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Saturday, November 15, 2008

What do Jewish people look like?

First off, let me start this post by saying that I absolutely DESPISE people who pretend to know what they're talking about, when in fact they don't know anything about the subject. I think they just talk to hear themselves talk. I'd like to share the incident I had the pleasure (note the sarcasm) of experiencing today at Target.

I went in to get: A special toy for Peyton (the Occupational Therapist suggested a special day that he only gets to play with when he follows his routine in the morning), a White turtleneck for Sophie (for her holiday dance show), and cold medicine as I'm battling a serious sinus thing.

Of course, in my sick haze I walk up and down every aisle, ending up at the TINY end cap Hanukkah section. That's it for Hanukkah, just a tiny little section. It has the usual -- some Menorah's, candle's, little driedels to play with, etc. I had just picked up a really pretty Menorah when the following conversation happened:

Little girl (L.G) Mommy, what's that word mean?
Mom: That means Hanukkah.
L.G.: What's hammakah?
Mom: It's the Jewish Christmas, just like our Christmas but they get it for 7 days. They don't get as many presents thought, just one a day. Let's go, we have a birthday party to get to.

(Now, I have to interject here. I HATE, HATE, HATE when people refer to Hanukkah as the Jewish Christmas. IT.IS.NOT)

So anyway.....

So at this point I turn around, and because I'm sick and feeling bitchy I say (which I thought was coming out in a nice way):

ME: Actually, Hanukkah has nothing to do with Christmas. They're two separate holiday's. They just fall in the same month.
Mom: Well, how do you know?
ME: Because I'm Jewish and I celebrate Hanukkah
Mom: Well, that's funny because you don't look Jewish, how was I supposed to know?

At this point, the mom and her little girl (who had since lost interest in the conversation) started to walk away, leaving me more than mildly annoyed in the end cap Hanukkah section.

I get that all the time -- "You don't look Jewish". I always feel like I have to explain my whole background to people - that I wasn't born Jewish, but later converted when I felt the time was right in my life.

So now there's this little girl walking around thinking that Jewish kids get visited by Santa Claus as well, and damn it -- that's just wrong!

1 comments:

Unknown said...

i'm here from momdot and just had to read this post, sorry for being nosey!

"you don't look jewish"???

what is that supposed to mean???

how does someone look jewish?

do i look christian?

that's ridiculous!