I simply loved every single part of this. So true and so sad that many people shut themselves off from a lifetime of discovery! This is the only way that humans can survive, connect with each other and live and learn!❤️
It's always interesting that those who are most anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic/anti-Israel refer to Israel as a "racist white colonialist enterprise". Either they are ignorant about Sephadi and Mizrachi Jews or they simply don't fit their narrow racist narrative.
Either way I've given up trying to engage with racists bigots like them as they are beyond redemption
I enjoyed the article because I, too, have gravitated towards people unlike me since a child. Maybe it was because I grew up in a neighborhood whose inhabitants were of different ethnicities, and everyone got along with one another. Neighbors could argue about something they didn't agree with and when they were finished, took their beach chairs, sat down, and continued a friendly conversation. I have learned so much from the people I knew as a child, and from friends and colleagues who came from very different backgrounds. They enriched my life as I hope they felt the same. Those times are long gone, and quite truthfully, right now, I prefer the company of people who share my political sensibilities about the Hamas/Israeli war, our current US administration, the state of our education system, etc. I cannot give my energy to people who lost their interest in learning by acquiring knowledge, listening to another's viewpoint, and having a simple discourse to learn from one another. We've strayed from those times. When I've tried to talk to my good friend, we always end up at a stalemate because she doesn't want to hear what I have to say. She's not highly informed, but I listen to what she has to say, even with the attitude that what she says is final. Fortunately, we have a lot more in common and enjoy each other's company, and I stay away from any issues that will trigger tension. On the positive side, a former student who visits comes from a totally different place than me. She is a young, African American student who is very intelligent and loves to learn. We have wonderful conversations about anything and everything. We learn from one another all the time which is so much fun. I believe there are a lot of young people like her. We just have to be fortunate enough to meet and get to know them.
I have many acquaintances who are anti-Semites. There are orthodox anti-Semites. They have been implanted with the dogma that Jews are evil, they perceive this as a given fact and do not question their belief in this dogma. There are ideological anti-Semites. They take as a basis myths or conspiracy theories about Jews and Zionism, and logically substantiate these myths and conspiracy theories by manipulating facts, articles by pseudoscientists, Wikipedia (I accidentally looked at Wikipedia - this is a treasure trove for an anti-Semite).
And there are anti-Semites who are for peace. The most illogical and stupid group. They want peace, they are against violence, they are defenders of the poor and oppressed. And they claim that they are not anti-Semites, but anti-Zionists. This is precisely the most important contradiction.
They want peace, they are against violence and they defend the poor and oppressed except when it comes to the Jews. At this point they become "anti-Zionists". That is, this is the most poorly disguised anti-Semitism, which hides behind the substitution of the name anti-Semitism = anti-Zionism.
That is, if the author of the article told his interlocutor a joke about another country or another people, he would listen to the end, laugh and discuss. But when it comes to Jews or Israel, "he is anti-Zionist."
And another very important point of this essay. All these anti-Semitic/anti-Zionist, anti-Israel people have one thing in common. They are completely ignorant about Jews, Israel and Zionism. They use myths, dogmas, manipulations and lies, build a fictional world out of this, a distorted reality, live in this reality for years and are not ready to part with it. They resist any intrusion of real information, real facts.
Sometimes I have the impression that they will explode if they realize that Jews can be good people, that Israel is a normal democratic country, much more democratic than many Western countries, that Zionism is one of the best things that ever happened to the Jews. And they are afraid to understand it.
I simply loved every single part of this. So true and so sad that many people shut themselves off from a lifetime of discovery! This is the only way that humans can survive, connect with each other and live and learn!❤️
Check out her website and music! Beautiful, haunting and interesting. Thanks for this interesting post.
It is increasingly difficult to find people who accept the differences and learn from them. Wonderful text.
It's always interesting that those who are most anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic/anti-Israel refer to Israel as a "racist white colonialist enterprise". Either they are ignorant about Sephadi and Mizrachi Jews or they simply don't fit their narrow racist narrative.
Either way I've given up trying to engage with racists bigots like them as they are beyond redemption
Excellent essay.
Wonderful and necessary article. Thank you for sharing Loolwa’s words.
I enjoyed the article because I, too, have gravitated towards people unlike me since a child. Maybe it was because I grew up in a neighborhood whose inhabitants were of different ethnicities, and everyone got along with one another. Neighbors could argue about something they didn't agree with and when they were finished, took their beach chairs, sat down, and continued a friendly conversation. I have learned so much from the people I knew as a child, and from friends and colleagues who came from very different backgrounds. They enriched my life as I hope they felt the same. Those times are long gone, and quite truthfully, right now, I prefer the company of people who share my political sensibilities about the Hamas/Israeli war, our current US administration, the state of our education system, etc. I cannot give my energy to people who lost their interest in learning by acquiring knowledge, listening to another's viewpoint, and having a simple discourse to learn from one another. We've strayed from those times. When I've tried to talk to my good friend, we always end up at a stalemate because she doesn't want to hear what I have to say. She's not highly informed, but I listen to what she has to say, even with the attitude that what she says is final. Fortunately, we have a lot more in common and enjoy each other's company, and I stay away from any issues that will trigger tension. On the positive side, a former student who visits comes from a totally different place than me. She is a young, African American student who is very intelligent and loves to learn. We have wonderful conversations about anything and everything. We learn from one another all the time which is so much fun. I believe there are a lot of young people like her. We just have to be fortunate enough to meet and get to know them.
Great essay. It’s time to throw off the cloak of stereotypes and embrace the many facets of Jewish identity.
Perfect. This is such a familiar situation.
I have many acquaintances who are anti-Semites. There are orthodox anti-Semites. They have been implanted with the dogma that Jews are evil, they perceive this as a given fact and do not question their belief in this dogma. There are ideological anti-Semites. They take as a basis myths or conspiracy theories about Jews and Zionism, and logically substantiate these myths and conspiracy theories by manipulating facts, articles by pseudoscientists, Wikipedia (I accidentally looked at Wikipedia - this is a treasure trove for an anti-Semite).
And there are anti-Semites who are for peace. The most illogical and stupid group. They want peace, they are against violence, they are defenders of the poor and oppressed. And they claim that they are not anti-Semites, but anti-Zionists. This is precisely the most important contradiction.
They want peace, they are against violence and they defend the poor and oppressed except when it comes to the Jews. At this point they become "anti-Zionists". That is, this is the most poorly disguised anti-Semitism, which hides behind the substitution of the name anti-Semitism = anti-Zionism.
That is, if the author of the article told his interlocutor a joke about another country or another people, he would listen to the end, laugh and discuss. But when it comes to Jews or Israel, "he is anti-Zionist."
And another very important point of this essay. All these anti-Semitic/anti-Zionist, anti-Israel people have one thing in common. They are completely ignorant about Jews, Israel and Zionism. They use myths, dogmas, manipulations and lies, build a fictional world out of this, a distorted reality, live in this reality for years and are not ready to part with it. They resist any intrusion of real information, real facts.
Sometimes I have the impression that they will explode if they realize that Jews can be good people, that Israel is a normal democratic country, much more democratic than many Western countries, that Zionism is one of the best things that ever happened to the Jews. And they are afraid to understand it.