something that has been bugging me....

[thebigkasuma]

Maybe this is insensitive to the good Jewish people, but I cannot understand why so many people are so adament about only dating other Jews. Yes, I understand that it's important to keep the Jewish people alive because it is a small population, I really do. I can respect that in theory. But in practice, to break up with a girlfriend because she's

Comments

[emply]

It's not okay. You're totally right. Good thing I'm not jewish, so we can still bang/date/be platonic lovers.

em

You probably know all this, but I think it's worth stating:

[regorfa]

It would be racist, if Jews were a race. Except we're not. We're a religion, a civilization, a culture -- a "nation" only it's most figurative way. But we're not a race

[thebigkasuma]

I completely understand the mentality, and theoretically it does make sense. The issue for me rises on that individual level that you and I both referenced, when you have an interreligious couple (or interested parties) that suddenly can't make things work on the single basis that one is not jewish. or one IS jewish. or one is asian. or black. or aetheist. or whatever. and to walk around this campus as an individual and see signs for a forum that basically preach that non-jews shouldn't be given a chance to be a part of a jew's life is unnerving. and from a non-jew perspective, the fundamental idea looks similar to say, a white supremicy group. granted, no one's lynching anybody. but still.

Except to say that if the person was black and Jewish, it would be ok

[regorfa]

Or white and jewish or asian and jewish etc. etc. There are Ethiopian Jews of the Lemba tribe that are scientifically and ritualistically able to identify as Jewish. I wouldn't, and I suspect many wouldn't, have trouble being in a relationship with them, except for the fact that they're in, you know, Ethiopia.

[meandthemajor]

I actually agree with you re: Ari's argument. I think that continuity for the sake of continuity and being afraid of numbers and all that is a dead end, if the reason behind it is discriminatory and vaguely bankrupt

[dancin_in_pesto]

First of all, I agree that it is a bit silly

[kclark1984]

The same thing could be said about most religions. I have a lot of Catholic and Lutheran friends (can you tell I'm in Minnesota?) who would never consider dating anyone who isn't Lutheran or Catholic. My good friend, Emily, actually broke it off with this guy that she could have seen herself marrying because he wasn't Catholic. It's shitty; I'm not denying that. But, that's how a lot of people are.

And I completely agree with Erin when she talked about conservatives. I've tried dating them but politics mean so much to me and I want someone with similar values to mine that I can't date republicans anymore. So, I understand where you're coming from, but it's not a strictly Jewish thing.