We should all take heed of Caitlin's timely warning. Please do not fall into the trap of conflating the Jewish race with the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians by an Israeli regime. I have noticed a few of our posts with good hearts and the best of intentions, overtaken by sorrow at the plight of fellow human beings tending to overlook this truth.
Israel is a settler - colonial state doing what other settler - colonial states ( of different races, cultures and religions ) did in another time and place. Just as they stand condemned, so does Israel. What makes it more horrendous is that the carnage is happening now right before our eyes. And it's a carnage than never before. Keep our empathy and support ( for what its worth ) for the Palestinian people pure so that it will have more impact. We should not debase our compassion by going down to the level of those who are not only blind to the suffering but aid and abet a genocide.
But you have to be born into it, like Hinduism. And many Jews are not religious. It is held together by inheritance of tradition, common blood and attitudes. You could call it a tribe or a culture.
Patrick Powers - I'm not sure what your understanding of Hinduism is. But you DO NOT need to be born into Hinduism to be a Hindu. Where did you get this idea from?
Mike, Jews are not a race. People who identify as Jewish include individuals of enormously diverse geographic origins and physical appearances, making the idea that Jews could easily be designated a race in the sense of shared physical or biological characteristics implausible. Jews historically have defined themselves as a people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Converts are also considered descendants of these patriarchal ancestors. Colloquially, Jews also sometimes describe themselves as a tribe.
The idea of race — whether applied to Jews or another group — is itself a problem. Generally used today to denote categories of people based on certain shared characteristics, typically physical appearance, this method of categorization was once prevalent in the scientific community. But many scientists now believe that differentiating human populations on the basis of shared physical traits is obsolete and that racial categories are primarily social constructs with little correlation to anything scientists can measure.
Jews are a race, like Germans are a race, like Britons are a race, like Catholics are a race, like republicans are a race, like capitalists are a race…..well, you get the idea.
I beg to differ. In New York as a Kindergartner in 1954, my elementary school was 90% Jewish. I still have my kindergarten picture. I was blond as anything. All but two of the rest of the class have dark dark hair and dark skin, as well as distinctive features. If Judaism were simply a religion, you would not be able to tell any difference between me and the other children.
We should all take heed of Caitlin's timely warning. Please do not fall into the trap of conflating the Jewish race with the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians by an Israeli regime. I have noticed a few of our posts with good hearts and the best of intentions, overtaken by sorrow at the plight of fellow human beings tending to overlook this truth.
Israel is a settler - colonial state doing what other settler - colonial states ( of different races, cultures and religions ) did in another time and place. Just as they stand condemned, so does Israel. What makes it more horrendous is that the carnage is happening now right before our eyes. And it's a carnage than never before. Keep our empathy and support ( for what its worth ) for the Palestinian people pure so that it will have more impact. We should not debase our compassion by going down to the level of those who are not only blind to the suffering but aid and abet a genocide.
What is this you call “teh Jewish race”? Judaism is not a “race”. Its a religious belief system.
Good to be corrected - Thanks to Kudjoe, also to Jenny Stokes and Patrick Powers.
I should have done some research before shooting my mouth off! Way off mark when the idea of 'race' is itself a problem.
But you have to be born into it, like Hinduism. And many Jews are not religious. It is held together by inheritance of tradition, common blood and attitudes. You could call it a tribe or a culture.
Patrick Powers - I'm not sure what your understanding of Hinduism is. But you DO NOT need to be born into Hinduism to be a Hindu. Where did you get this idea from?
Some marry into Judaism.
Jewish is a race, like German is a race.
You have your benign Germans/Jews, and then there’s the “master race” types of Germans/Jews.
Might even be some overlap there.
Some of those things/creatures read Mein Kamph, some read Torah/Talmud.
Both see “the other” as inferior, and undeserving of life.
And, they aren’t the only two.
Ask the indigenous peoples of North America about that.
We seem to be in a race to the bottom.
The lowest common denominator.
Or is it dominator.
My way of agreeing with you,
I think.
Mike, Jews are not a race. People who identify as Jewish include individuals of enormously diverse geographic origins and physical appearances, making the idea that Jews could easily be designated a race in the sense of shared physical or biological characteristics implausible. Jews historically have defined themselves as a people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Converts are also considered descendants of these patriarchal ancestors. Colloquially, Jews also sometimes describe themselves as a tribe.
The idea of race — whether applied to Jews or another group — is itself a problem. Generally used today to denote categories of people based on certain shared characteristics, typically physical appearance, this method of categorization was once prevalent in the scientific community. But many scientists now believe that differentiating human populations on the basis of shared physical traits is obsolete and that racial categories are primarily social constructs with little correlation to anything scientists can measure.
Exactly.
Jews are a race, like Germans are a race, like Britons are a race, like Catholics are a race, like republicans are a race, like capitalists are a race…..well, you get the idea.
“It’s bullshit, and it’s bad for ya.”
-G. Carlin
Understood. Thanks.
I beg to differ. In New York as a Kindergartner in 1954, my elementary school was 90% Jewish. I still have my kindergarten picture. I was blond as anything. All but two of the rest of the class have dark dark hair and dark skin, as well as distinctive features. If Judaism were simply a religion, you would not be able to tell any difference between me and the other children.
Very well said Indu Abeysekara! Thank you.