Do You Speak Jewish?
Myself and many others can attest to being asked this question at least once. But what does it really mean? Are they referring to Hebrew and just donât know thatâs what itâs called? Do they actually think thereâs a language called âJewishâ? Itâs a simple question, but thereâs so much meaning behind it.
In my experience, Iâve never heard someone ask another person if they âspeak Catholicâ or any other religion. So why is it so common for Jewish people to be asked if they âspeak Jewishâ? Their intentions may not always be to hurt someone, but the question itself can be a form of antisemitism.
Antisemitism is a real and ongoing issue in our world today. Many teens and adults are harassed daily just because they are Jewish. It could be something small, like insulting their Star of David necklace, or something largerâlike an entire group singling out Jewish individuals. So many assumptions are made when generalizing Jewish people:
And the list of harmful stereotypes goes on.
One of the biggest assumptions Iâve encountered is that all Jewish people are Israeli or that we all speak Hebrew. While many Jews do speak Hebrew or are Israeli, not all of us fit into those categories. To me, being Jewish doesnât mean visiting Israel all the time, speaking Hebrew at home, going to synagogue every week for Shabbat, or even wearing a Star of David necklace.
Being Jewish is about the culture, the holidays, the beliefs, the communityâand so much more.
My family does not go to synagogue every Friday for Shabbat. I donât always wear my Star of David necklace. We donât speak Hebrew.
I am still Jewish.
So, if Iâm asked that question again, my answer will be simple:
Yes, I speak Jewishâbecause my identity speaks louder than words.
Julia Feldman is a BBG from the South Jersey Region, and she is a dancer and cheerleader!
All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.