having two people in the same family/vicinity with the same name might lead the angel of death to get confused and take the wrong one.
What you might not know is that Ashkenazim don’t just avoid certain names to make things easier for the angel of death, we also pick certain names specifically to confuse him.
For example, you might name a baby that is born very sick “Alter” (lit. Old) in the hopes that the angel of death will pass over the child until they grow old.
After a near death experience, Ashkenazim sometimes change their first (Hebrew or Yiddish) names to entirely new ones. That way, if the angel of death checks back to see if he has succeeded, he won’t find anyone by the name he’s looking for alive, so he’ll move on.
I’ve never met a Jew who believes in the angel of death literally- but I enjoy the idea of an angel of death that is actually just swamped in paperwork and very easily confused.
Jack Black is cis but he has transmasc swag
19th and 20th century Hanukkah lamps from Algeria and Morocco
I want to hear from as many Jews as possible on this one so reblogs for a larger sample size would be appreciated!
Pages from mini zines about Jewish folklore (the series includes zines on golems, dybbuk, malachim and sheydim) by illustrator / zinester, Ezra Rose. Buy them here and pay what you like.
yemenite ballerina rachel nadav lighting shabbat candles, 1945
10 times Amy Winehouse was iconic showing off her magen david.
Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, Hamadan, Iran. Believed by Iranian Jews to be their resting place, and a historic site of pilgrimage.
Behold, the hamantaschen garland
Jewish woman dancing during a ceremony celebrating the arrival of wheat brought by a camel caravan. Tafilalet, southern Morocco, December 1945.
Ketubbah with depiction of the banks of the Bosphorus, Istanbul, 1853. Handwritten on paper; ink, gouache, and gold powder
The Kabbalist by Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921). Jewish Museum, Manhattan.
Wartime Reminiscences by Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921). Private collection.
FYCK YOU people who think hanukkah is the 'main jewish holiday' because it's near christmas.
i’m a little anxious to send this not on anon but i saw one of your posts where a comment mentioned jewish conversion and you seemed to support it. my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism but a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion. i know everyone has different beliefs about this but i worry i won’t be accepted
Hello tyblackthornsheadphones, welcome!
"my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism"
Oooh! Mozel tov! I'm always so happy to meet new people who want to join the Jewish community! <3
"a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion"
Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! D: There's so much misinformation being passed around online. :( Thankfully, I'm happy to report that those sources are incorrect: It IS possible to convert to Judaism. ^_^
Like any group, though, how friendly any given Jew is to potential Jewish converts depends on the individual and/or the group they belong in. Just as there's elitism and gatekeeping in every group of people ever (like high school cliques and video game circles--"you're not a REAL gamer unless X"), unfortunately you'll also find some snobbery, elitism, and gatekeeping in Judaism. :(
Though I think Rabbi Friedman has a very loving and accepting view of Jews by conversion. ^_^
The way I see it, the differing experiences of a "Jew-by-birth vs a Jew-by-conversion" can be comparable to an American citizen who was just born on American soil vs an American immigrant who had to go through a long and rigorous bureaucratic process to become an American citizen--they have to learn everything there is to know about American history, presidents, laws, customs, the legal system; spend a "probational period" living in America to become a naturalized citizen, etc.
(The Jewish religion used to be very conversion friendly, but that came to an end when Christianity and Islam became huge world powers who outlawed the Jewish community "tempting" good Christians or Muslims away from the One True Faith.
Jewish identity also used to be passed down from father to children in ancient times--as you'll see in the Torah--but that was changed by Hillel the Elder during the tyrannical reign of King Herod--yes, THAT King Herod! Hillel did this partly to give the children of Jewish mothers who were abandoned by their non-Jewish fathers a place in Jewish society, and he did this partly as a big old political "fuck you!" to King Herod, whose father was only nominally Jewish and his mother was a foreign gentile woman.)
Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish organization.
And here's a link from a Reform Judaism POV. ^_^
In my experience, Reform Jewish synagogues and organizations tend to be more accepting of and friendly to Jewish converts. (Though it's not universal! Sadly, there are snobs everywhere. D:)
So if I were you, I would just start with checking out some books on Judaism from your local library, attend Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat services with your boyfriend (that's usually a time when non-Jewish guests attend).
If your local college has a Hillel or Chabad Jewish student organization, I would visit that too! They usually host fun events that are free and open to to all, especially students who're just interested in connecting with other Jewish students, and learning about Jewish identity. ^_^
In the meantime, I'd just take time to study and learn about Jewish history and culture just for fun.
I think Sam Aranow's "Jewish History" Youtube series is a very entertaining way to learn about Jewish history, from ancient to modern.
Unfortunately I have to go to work now, but if you have ANY other questions, please reach out to me! I LOVE sharing knowledge and resources about Judaism, especially to potential converts who show a genuine interest and curiosity.
(Jewish culture can be, in my opinion, not as accepting and welcoming of potential Jewish converts as they should be, and I want to make up the difference. ^_^ )