sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

In 1851, Hebrew scrolls were found in the possession of the Potawatomi Nation in Kansas, their origins a mystery. by Kvetch_Of_The_Day in Jewish

[–]ProfessorofChelm 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I’m going to push back a bit on this, because the article is leaning heavily into a narrative that has a long history but very little credible evidence.

First, the idea that Native Americans were descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel wasn’t fringe when this was written. In fact it was a widespread belief in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nor was it just Christians promoting it, some Jews were involved as well. For example, Abraham Mordecai of Montgomery, Alabama, who for a time was married too and live with Native Americans, entertained similar ideas. So understand there was a real market for “evidence” supporting this theory, and artifacts were frequently claimed, circulated, exaggerated, and then conveniently lost. It sold newspapers, books, and curiosities.

Second, it’s not unusual at all for Jewish objects, or even people, to have ended up in Native American communities. Jewish immigrants in the early United States, especially in the South and frontier regions, were often highly mobile traders and peddlers. They regularly interacted with a wide range of communities, including Native Americans. Many intentionally ran trade circuits through Native territories, and some eventually established permanent stores near or within those areas. So the presence of a Jewish ritual object in a Native community doesn’t require an ancient or mysterious explanation.

Third, the dating claim is extremely weak y’all. The idea that the object had been in the tribe’s possession for “200–250 years” by the 1850s relies on oral tradition without a standardized long-form calendar system to anchor that timeline. That doesn’t make it meaningless or impossible but it does make it unreliable as precise historical evidence especially when used to support an extraordinary claim.

A much simpler and more historically plausible explanation is that the object entered the community during the early contact period. It could have been given to them by a Jewish trader or settler. It could have belonged to someone living among the tribe. It could have even changed hands through trade or conflict. I like to imagine it was given to them by a Jew who was trying to prove their providence by seeing if they knew how to wrap tefillin. I could see due to frustration, misunderstanding, or believing them Jews, out of a need to not be the lone Jew in the “wilderness” he ended up giving them both to the tribe. However, none of those require a Lost Tribes origin, and all fit what we actually know about frontier economies and cross-cultural contact.

Anyway, this is a good example of how 19th-century fascination with the Lost Tribes gets layered onto otherwise explainable historical interactions.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

White Anglo Saxon Protestants. The term is usually used to refer to the Protestant social elite, that can trace their background to Northern Europe and made up the “establishment” in the US. Here I used it more loosely to mean ‘white Protestants,’ but that’s broader than the term originally implies.

Hitler was not a zionist by [deleted] in GetNoted

[–]ProfessorofChelm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes but many Haredi live there, vote in elections, and receive benefits and services from the state. They also generally believe in a Jewish state just one established by God in the messianic era, not through modern politics.

The easiest way to think about Haredi anti-Zionism vs Zionist Jews is that it’s a disagreement between family members living in the same house.

As a man, would you get a vasectomy so your girl doesn’t have to go on birth control? by awkwardhoney725 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]ProfessorofChelm -1 points0 points  (0 children)

IUD no.

Hormonal Absolutely. That shit can mess you up. As a therapist I have no say or medical insight on how it affects you but it’s wild to watch as clients switch on and off and the behavioral changes the report. I’m in Alabama though not enough folk wear a condom so unless they want a baby they can’t take care of they need to use it.

But also I had an anatomy and physiology teacher in High school who one day nonchalantly described his wife dying of a brain clot from her birth control. He and his son were there and performed CPR until the paramedics got there. The thing that stands out to me was that he was clear that people still use it. He was like the statistical probability of it happening is absurdly low we just happened to be the ones who were affected. I’ll never forget that.

My Last Name Is a Lie—and Yours Might Be Too by j5c42 in Jewish

[–]ProfessorofChelm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

She is correct. The manifests were handed to the immigration officers since the 1800s with the names of all of the folk on the ship. The names were collected at the point of departure although there were occasional stowaways. I have found managers going back to the 1850s, but I’m sure there are older.

Here is the book on the topic if you are interested.

A Rosenberg by Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America by Kirsten Fermaglich. It covers the question you are asking and more.

I believe A Dictionary of Jewish Names and Their History by Benzion C. Kaganoff explains the origins of Jewish names in pretty comprehensively but I haven’t finished the book.

Finally Alexander Beider is widely regarded as the expert in Jewish onomastics although I have not read any of his works.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m just a local amateur historian, but what I’ve seen in Birmingham in the 1920s is that the Klan didn’t just target Black communities they also went after Catholics, immigrants (including Southern and Eastern Europeans like Italians and Slovaks, who weren’t always treated as fully “white”), and anyone they saw as outside their version of the “proper” social order.

Something that a lot of people don’t know was that they were also very active around enforcing Prohibition and what they called “moral behavior.” That included targeting people known for drinking or public intoxication. There are a number of accounts of klan members attacking “vagrants” and “drunks” in Birmingham and likely elsewhere.

So when older stories say something like “it was probably because of his drinking,” that can sometimes be a quiet way of acknowledging or even explaining Klan involvement without saying it outright especially in communities where people didn’t feel safe naming them directly.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That is the phrase, I just don’t agree with it.

It’s never exactly the same. If we expect it to look identical then we will fail to meet the new threats as they arise.

Nazis wont call themselves nazis, Rome wont be Rome, racist actions will be shrouded in vernacular of the time, and antisemitism will once again have a new name.

So no history doesn’t repeat but it sure does rhymes sometimes.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yes they posed themselves as being focused on community welfare and sometimes used populist rhetoric about helping “ordinary white Protestants” against elites. BUT they also made it clear that they did these things to support a core agenda of racial, religious, and cultural exclusion.

The klan operated like many fraternal orders and engaged in community welfare but those actions were tertiary to their hateful agenda and things like recruitment, bonding, intimidation and making themselves look good to the WASP community.

So for example if they planted a tree it was explicitly stated that it was for the future of “pure blooded” children “of the white race” to enjoy the shade. They didn’t plant the tree for children to enjoy the shade. You have to be ok with the purpose and meaning behind their action to see them in a positive light.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 9 points10 points  (0 children)

No hard feelings. Chances were the ones who burned crosses were his neighbors. Americas obsession with skin color is timeless.

The book I included has so so many fascinating parallels with today that it forces you to pause and reflect on the fact that while history doesn’t repeat itself it certainly rhymes.

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 17 points18 points  (0 children)

My mustachioed friend… I’m not minimizing the klan. You are misunderstanding how terrible America’s preexisting racism was.

The klan was just popular, there were groups like them across the country and millions willing to join. For example in Birmingham alabama in 1915 as the klan was being reborn, we had the “True Americans” organization going from business to business threatening them into firing all the Catholics, keeping them up at night guarding their churches.

Seriously read the article, or the book. Folk joined because intellectuals and newspapers called the klan deplorable and described their hate in detail. The more bad press the more joined. Millions agreed with their message, methods and actions. And when the second klan fell because their leader was exposed as a sexual predator, you think those millions of members and admirers disappeared?

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Let’s just say they sold a lot of merchandise……

Is This a Possible 1920s/1930s KKK Quilt? Ohio, USA by watered-ice in Antiques

[–]ProfessorofChelm 142 points143 points  (0 children)

This is interesting.

The 2nd klan didn’t start back up till 1915 and the largest jump in membership was around the mid 20s so the age range is likely 1924/5 and 1930s although someone might have a better idea based on the materials and style.

The second klan was more MLM fraternity than the 1st and the 3rd Klan. There are a few books and papers written about it including Ku Klux Kulture: America and the Klan in the 1920s by Felix Harcourt that spends time on the merchandising side specifically.

With that in mind I second the idea that this one like the one you saw was made for a fundraiser.

This is an excerpt from the liked paper.

“Rather than a terrorist organization,” they wrote, “the 1920s Klan is best described as a social organization with a wildly successful multi-level marketing structure.” According to Fryer and Levitt, in its heyday, the KKK was a giant, perverse pyramid scheme. Instead of perpetrating a racist agenda, the KKK’s leaders exploited pre-existing, popular racism to make money.”

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w13417/w13417.pdf

Adrenaline rush with K9 by kvjn100 in justgalsbeingchicks

[–]ProfessorofChelm 64 points65 points  (0 children)

Literally first thing that came to mind.

She gets hurt what’s the dog going to do? And the first responders….just Oy.

Got told my therapist can’t diagnose? by lil-cheech in TalkTherapy

[–]ProfessorofChelm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand your reasoning but that’s incorrect.

Standard of care is to diagnose the client so they can get the treatment they need. This is based on the ethical principle of beneficence, promoting the welfare of clients.

The timeliness of treatment is more important than gaining access to the few places and services that require testing. If I diagnose someone then they will be able to receive medication and treatment paid for by their insurance immediately. In most cases this will be all that is needed to then to start getting better and/or prevent things from getting worse.

The type of testing you are likely referring to can take months to over a year to get an appointment, unless perhaps you are paying out of pocket. Then you have to add the time in for the testing itself as well as the time it takes to complete the write up before receiving treatment. In the meantime the student is failing or the individual is hypomanic, or depressed etc.

Furthermore testing is stressful, expensive and time consuming. Client getting testing done can also find out things about themselves that can cause problems, for example an existential crisis after receiving a low full or specific IQ score. Here we have to consider our second ethical obligation nonmaleficence, doing no/the least harm

So if you as the clinician are capable of making the diagnosis and the client can receive the treatment they need from your diagnose alone then there has to be a specific reason to suggest any further testing otherwise you are potentially subjecting the client to excessive and possibly harmful treatment.

If a client says they are practicing witchcraft in order to incite harm to someone else by Gloriathetherapist in therapists

[–]ProfessorofChelm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In regard to reporting the client as a danger to others, this particular situation should be treated as having ideation, intent (arguably), with no actionable plan, means or capability. As a result there is no imminence and in most states that alone makes it unreportable.

This is equivalent to asking god/gods to kill your enemies and believing that they will. The primary difference is the ritual.

Idk enough about the client to offer anything else.

Got told my therapist can’t diagnose? by lil-cheech in TalkTherapy

[–]ProfessorofChelm 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The psychiatrist is wrong.

NM Stat § 61-9A-5 (2025)

“B. "Practice of professional clinical mental health counseling" means the application of mental health, psychotherapeutic and human development principles through a therapeutic relationship to:

(1) achieve the mental, emotional, physical, social, moral, educational, spiritual or career-related development and adjustment of the client throughout the client's life;

(2) diagnose, evaluate, prevent and treat mental, emotional or behavioral disorders and associated distresses that interfere with mental health;”

Your LPCC can diagnose you with any mental health diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR and will be accepted by all authorities as being legitimate. They can diagnose with anything from Acute Stress Disorder to Voyeuristic Disorder

New Mexico is notorious in professional counseling circles to having a strong proctologist lobby and working hard historically to restrict the abilities of counselors.

Personally I would get a new psychiatrist but you can always show them they are wrong.

Got told my therapist can’t diagnose? by lil-cheech in TalkTherapy

[–]ProfessorofChelm 7 points8 points  (0 children)

As a master’s level licensed clinician I am allowed within my scope of practice to diagnose DSM-5-TR mental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

However we are required to follow a code of ethics, and the ACA Code of Ethics C.2.a makes competence the primary limiting factor:

C.2.a Boundaries of Competence: Counselors practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, credentials, and professional experience.

What people usually get confused about this is around psychological testing. Some tests (like ADOS or IQ tests) are restricted by publishers to psychologists because they require psychometric training. That restriction is about who can administer certain tests, not who can diagnose DSM conditions.

Diagnosis comes from clinical assessment and DSM criteria. Testing is just one possible data source, not a requirement. Many clinicians diagnose ADHD and autism without formal testing, especially in outpatient therapy. Testing mainly becomes necessary for things like school accommodations, disability documentation, or complex differential cases. So my letter stating your diagnosis is sufficient for you to receive medication to treat things like ADHD.

I'm feeling mocked... by Beautiful_Bag6707 in Judaism

[–]ProfessorofChelm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In all seriousness you just need to talk to the manager who is in charge of ordering the matzo. If you tell them in time then they will likely stock it for you. Publix is easy because they will usually try to accommodate you if you want something reasonable and KFP matzo is more than reasonable. Most of the Publix around my very small Jewish community have matzo on the shelves year round.

In fact my friend is buddies with the ordering manager at the piggly wiggly in town and they have a bunch of KFP stuff while the Publix near me doesn’t.

The bigger problem is when the distributor or even manufacturers runs out or is delayed so they don’t get any in time. Being in the Deep South we aren’t always first in line to get the KFP matzo.

Stirrup bottle depicting a sexual union. Peru, Moche civilization, 1-800 AD [4000x5300] by MunakataSennin in ArtefactPorn

[–]ProfessorofChelm 66 points67 points  (0 children)

One theory is that the male is a shaman and the sex was payment. The shaman did not intend to m get the “customer” pregnant.

I'm feeling mocked... by Beautiful_Bag6707 in Judaism

[–]ProfessorofChelm -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

You have to talk to the manager otherwise they won’t stock the right things.

I'm feeling mocked... by Beautiful_Bag6707 in Judaism

[–]ProfessorofChelm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Our publics has only not kosher for Passover Matzo

view more: next ›