My best friend T. gets asked all the time if she's Jewish I guess because mostly her name?
I mean, if she had a REALLY Italian or Greek name, (to match her features) so you could place her as that right away, you wouldn't wonder if she was Jewish anymore & therefore wouldn't ask (most likely)?
(for those people that ask, usually Jewish people I think, who else would care, right?).
2006-10-13 08:46:36 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It never bothers me when someone wants to know if I'm Jewish. But most Jews recognize my Jewishness. It's the Christians who ask, sometimes as a prelude to an invitation to their church.
2006-10-13 09:00:06 · answer #1 · answered by Sweetchild Danielle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, first of all, the particular girls in question sound like total snots. I'm Jewish (although with blonde hair/green eyes) and I certainly didn't get anything from Tiffany's for my Bat Mitzvah (bar is for guys, bat is for girls), nor would I assume anyone else did. As for your second question, there is a certain tendency to assume that people are or aren't Jewish. I don't think it's malicious - it's just the same way that Christians want to know who else is Christian, or people of a certain heritage would want to find others from that same background. Of course I'm friends with a wide variety of people, but there are certain elements that are shared in Jewish culture, and it's nice to know who I can discuss that with. I guess it can sort of become a game to figure out who's a Jew and who's not, but ultimately those sort of assumptions are quite often wrong, and not only in your case. I know a guy who has a German name and curly hair who everyone assumes is a Jew, and no one would guess that my other friend who is Chinese is Jewish, except for her last name. I don't know what you mean by the rhinoplasty remark, but the nose thing is a pretty stupid stereotype. Out of all the Jews I know, maybe two have the stereotypical "Jewish nose". Anyhow, this is all a little bit rambling, so to sum up - yeah, I think it can be a game, but more than that, it's just a human need to classify that affects non-Jews as well as Jews. I don't think it relates to insecurity, and in and of itself, I don't think it's particularly rude, although I think those girls in particular were just being obnoxious. Please don't judge us all by that!
2016-05-21 23:27:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Right! It's like seeing a blond person with the last name Gonzalez. Humans always want to group people into groups and when there is a discrepancy, their whole world is going to collapse.
I think I got asked if I was Jewish one by a Jewish man, and once by a gentile woman.
2006-10-13 08:50:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nope, they could have dyed their hair, have in contacts, have a spray on tan - just a million different things. Plus I don't really care if a person is Jewish or Baptist or Catholic or whatever I am more interested in things like are they nice, funny, a good person...that sort of stuff. If I want to know someones religion I simply ask them.
2006-10-13 08:49:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jews are a minority in those regions of the world. I wouldn't assume the people fitting your description are Jewish.
2006-10-13 08:49:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dude....what the hell r u talking about? If she's Jewish and looks Jewish that's why ppl ask if she's Jewish. And if she has a Germanic name why would ppl ask if she was Jewish?
2006-10-13 08:50:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some German names are common among jews, so if it is one of these, then that's probably why. If a name sounds german, it will not always seem like a jewish name.
2006-10-13 08:49:56 · answer #7 · answered by martin h 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest, no. I don't think about faith and what beliefs people have and categorize them like that, I am more interested in what kind of a person they are.
I can admit that I am a little vary about people I think may be muslim, but that is more or less the medias fault because I know all muslims don't go around "jihading."
2006-10-13 08:50:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She could have Hebrew roots and not even know it. You are familiar with the northern ten tribes of Israel? Well do you think they just disappeared? I'm of the opinion that every family in Europe has a bit of Hebrew in their tree if you shake hard enough.
2006-10-13 08:50:10 · answer #9 · answered by Bimpster 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes people ask just for the sake of asking, but no I dont assume anything.
2006-10-13 08:52:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋