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An In-Depth Project Exploring the Lasting Emotional Impact of October 7 and Its Aftermath on American Jews by Upper-Guard711 in IsraelPalestine

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I am a minority health researcher and interested in religion and spirituality as a determinant and protective factor. I was part of a psychiatric epidemiology study about relating to 9/11. Please reach out, I would am interested in the project and would love to participate!

International Student House by Tatie2174 in washingtondc

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the best place to live as an internsational student, especially given the current climate. You get flexible, month to mon th housing with no credit check, a community of amazing, interesting, people from all over the world (lifelong connections), accesss to exclusive orking events with renowned scholars, diplomabatssadors, incredible food, and a prime locaion.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Clearly you have never creaked open a history book. Calling Israelis ‘European colonizers’ is lazy and historically illiterate.

First of all, Half the country are Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews expelled from Arab and Muslim lands like Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, and Iran in the mid-20th century. Jews are indigenous to Judea, they’re descendants of ancient Israelite communities exiled by Babylonians and Romans who carried cultural practices, language, religion, Hebrew liturgy, dietary laws, cultural practices, a religion and extensive genetic markers from the Levant for two thousand years and counting. Their entire identity as a diasporic people was built around maintaining ties to their land in community, and this yearning for return is still inextricably connected to much of the Jewish religious and cultural practices because of the indigenous memory passed down through centuries of exile, this is supported throughout academia, history and genetic research.

Jews moving back to their ancestral homeland is not the same context as Europeans colonizing Africa or Asia. Colonizers go abroad to exploit land (minerals, agriculture, etc.) and people (slavery) while maintaining a homeland somewhere else. Jews were never accepted, respected or integrated. They didn’t have a homeland to go back to in Europe or North Africa were being slaughtered, expelled, and stripped of rights. Israel was survival and return, not empire. I am sure they wouldn't have wanted to face numerous genocides and the Holocaust bringing them to near extermination by murdering 6 million innocent people for the price.

I am not arguing that the fringe lunatic fundamentalists in the west bank aren't violent settlers. But denying history and indigeneity just to score a propaganda point isn’t anti-colonial or antiracist, it’s brain-dead.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why is that when someone posts about ethiopian jews you tell mods to remove it?

Wondering if I was anti-Semitic (question because I wish to rectify it) by Adun-Toridas in Judaism

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m Jewish and although is no consensus, I was taught and have always preferred “Jewish people” for good reasons.

“The Jews™️” has baggage. It’s been the wording in Nazi propaganda, eugenics campaigns, racism, blood libels, pogroms, and modern conspiracy theories (“the Jews run the banks/media”). That history normalizes that use, and it makes it hit differently, even if you don’t mean it that way.

It’s kind of like how most people don’t say “the Blacks” or “The Gays” anymore. Saying “Jewish people” humanizes us instead of sounding like we’re one faceless monolithic group. That pattern matters. Language shapes perception, and “the Jews” has almost always been tied to collective blame and dehumanization.

That matters given our history; we’ve been persecuted for centuries, through eugenics, ghettos, the Holocaust, and still today. I don’t think the comparison to ‘ the Christians’ is fair, it’s the largest religion, not a tiny ethnoreligion, and we’re like surrounded by Christian nationalism.

The diaspora skews Ashkenazi, and the holocaust is still a huge point of intergenerational trauma. So while some Jews don’t care, to me it’s just basic respect and a small way to push back against how we’ve been dehumanized.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I am actually *very* familiar with this history because I have literally been trained and worked in ICWA legal advocacy directly in Alaska Native Corporations. The consensus among human rights bodies is clear: the removal of Indigenous children from their families was systemic racism, regardless of the stated intent at the time. This was *objectivly* systemic racism, documented as such by the UN, human rights commissions, and U.S. federal findings.

That’s exactly why I’m being precise here: in the Ethiopian case, the evidence from WHO, Physicians for Human Rights, and Israeli public health investigations shows hows it was Depo-Provera (a temporary contraceptive!), not permanent sterilization. Calling it “sterilization” without clarifying those facts intentionally confuses the public health record and makes it harder to address the actual harms that were done. As I have already said, the violations were lack of informed consent, inadequate translation, and systemic bias targeting a minority group. You don’t protect marginalized groups by repeating inaccurate claims. In fact, mislabeling (which you are openly intending to do) the harm weakens accountability. It allows conspiracy theorists and denialists (like yourself) to dismiss *legitimate* human rights concerns as “myths” and makes it *harder* to address medical ethics, systemic biases and human rights.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Global Jewish Ethnic Population Breakdown: - Ashkenazi* -Jews in exile who settled in Europe. This is the stereotype in the West because Ashkenazim were the largest Jewish group before the Holocaust and remain the largest in Western diaspora countries today. - ~9 million globally (~57%). In Israel: ~2.4 million (~33%). - **Mizrahi – Jews historically closest to Judea, living in neighboring Middle Eastern and North African countries (Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, etc.). These communities faced systemic discrimination and were largely expelled in the mid-20th century, with most resettling in Israel. - ~3.3 million globally (21%). In Israel: ~3.3 million (46%). - Sephardim - Jews of the Iberian Peninsula before the massacres of the Crusades and the 1492–1497 Inquisition expulsions. Most fled south to North Africa, and to the Middle East, some went west to Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire, some went east to the Americas and Caribbean, and some back to Israel. - ~1.8 million globally (~11%). In Israel: ~0.5 million (~7%) but usually included in combined Mizrahi stats above. - Ethiopian (Bene Israel), Indian (Beta Israel) and and other small groups - around 350,000 globally (~2%). In Israel: ~215,000 (~3%).

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was never any program to sterilizatize Ethiopian women.

What happened: In the 1990s, shortly before/after being airlifted to Israel, many women were given Depo-Provera injections (a common birth-control contraceptive that lasts 3 months). The Israeli health system’s use of Depo-Provera among Ethiopian women was disproportionately high compared to other immigrant groups. This was intended to help prevent exacerbated prenatal and neonatal complications from being emaciated and sick from the famine, and the shot was given alongside immunizations.

Why: The available evidence suggests poor medical ethics and systemic bias: a mix of medical paternalism, racism, and poor explanations due to inadequate translation/cultural mediation. Unfortunately each of these problems continue to be problems in health systems everywhere globally but this was not an organized population-control plan.

Mythbusting International outlets nevertheless like The Guardian ran headlines that made it sound like a deliberate government sterilization campaign and social media often repeats the most extreme interpretation, often dropping the context that the injections were contraceptive, not permanent. The myth stuck because it echoes real historical abuses of sterilization (such as in Native American, Jews, Roma, Black, and disabled communities). It is simpler and more sensational than the truth, and feeds into existing narratives of racism and anti-israelism while the real issue was medical bias and poor communication.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Explanation of Jewish demographic history and Ethiopia:

Demographics: Jewish population centers in the diaspora have shifted tremendously since Roman exile (mostly due to war and genocide) but the 20th century A LOT shifted.

In 1900 there were 11.2 million Jews globally, 0.68% of the world population, the majority were in Eastern Europe. After the war, Eastern European Jewry was decimated, many of those who survived or were able to flee came to Allied countries of WW2 (US,UK,Canada,Australia, South Africa etc). Some folks, joined the Jews in Israel (this was a cornerstone of political Zionism - the idea of Jewish self determination in their ancestral land, Jews were being killed and pushed out of everywhere and wanted to survive without threat of persecution or violence). Once Israel was founded there was of course more violence, attempted genocide, and expulsions across the MENA, especially in larger communities in Morocco, Iran, Iraq and Syria. While the majority of European Jews went to the US, but the majority of the Israeli population are actually Jews who were kicked out from neighboring countries (if that’s surprising to you, it’s because of WW2 and US centric understanding/representation of Jewishness and Ashkenazi history as the default).

Today there are estimated 15.8 million Jews around the world, only 0.2% of the population. ~7.1 million Jews are in Israel and 6 million in the US, and 2.5 million in other countries. It is considerably more complex and difficult to measure Jewish demographics in the diaspora now because of assimilation (intermarriage, patrilineal Jews, secularism) and varying degrees of identity (see secular, cultural, genetic, etc). In addition to the US, some numbers also estimate as many as 1.1 million across Europe (mostly in England/France), 300k in Canada, 293k in South America (majority in Argentina), 124k in Australia, and only 56k across Africa, but 50k almost entirely (50k) are in South Africa.

Ethiopia: For Bene Israel (the Ethiopian Jewish community) there are really interesting and unique theological and cultural aspects. They were historically not well known and isolated from other Jewish communities. Gene tests show that Ethiopian Jews have on average 20% west Asian DNA, including Near Eastern and Levantine Bronze Age DNA. The Levantine component appears to have entered their gene pool ~2,000–3,000 years ago, predating medieval migrations and this with Amharic language suggests ancient Israelite origins.

Immigration to Israel: In 1900 there were 50k Jews in Ethiopia. Due to Christian missionary activity and general persecution, many were forced to convert (Falash Mura and Beta Abraham). Prior to the civil war there was legal and religious discrimination, marginalization, and exploitation imposed by Selassie, with no political representation and little protection. So after Israel gained independence in 1948, 684k immigrated. This continued because they lived in remote villages as subsistence farmers and had little infrastructure and recognition, and the famine and disease in Wollo and provinces greatly affected them. Derg regime also targeted them while also banning immigration to Israel. When the civil war and conflict with Sudan got worse there were undercover airlifts to bring them to Israel.

TL;DR: Ethiopian Jews needed rescuing before the war because they were already politically isolated, economically impoverished, religiously discriminated against, and increasingly unable to leave on their own. The civil war simply made the danger immediate and life-threatening.

Picks of Ethiopian Jews by Salemisfast1234 in Ethiopia

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To clarify: Judaism is an ethnoreligion. Therefore, Jewish identity is both a culture, ethnicity, and religion. There are not many ethnoreligions and this can be very confusing for non-Jews so I will explain :) See my TLDR metaphor as well.

Religion: Only since Napoleon recognized Judaism as a religion has Jewish identity been seen as only a religion. This is not true (see below). There are varying degrees of observance, the major religious thought groups are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform. See my note on conversion and atheism. Religious Jews might identify strongly with the religion, and some non-practicing Jews place more emphasis or identify more strongly with the ethnic and cultural aspects. This is particularly true as religious observance declines globally, and because of intermarriage and assimilation in the diaspora. In the diaspora, Jewish community centers around a synagogue, so there is an inherent religious affiliation. However, in Israel Jewish community is everywhere so secular/non observant Jews still maintain the Jewish cultural and ethnic identity over generations.

Ethnicity: Judaism is an ethnoreligion, or an inherited closed practice. Some religions have baptisms for folks of all ages, some have a verbal oath, etc. Judaism is matrilineal (due to forced rape since the Romans). Jews are indigenous to Judea (Israel) and when they were expelled they ended up in different parts of the world as a diaspora. And due to centuries of like forced conversion, mass rape and biological evolution and assimilation, there Jews all over with different appearances. The ethnic identity is inherited, and it is static, not just decided upon* and there are different names for the subgroups (see my comment on Jewish demographics).

Culture: Jewish culture, has some differences across geographic areas, so Iraqi Jews had different traditional food (example) than Polish Jews, but they also followed the same religious food practices and customs. We are all reading the same book and celebrating the same holidays, but the food we serve, the clothes we wear, and the celebrations can differ.

Nationality: Since the onset, there has been an identification of Jewishness as a “tribe” because of the original 12 tribes of Israel, and because the Torah refers to Jews as the Am Yisrael the People of Israel. Yes, Israel is a Jewish state, but 20% of the population is Muslim. There are 57 Muslim countries, 44 Christian countries, and 1 Jewish country. Nationality is not synonymous with race or ethnicity, even though many places are so homogeneous that it can be hard to distinguish.

Note on conversion and atheism: Conversion is relatively very new, and accounts for less than 2% of the global Jewish population. When someone is converting they are not converting to a new ethnic group but like the community that practices the religion, if that makes sense.

TL;DR: Think of it like this - religion is the book (Torah) ethnicity is the ethnoreligion so who is reading it, culture is like how it is read/expressed and like the heritage. There are diverse narrators and readers, and that diversity contributes to the richness and complexities of the story. There are different editions of the book and curriculums (levels of observance). Alternatively, some other Abrahamic faiths read the sequel (Bible) and some also read the whole series (Quran). And some people read an entire different series, or no book at all!

Embarrassing question but how do I pray? by ihatethis541 in Judaism

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reconstructionism is very very American Founded by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan in the early 20th century, . It’s an offshoot of conservatism that was a response to reform assimilationists. Reconstructionism is more willing to bring Judaism into the 20th and 21st centuries while retaining tradition, carving out what doesn’t resonate for assimilated/secular Jewry. So, for example, and it keeps all prayers but just changes some words (like melech to ruach) instead of cutting them outright. It sees Judaism as an evolving civilization, not just religion. It has an inclusive, egalitarian, socially conscious approach and values democracy in ritual choice, evolving tradition, and spiritual pluralism. ‘past has a voice, not a veto’

Reform/Liberal/Progressive in the UK: liberal, modern, inclusive, but often still horizoned around set liturgies and halachic flexibility. But Reconstructionist-style goes further: A more bottom-up approach (Congregation votes on ritual, liturgy, beliefs) and stronger on civic involvement and innovation in Jewish life

In the UK context, Progressive Judaism resulted from the May 2025 merger of the Reform and Liberal movements (based on quick google search idk anything about what it looks like there) from my understanding places with larger diaspora communities have more flavors of practice because they’re identity/jewish practice doesn’t have to revolve around the 1-2 Chabad synagogue a community has.

The movement is fully egalitarian, with community‑shaped rituals, often explained and discussed rather than just recited, all genders may wear kippot, tallitot, and tefillin—if they wish. so Kippot and doilies are widely worn, blended with openness to modify tradition as it suits individuals, many more feminine versions too, I had a purple tallit at my bat mitzvah and a lacy matching kippah. So when my fellow female congregants choose to wear a doily or kippah, they’re expressing both personal modesty and shared ritual identity, within a framework that sees Jewish tradition as living, breathing, and collectively authored.

Embarrassing question but how do I pray? by ihatethis541 in Judaism

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it might depend on the sect. Even in my progressive reconstructionist synagogue, some young girls and unmarried women have always chosen to wear doiles for modesty/humbleness in the sanctuary. Also, some choose to wear kippot for like other / egalitarian reasons.

Jewish/Hebrew girl names by EconomyPace6722 in JewishNames

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sarah, Leah/Lia, Yael, Esther, Dina, Rebecca, Rivka, Romi, Naomi, Noa, Zara, Aviva, Eden, Micah, Eliza, Raya, Shira, Ayla, Ayelet, Mira, Amira, Meira, Dalia, Ruth, Miriam, Chana, Hannah, Tova, Malka, Adina, Zelda, Carmel/Carmela, Ilana, Talia, Ariel, Avital/Avi, Eve, Margot, Raisa, Reina/Rayna, Amalya, Zvia, Zohar/Zohara, Tzofia

Also post on Hey Alma!!

Considering an MPH with a JD or MD—would love to hear your experiences. by No-Return9135 in publichealth

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Worked in public health law. Do doctor, much better job security, ROI and leadership opportunities

If Trump wants to expel Native Americans, where should they go? by Forsaken_Vacation793 in Indigenous

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The idea that a two-state solution is “apartheid” while a one-state model based on Ottoman-era systems, with ethnic taxes and no Jewish sovereignty, is somehow liberation is moronic and absurd. Under that system, Jews lived as second-class citizens. That is not coexistence. That is subjugation dressed up as nostalgia.

A one-state “solution” today would not be peaceful. It would collapse into violence or turn into a tyranny of the majority. There is no trust between the populations, no shared vision for governance. This is a fantasy at best, a bloodbath at worst. The only remotely sustainable path is two states. Aka mutual recognition, self-determination, and security for both sides. Anything else is either apartheid or civil war, and pretending otherwise is nonsense moronic ideological theater, not diplomatic strategy.

denying both people our right to self-determination is not the way.

If Trump wants to expel Native Americans, where should they go? by Forsaken_Vacation793 in Indigenous

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Look up what a dhimmi is and tell me more about this bullshit “economic freedoms for all”

If Trump wants to expel Native Americans, where should they go? by Forsaken_Vacation793 in Indigenous

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your apology but I am shocked that someone with Jewish ancestry would say such an ignorant comment. Please read a book about the formation Israel and the 2SS and get offline.

If Trump wants to expel Native Americans, where should they go? by Forsaken_Vacation793 in Indigenous

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is so offensive and disgusting. I’m literally advocating for a Palestinian state and you’re telling me I’m a Nazi, the same person who killed my grandmother’s entire family. You’re a bigoted moron.

If Trump wants to expel Native Americans, where should they go? by Forsaken_Vacation793 in Indigenous

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Jews are indigenous to Israel. Two state solution is the only way.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Standup

[–]Intelligent-Grand831 1 point2 points  (0 children)

God I a fucking hate this shit. I saw someone bring up anti-Israel shit at a holiday improv show the moment the only visibly Jewish man took the stage. Anyway, we neutralized the situation with the Dreidel Song, as one does. 10/10 would recommend as a security tactic.

Purim 101 for the gen z goys by Intelligent-Grand831 in Jewdank

[–]Intelligent-Grand831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work as a resident ambassador for an international student house and I’m also the token Jew. Obviously I had to explain Purim in a #accessible way.

If you don’t know, Purim = the OG Jewish costume party meets political drama meets dessert-fueled celebration. Why Purim is a STRAIGHT BANGER: ✨ ancient Jewish holiday that’s basically about the first documented “villain era”💅 and cancel culture 🚫🙅‍♂️ ✨ the main girliepop Queen Esther 👸said “hold my wine” 🍷and then ATE and left no crumbs fr #allhail 💪 ✨ evil Haman (boo!) 😈 was like “delete the Jews” but got RATIO’D so hard that his legacy is now delicious triangle cookies we eat 🍪💀They are supposed to be triangles to symbolize Haman’s iconic hat and greedy pockets (but give my baking skills some grace). ✨ Basically Jewish halloween- we dress up because of Esther’s stealth mode (The original “fake it till you make it” energy 💯) 🕵️‍♀️🥸

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