The Left and anti-Semitism

Trump worries me, but those protesting Trump most loudly worry me more. And Jews on the Left, who have been participating in the Trump hate fest, really screwed up.

For a while, antisemitism was in the news, but only as a way of maligning Trump. Trump is not the source of antisemitism and this would have been a good time to discuss the origins of antisemitism and how it is being expressed today. The media has consistently ignored that more than half the hate crimes in the US are directed against Jews. Jews could have spoken up about antisemites (predominantly other lefties), but they stuck single-mindedly to the Left's anti-Trump agenda.

Now the opportunity is gone. It turns out that all those those bomb threats American JCCs received were made by some disturbed, Israeli-American adolescent. You can bet that antisemitism will now be treated as an imaginary phenomenon, that conspiracy theories about Jews will start making the news, and that people will be even more inclined to believe lies about Israel.

Edit: Just in time for Passover, an explanation of how Jews help Putin and Trump rule the world.

The Missionaries - Part 2

Buses were not running last Friday because Derech Hevron was closed for the Jerusalem Marathon. I walked to the First Station, built in the 1890s for the first railway between Yaffo and Yerushalayim, which has been upgraded from an abandoned building to a bunch of highbrow restaurants. It was a nice day for a walk. At first, I was puzzled to see so few runners, further on, there were many, but running in opposite directions. Either there were multiple courses or a handful of people ran much, much faster than the majority.

I planned to spend my morning reviewing von Kellenbach’s book, Anti-Judaism in Feminist Religious Thought.

Earlier this month, KJ responded to a post on her Facebook page, writing that this would be the first summer in fifteen years that she won’t attend camp at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center. It’s not as if I needed confirmation that she, like the rest of her family, faked her conversion to Judaism in order to obtain aliyah benefits, but I had held out a lot of hope. She hid or deleted the post shortly after I saw it, so I couldn’t comment on it.

I don't understand why it makes me cry. I wish understood myself better.

After worrying about it a lot, I eventually decided to talk with her. I don’t know her family’s motives (but her parents frighten me) and I doubt anyone has ever told her the Jewish perspective on Christian missionary activities. She’s smart enough, and possibly compassionate enough, to understand or at least comprehend why it’s wrong.

After reviewing the book for a couple hours, I had begun to wonder whether the conversation would even be possible. Christians do this kind of thing when they are unable to view Judaism as a separate and valid religion. Katerina von Kellenbach writes that antisemitism continues because of "the Christian inability to accept Judaism as a different and equal religious alternative." What KJ’s family is doing epitomizes that inability.

KJ seems more open than the rest of her family, but every time I've seen her offered a chance to learn about Judaism, she has avoided it and changed the subject.

I literally cried on Chaya’s shoulder, but Roni had the same question I’ve been asking myself. “Why are you crying? It’s not like we didn’t know.” Chaya told me once again to contact Yad L'achim, the anti-missionary group.

A couple of days ago, I went to someone whose advice I trust. Without mentioning names, I explained the situation and asked if he thought I should talk with her. He told me, without hesitation, to call Nefesh b'Nefesh. He said that last year, an "olah" admitted to him that she was a Christian. He told NBN and revoked her aliyah benefits.

I'm still not sure what to do. KJ is a smart person who might wise up to her indoctrination, and she could save lives if she serves in the IDF. However, her terrifying parents are returning to the country soon; talking with the mother is reminiscent of a medieval Jewish history class I once took.

Christianity is the source of Western antisemitism and has caused the deaths of millions of Jews over two thousand years. No Christian should be taking money intended to help Jews return to Israel. (We finally get away from them and they follow us here!)

I still hesitate to act. Nefesh b'Nefesh has not proved itself to be a competent organization; would they be willing to admit their mistake and address this? What would be the repercussions for me if the family isn't expelled from the country but learns that I turned them in?

It may be that they haven't actually broken a specific law. Months ago, I broke down crying in front of Jason, the city of Jerusalem olim representative. I told him about my living situation at the hostel. Since they hadn't tried to convert me, he didn't understand why I was upset.

I know that I’m right to be upset.

But why am I so upset about learning that KJ has deceived us all. Perhaps it’s simply disappointment in learning once again that people who don’t respect Judaism want to cling to their prejudices. Or perhaps it’s because that I prefer not to see negative traits in people I consider my friends.

March 24 – Yesterday, I went to the shiva for Chaya’s mother, who survived work camps and Bergen Belsen. Many words of Torah were spoken and as I walked back from the Old City, I recognized that turning the family in is the right thing to do. Israel is the home of the Jewish people, not of Christian missionaries.

March 27 - I was worried about being a "tattle tale" but I find myself feeling relieved for taking action and reporting them. Neither Nefesh b'Nefesh nor The Jewish Agency is going to take any action, but I did my part to protect the Jewish people from those who mean us harm. (And I got a pat on the back from RM Bellerose.)

The Missionaries - Part 1 is here

Settled

Small Jerusalem hotel seeks services in exchange for room. Short-term 3-4 months starting immediately. Prefer English-speaking , with current visa. Services include helping with coffee shop and relief shifts at front desk. Hebrew helpful, but not required. Email your information.

I have a job and a place to live! A free room and breakfast at a small hotel in exchange for working at the reception  desk of a small hotel.

Maya, a friend from ulpan, found the advertisement on Janglo just a few days ago and forwarded it to me.

I applied immediately and had an interview the next day. Relying on public transportation to reach a job interview on time was nerve wracking. I took a bus, got off at the wrong stop, and wandered around lost, but still managed to be early for my first interview. After a second interview and two training sessions, I know how to get there.

A French girl assigned to the bed above mine at the Post Hostel took great interest in helping select my wardrobe for the second interview. That was a very good thing, as was her lecture after I was offered the job. It took more chutzpah than I usually exhibit, but I wrote to the boss and asked her to confirm the details of our agreement in writing.

I am required to work a few more hours than I'd believed. Maya was disappointed. She thought that 40 hours a week for room and board was unfair and she didn't want me to miss the last few weeks of ulpan. However, I haven't reviewed my finances since the apartment fiasco and I still don't want to.

I doubted my ability to make a wise decision. One morning, Zakai, a newer student in the class, heard me explaining my dilemma and pointed out that taking the job would solve two problems at once, expenses and a place to live, and that, in the grand scheme of things, missing the last few weeks of ulpan would be insignificant.

His points made sense, so with some trepidation, I packed my bags and schlepped them across Jerusalem. I think I made a good decision.

My responsibilities are shamefully few. All I have to do is set the tables for breakfast and make a list of rooms that require cleaning. I've gotten in the habit of emptying the dishwasher, putting the dishes away, tidying the lobby, and in the morning, bringing in the newspaper and bread delivery. I've also started making a list of people checking in and out the next day, noting which bills have been paid. I hope it helps the next person on shift.

Everyone who works here is very pleasant. Samy who trained me, came in half an hour early the first morning to relieve me and gave me his phone number so I can call with questions in the middle of the night if necessary.

My bed is comfortable and the bathroom is decent. There is no desk in the room, so I have to study in the lobby/dining area, but it's usually quiet enough. It's nice to hear bird song instead of city traffic.

So far, I've only worked night shifts (midnight to 8 o'clock) and haven't missed ulpan once. However, I can't make myself sleep during the day, so my brain is very foggy. The building is very old so I hear every person talking in the stairwell or hallway, every key opening a door, every tv, and even the phone ringing in the lobby. Something usually wakes me as I'm drifting off to sleep.

Google image

I've seen my boss deal with employee errors (not mine-- yet) with tact and she is probably the nicest boss I've ever had. After my first week, I mentioned to her that I hadn't been sleeping and she told me that I should get a pillow and blanket from the linen room and sleep on the couch by her office during my shift. (I recall pretty clearly, her husband telling me during my first interview that sleeping on duty was not allowed.) If all the guests have checked in, I curl up at 2:30 and sleep until a box of bread slams against the front door around 5:00, acting as my alarm clock. It's not quite enough sleep, but it helps. The other "volunteer," Andrea, told me that it took her about three weeks to sort out her sleep, so soon I should be straightened out sometime next week.

I'm the only monolingual person here (everyone else speaks between two and four languages!), so I'll probably continue to be scheduled at night. And since the other volunteer is going to Hebrew University, I'll probably continue to get exactly the same schedule I did the first week. It means that, if I ever want to, I could be shomeret Shabbos again.

For now, I just want to finish ulpan and take the exam. I'm not sure what's next. Perhaps I'll stay here over the summer and take a second ulpan. If I learn to make do with one meal a day, my only expense will be the bus and incidentals.

Seeing Jerusalem and Finding a Roommate

I finally feel as if I'm in Israel!

Touring the Temple Tunnels and some other sites in the Old City last Friday was such a nice change from my routine of the last several months and companionship improved my mood and outlook. Then on Shabbos, I came close to catching up on my Hebrew (I'd missed two days a couple of weeks ago because of a bad cold).

Last week, I'd had to once again move into an expensive hotel because the Post Hostel was fully booked. That's when I met Sam. She was making a short stop here on the way back to New Zealand after spending some time in England helping her mother move. I told her that she could visit a class at Ulpan Morasha on Sunday. She loved it and impulsively decided to stay in Israel for another six months.

We've been apartment hunting-- and she's very good at it! We've viewed dozens of nice places this week. (How in the world has she found them?!) She seems committed to staying in Israel and has registered at Ulpan Milah.

Aaron unexpectedly offered to come with us tonight to look at an apartment on the corner of King George and Agron. It's very nice and, since the former tenants were with the US Embassy, I'm guessing everything works and there won't be any surprises. It's large and clean; it's furnished, the kitchen is good, and the balcony wraps around half the building. The building is known as "the ugliest building in Jerusalem," but who cares when the inside is so nice? The price isn't too high; most of the apartments Sam found were very expensive. Aaron and Doron were wild about it and I'm ready to get a copy of the contract and have an attorney look at it. (This time I'm hiring an attorney!) However, Sam isn't sure and needs a night to sleep on it.

Edit: Sam didn't want that particular apartment and eventually she left the country. The landlord agreed that I could rent the apartment by myself and add a roommate to the contract when I found one. Instead, I took a job at a hotel, a room in exchange for 40 hours a week working in the lobby.