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    Jews: (stuff you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask)
    Jews: (stuff you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask)
    Jews: (stuff you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask)
    Ebook100 pages1 hour

    Jews: (stuff you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask)

    By Dassie Dahan

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    About this ebook

    What do you want to know about Jews?

    Are you Jewish, but curious about the rest of your people in different groups around America?

    Or maybe you aren't Jewish, but you simply want to know what it's like to be Jewish?

    Maybe you just want to know the truth behind the stereotypes.

    And, Jewish or not, do you want to know whether the Jewish tidbit you read in a novel or saw in a movie is true?

    Are you writing a screenplay or novel that includes a Jewish character and you want to know whether you can maintain authenticity while moving away from the same old tired stereotypes?

    This short little book can answer these questions and more!

    Chapter 1: Some Basic Information

    Chapter 2: Different Groups of Jews – A Brief History

    Chapter 3: Jews by the Numbers

    Chapter 4: Slices of Jewish Life

    Chapter 5: Stereotype Busters

    Chapter 6: Jews and Non-Jews

    Chapter 7: Orthodox Jews

    Discover the biggest misconception about Orthodox Jews, Jewish attitudes toward themselves and others, anti-Jewish bigotry, the differences between different Jewish groups and their social histories, some basics of Hebrew pronunciation, and much more.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDassie Dahan
    Release dateJun 19, 2016
    ISBN9781533767981
    Jews: (stuff you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask)

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      Jews - Dassie Dahan

      Copyright Page

      Ebook Edition | Copyright 2014 Dassie Dahan

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder—except by a reviewer, blogger, or teacher who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review or teaching moment for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper or blog or classroom on the condition that proper credit is attributed (i.e. author name and book title) and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

      This ebook is licensed for your use only. This ebook may not be re-sold to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and it was not purchased for your use only, then please surf over to your favorite ebook seller and feel free to purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the investment of this author.

      Although this is a non-fiction book, identifying names and details have been changed.

      Table of Contents

      Introduction—Who Needs This Book?

      Writing the Book I Wanted to Read –Or Why I Wish There’d Been a Book Like This When I Was Trying to Figure Stuff Out.

      But Wait! A Quick Word about Hebrew Pronunciation

      DISCLAIMER!

      Chapter 1: Some Basic Information

      What is the Written Law and the Oral Law?

      Torah (also known as the Written Law or the Written Torah)

      Mishna

      Gemara (used interchangeably with the word Talmud, although the Talmud is technically the Gemara and Mishna together—also known as the Oral Law or the Oral Torah)

      The Jewish Sabbath

      Keeping Kosher

      Defining Who is a Jew

      Matrilineal Descent

      Conversion

      Chapter 2: Different Groups of Jews – A Brief History

      Ashkenazic and Sefardic Jews

      Hassidism

      Reform

      Conservative

      Orthodox

      Traditional

      Chapter 3: Jews by the Numbers

      School

      Education

      Employment

      Intermarriage

      Who’s Who in the USA

      Synagogue Membership

      Beliefs

      Practices of American Jews

      Politics

      Jewish Population

      Jewish Geography

      Chapter 4: Slices of Jewish Life

      Hey, did you know he’s Jewish?

      Do you know Jeff from Kansas?

      How do you pronounce ‘Chanukah’? And why is it spelled a different way every time I see it?

      I heard you guys are the Chosen People.  What does that mean? Chosen for what?

      What’s up with that beanie you guys wear on your head?

      Do you know you’re going to Hell?

      Do you guys worship Satan?

      Generation Gap: Jews Over 45 vs. Jews Under 45

      Chapter 5: Stereotype Busters

      That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish

      Hair

      Eyes

      Freckles

      Nose

      Height

      Weight

      Race and Ethnicity

      Jews are Smart and Rich and Successful

      Jews are Stingy

      Jews aren’t athletic

      Jews are as Loud, Brash, Materialistic, Pushy, Opinionated, and Neurotic as Portrayed by Jewish Comedians.

      What about Jewish Mothers?

      Jews Talk Funny

      Are All Jews Named Rachel or Deborah or Rebecca—or Josh or David or Adam?

      Okay, Let’s Move on to Last Names.  Do All Jews whose Last Names aren’t Cohen or Levi have Last Names that End in either berg or stein or man?

      What about Hebrew Names?

      What is Hebrew School Anyway?

      You Mentioned Jewish Youth Groups, Conventions, Etc.

      Okay. And While We’re at It, What is Yiddish?

      Is Goy a Slur?

      Chapter 6: Jews and Non-Jews

      General Jewish Attitude toward Non-Jews

      The Intrinsic Attitude of Judaism toward Non-Jews

      Antisemitism

      Jews and Christians

      Chapter 7: Orthodox Jews

      A Fundamental Misunderstanding of Orthodox Jews

      Orthodox Stereotype Busters

      The Big, Big Misconception: Do Orthodox Jews—Particularly Hassidic Jews—Have their Spouses Chosen for Them?

      It Kind of Looks like Hassidic Jews Worship Their Rebbe

      Orthodox Jews and Non-Orthodox Jews

      Orthodox Jews and Non-Jews

      Variations among Orthodox Jews

      General Lifestyle

      Torah Learning

      Language Differences

      Naming Customs

      Israel

      To Sum Up Orthodox Jews

      Conclusion & Suggested Resources

      About the Author

      Acknowledgements

      Glossary

      Introduction—Who Needs This Book?

      THE GOAL OF THIS BOOK is both to give you a taste of what it’s like to be Jewish in America and to provide answers to stuff you may have wondered about, like stereotypes and customs.

      Although out of necessity, it touches on some Jewish laws and history, its main purpose is to give over the social and cultural experience of being Jewish via facts, statistics, anecdotes, and personal observations (of both mine and others) that represent American Jews of all types: Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and the unaffiliated—also known as just Jewish. And even the history presented here is more of a social and cultural history.

      So, who is all this for?

      Well, maybe you’re Jewish, but grew up in a mostly non-Jewish community and you’re curious about other Jews.

      Or maybe you grew up with lots of other Jews, but you wonder what’s going on with the rest of your people in other groups and locales.

      Or maybe you aren’t Jewish, but you simply want to know what it’s like to be Jewish.

      Maybe you just want to know the truth behind the stereotypes. 

      And, Jewish or not, most people want to know whether the Jewish tidbit (particularly if it’s a Hassidic tidbit) they read in a novel or saw in a movie is true.

      Or perhaps you are writing a screenplay or novel that includes a Jewish character and you want to know whether you can maintain authenticity while moving away from the ad nauseam stereotype of the dark-eyed, dark-haired, short, upper class, immature, emotional, academic, liberal Jew who speaks with either a Brooklyn or Valley accent, who will date or marry anyone of any race, religion, or gender—as long as they aren’t also Jewish—and suffers from workaholic, domineering parents. And let’s not forget the neurotic, pushy Jewish mother. (You can move away—far away—from these stereotypes. And the thousands of Jews who don’t fit these stereotypes will thank you for it.) Oh, and let’s not forget about the portrayals in which the pathetic Jew is finally cured by either hooking up with a bad boy biker or a California beach girl. But they are rarely portrayed as being helped by their own background. In fact, Judaism itself is often portrayed in the same way many people view a profoundly autistic savant—quirky with a flash of genius, but otherwise basically useless.

      (I’m not saying that writers should totally stay away from any kind of Jewish stereotype; some of them are based on truth. But one needn’t feel limited to them, either.)

      The fact is, the stereotypes are confusing because some are actually true. As you’ll

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