ltj.jpgOf late it seems everyone wants us. The Vatican is back to its old shenanigans and Jews are all upset about a prayer that goes as follows:

We pray for the Jews. That our God and Lord enlighten their hearts so that they recognise Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all mankind. Let us pray. Kneel down. Arise.

Shoot. Even the Unitarians are getting in on the act. Yeah. Well, the fact is I’m not really worried about the Catholics and even less worried about the Unitarians. They are members of another religion. Of course they’re going to think that their religion is better. Heck have you seen some of the stuff in our liturgy? Hmmm… like on Passover when we ask god to “Pour out Your wrath upon the nations who do not know You.” That’s not remotely warm and fuzzy. While I am certain that more Liberal branches of Judaism have expunged that from their more hippie friendly Seders, it’s still there for many Jews. Religion is just not meant to be warm and fuzzy and if the Catholics want to beg their “God” in order to get Jews to be into Jesus, well I’m all “bring it on bitches.” I mean shoot, we can barely get Jews to practice their own religion, how are a bunch of pansy looking old men in Italy going to be successful?

But what is more worrisome is the love we’re getting from Shiksas non-Jewish women. I was recently interviewed by Amber Sutherland for an article in Radar about bagging a Hebrew Hottie

…Jewish men are expected to be educated, financially savvy, morally sound people. Why not exploit that stereotype for personal gain? Any single shiksa with her eyes on the prize will tell you that new Jew stock is rising and Jewish husbands are looking more attractive than ever.

I agreed to help Amber find “this year’s hot new accessory: a Jewish husband.” I did this because the guy Amber was looking for did not have to be Jewish and the whole mission was kind of, well, lame. In fact, Amber (who is in fact very wise) concluded by stating:

…refusing potential love outright based on antiquated familial demands is almost as ridiculous as engaging a stealthy operation to win it in the first place.

If you are Jewish and refuse the entreaties of a Mosaically challenged significant other, it ought to be based on something substantial – a Judaism that is relevant, resonant and meaningful and that manifests itself in one’s life on a daily basis. Anything else would be tribal, narrow minded, ignorant and, you know, stupid. The organized Jewish community shouldn’t focus on mere booty bumping opportunities for young Jews. The focus ought to be on Jewish literacy, education and substantial stuff. It’s not as sexy or as easy but that would solve all our problems, no?

Well, maybe. While Jezebel kvetches that Jewish women don’t get any pop culture love (Huh? Jewish women are hotter than ever!), Marc Gellman in Newsweek moans that “America is loving her Jews to death.” He makes some valid points, and some less than valid points, but his article does present a challenging question doesn’t it? It seems that the more we become accepted by American society, the less of us there are. Hmmm. So now what?

Oh. And happy Valentines Day!

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About the author

ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

25 Comments

  • I was considering a post on that prayer to clarify; it is part of the Tridentine rite (the Latin rite) for Good Friday. The majority of congregations does not opt for the Tridentine rite, but conducts the services in the language of the land. The Second Vatican Council banned the Tridentine rite for the sake of congregants getting a better idea of what was happening during services, but last year the Vatican granted that the Tridentine rite may be optional. It then was determined that the original words of that very prayer were offensive towards Jews, so they were weakened. I do not think that the changes went far enough, but then again, all Christian denominations believe they are the true faith and that everybody better be Christian, but it was only the Catholics (John Paul II. in collaboration with Benedict XVI.) that exempted Jews from missionary attempts; that means that they may express their hope that Jews turn Christian, but they won’t ring on your door or hit on you on the street to make you “offer you better consider on behalf of your soul” and they won’t pose as BT to “preach to the Jews of Jerusalem”. If a Catholic official (e.g. a priest) tries to proselytise and make you convert, report him. He then is acting against his orders.

  • “If you are Jewish and refuse the entreaties of a Mosaically challenged significant other, it ought to be based on something substantial – a Judaism that is relevant, resonant and meaningful and that manifests itself in one’s life on a daily basis. Anything else would be tribal, narrow minded, ignorant and, you know, stupid.”

    Indeed.

  • Don’t think Vatican II banned the Latin rite, froylein; it imposed restrictions on its use. Anyway, I have a feeling that the new language will make its way into the vernacular Good Friday liturgy.

    As for Jewish chicks in popular culture: no Grammy props here for Amy Winehouse? Is she too edgy for the right-leaning Jewlicious crowd?

  • Actually, there was a ban on the Tridentine rite. Individually, it was still practised, but against the constitution (I think it was Sacrosanctum Concilium). Mind you, my father studied at the Gregorianum. 🙂

  • Well, local parishoners had to request the Latin rite, and their bishops had to approve its use. Benny’s now loosened this restriction. There’s a church here in Boston that’s featured the Latin Mass for many years.

  • Oh well, the Boston dioceses seems to be one of a kind – it even made the news over here. Priests were not supposed to encourage the Tridentine Rite; it remained common in the Anglican church though where you’ll still find choir screens in the High Church.

  • Per one of the local bugles: “[c]urrently there is one weekly Mass in Latin, recently relocated from Holy Trinity Church in Boston to Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Church in Newton, which is attended by about 250 people out of an estimated 373,000 who attend Mass on the average Sunday in the archdiocese.”

  • And as of February 10, it’s back at Holy Trinity, the German parish in Boston: “[t]he Tridentine Mass will be celebrated each Sunday at 9:00 AM. Effective on February 10, the German Mass will be moved from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.”

  • Oh, and yeah, I’m sort of into the sturm-und-drang aspect of Lent. Got ashed last week, make it a habit to listen to some of the great music composed for the period, stuff like the Couperin and Gesualdo tenebrae responsories (you want anti-Semitic texts– forget the current pope, listen to that) and Lassus’s Penitential Psalms of David…. or Krenek’s 1943 ‘Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah’, very much a product of its dark time.

  • right-leaning Jewlicious crowd??? What on earth are you talking about Tom? There isn’t a single right winger in the whole bunch. None of our Americans are remotely Republican that I know of…I’m a friggin Liberal Socialist for all intents and purposes. While I am shepping such naches from Amy’s 5 Grammies, that hardly makes her edgy. You want edgy Jews? Check out Russendisko (seriously, Google them right now) or Peaches, neither of whom will ever win a Grammy. We’re plenty fucking edgy. I was kinda saving the props for Beth – Amy Winehouse is like, her beat. But in lieu of that… way to go Amy!

    So now can we talk about the article in Radar? I caught a lot of shit for it and I’d like some feedback!

  • mea culpa, ck. Call it an overreaction to Middle’s Obama-bashing. I mean, this is the one guy who’s pledged to break bread peacefully and respectfully with Ahmadinejad and work it all out.

  • What kind of shit, ck? Colluding with the enemy/contributing to the downfall of Judaism kinda stuff?

  • Told you my opinion, ck. I’m not worried about intermarriage given the biblical instances of it, the obvious practice of it among Ashkenazi Jews, and the possibilty of doing paternity tests etc., but I do get concerned about what some journalist on hagalil once called “positive antisemitism”: generalizing (positive) statements on Jews / Jewish culture that a) do not do the peer group justice (as diversity is denied), and b) have shown to have backfired more than once, e.g. “the Jews are good with money” -> “the Jews are after money” -> “the Jews control the global economy”. That journalist also mentioned the sheer endless stream of mediocre klezmer musicians people get hyped about just because they’re Jewish, which, on the flipside, provides for a decline of quality in artistic expression.

  • I wrote an article for Messianic Gentile women explaining how much a Messianic Jewish man gives up if he marries a Messianic Gentile woman instead of a Messianic Jewish woman. For that reason, I urged Messianic Gentile women to consider carefully the cost there would be for their desired spouse and to– as a general rule–defer to Messianic Jewish women and not to try to scoop up all the Messianic Jewish men. My article was well-received, and it raised several points that singles within the Messianic community may not have considered. I especially got thankful responses from Messianic Jewish women.

    When people are not greedy and selfish and actually try to do what is thoughtful and loving, the world becomes a better place.

  • Okay, I’ll bite.

    Pam, a messianic Jewish man is exactly the same as a messianic gentile man. A messianic Jewish woman is, in fact, no different than a messianic gentile woman. There is a divide between Jews and non-Jews and that divide is defined by faith in Jesus as anything other than he having been a Jewish man.

    Now, I don’t care what you believe or what you practice. I don’t care that with funding from Southern Baptists who seek to convert Jews to Christianity your movement prospers in large part by stealing using the symbols, customs, name and culture of Judaism in order to practice your faith. Go right ahead and use everything you like.

    What I do care about, however, is your group’s mission to convert Jews to Christianity. You can call it Messianic Judaism but it is Christianity. The use of Jewish symbols and customs in your rituals and church are intended to lull those Jews who are either ignorant or in a troubled state into thinking that somehow they are joining a Jewish congregation. This is despicable.

    Your congregation’s mission statement exemplifies what I’m talking about:

    Congregation Beth Messiah is called to take the good news of Messiah “to the Jew first;”

    We will remain one in the Spirit; for there is no spiritual difference between the Jew and the Gentile.

    We are working together to produce a healthy atmosphere for Jewish people to discover Yeshua.

    This is shameful. It is disappointing. It is beneath Christians. Please stop.

    Oh, and save the lecture about how Jesus is the messiah. Jewlicious is the wrong place for that. You wrote, “When people are not greedy and selfish and actually try to do what is thoughtful and loving, the world becomes a better place.” Now please apply that thought to your group’s activities as they relate to converting Jews to your faith. And stop.

  • Lapsed Catholic digs the lady rabbi’s comment about the “pansy looking old men in Italy”. Are they ever!

  • “defer to Messianic Jewish women and not to try to scoop up all the Messianic Jewish men”

    Ha ha, good one, Pam. I’m sure women are just swarming around these Messianic Jewish men. A Jew who believes in Jesus—every girl’s dream.

    You give out some very cultish vibes, Pam, with the generous tone of your warm and fuzzy hallucinations.

  • Paul-Harvey du Bois please e-mail me if you see this post. I was needing to speak with you about something. Are you from Texas?

  • Jewish people are like what 3-4% of U.S. population yet constantly come up as leaders in business, media, clothing, real estate, law, accounting.

    So maybe it’s time to stop crying . So sad that your history is full of persecution and pogroms, you’re not the only race, social group, etc. to be persecuted or sought killed [Tibetan monks, early Christians, Rwandans, Sudanese, etc.].

    FACT, the U.S. has been very good for Jewish people and my father and many others we’re involved in liberating Europe and Jewish and other camps.

    MAYBE IT’S TIME for Jewish people to stop bitching and start taking some responsibility to demonstrate love back.