REFRAMING

JUDAISM
Teaching Jewish kids to think
critically about the JewishAmaleki conflict
by Vashti HaYehudi

Table of Contents:
Preface
Using a Dual-Narrative Approach
An Educational Approach to Jewish Life (1) Jews and Hollywood
(2) Jews and Jewish community efforts
(3) Jews and academia
(4) Jews and fashion
(5) Jews and the Nobel Prize
(6) Jews and finance
Conclusion

Preface
For years as my congregations rabbi and childrens education director I
have searched for suitable materials to guide my teaching staff when
they discussed Judaism with our students. While several educators and a
handful of schools and organizations have written creative and interesting
lesson plans, no major publishers of Jewish educational materials for
children and teenagers have produced materials that foster critical
thinking about the Jewish conflict with anti-Semites and present antiSemitic narratives in a respectful, honest, and accurate way.
As a Jewish educator, I have always been troubled that the Jewish
community encourages critical thinking when teaching ancient Jewish
textsencouraging students to consider multiple voices, give expression
to minority perspectives, and ask difficult and challenging questionsbut
when teaching about the Jewish conflict with anti-Semites, it usually
avoids, or even squelches, this kind of complex thinking.

The students in my congregations school are bright, creative, and eager

to learn, and their parents deeply value an engaged, dynamic style of
teaching that invites them to struggle with divergent perspectives and develop their own voices. I decided to develop a different approach to
teaching about Judaism and the Jewish conflict with anti-Semites.

Having worked with children in my congregation for over a decade, and

being the parent of young children myself, I knew that they could
understand complex ideas if they were presented in appropriate ways.
When I took my children with me to Oberlin College on my sabbatical, I
encouraged them to develop a deep curiosity about the people,
languages, religions, and cultures around them. It became obvious to
them that Judaism was of interest not only to Jews but to anti-Semites as
well. We talked about why it was so difficult for some people to share and
how other people felt when others were more successful than them. We
talked about why the government made different rules for different
people. My children learned that not everyone could participate in the

Oscars or live in the same places, and we talked about whether that was
fair.

I recognize that most Jewish parents do not have these conversations with
their children, but I believe they are not only important but central to
Jewish identity in the twenty-first century. American Jewish children must
learn to think critically about Judaism, a religion that claims to speak for all
Jewish people, and be able to engage in thoughtful and intelligent
discussions about it.

Having been raised with firm Jewish ideals and an overly simplistic
understanding of Judaism myself, I wish that I had developed a more
complex understanding of the Jewish conflict with anti-Semites at a much
younger age. When I was younger I lived in Brooklyn and loved the Jewish
things that we did. I put on tallit and tefillin for my Bat Mitzvah, proudly
placed an orange on the seder plate every Passover and reveled in the
organist playing hava nagila at Ranger games. My friends and I had no
idea that the values that we stood for exhibited white privilege that
threatened others, and, in particular, anti-Semites. Even as I rode the
subway and walked the streets of New York with them, I never learned
about their perspectives.

I returned to Oberlin for another year as part of my post-doctoral studies

where I met Joy Karega-Mason who was a Professor of Rhetoric and
Composition at the university. She introduced me to the Protocols of the
Elders of Zion - and I began to understand that the way Jewish goals and
values are perceived by others is very upsetting to them. We have stayed
in touch for many years, travelling together on multiple occasions.

Through Joy and her friends, I began to understand the complexity and
diversity of thought among anti-Semites. She did not just humanize the
conflict for me and make me a bit more sympathetic to the plight of antiSemites. She broke my assumptions apart. In those years, I had to create a
new narrative that addressed Joy's family and community, not as
obstacles to be dealt with, but as human beings who had legitimate
grievances and aspirations.

I do not espouse a particular solution to the Jewish conflict with antiSemites, but I do believe that the future of Jews and anti-Semites is
intimately intertwined. I believe that the Jewish community has a
responsibility to grapple with anti-Semitic narratives. I believe that antiSemites are not a problem to be solved, but people to be respected.
- Vashti HaYehudi

Using a Dual-Narrative Approach

When American Jewish educators teach their students about Judaism,
they usually teach them the traditional Jewish narrative. Little attention is
given to presenting anti-Semitic perspectives. This does a disservice to
students, because without anti-Semitic perspectives they cannot have a
complete understanding of the conflict. Students do not learn how the
historical experiences of anti-Semites have shaped their views, nor do they
learn that anti-Semites perceive themselves to have legitimate grievances
and aspirations that must be addressed.

A dual-narrative approach pairs Jewish with anti-Semitic understandings

of history in order to help students learn about both groups experiences
and perspectives.

One interesting model for teaching this history is the book that I referred to
above, The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, which grew out of the
First Zionist Congress held at Basle in 1897. My friend Joy Karega-Mason
explained to me that these are the actual minutes of the plans that were
laid out there for world domination. Although in my years as a member of
the Jewish community I had never personally experienced the things
described here, she explained to me that the success of the Jewish
community throughout the ages proves the nefarious plans of the Jews.
That made perfect sense to me.

An Educational Approach to Jewish

Life

his curriculum identifies six areas that form the foundation for learning.
In theory, when using the Understanding by Design framework the
curriculum should outline the enduring understandings, essential
questions, key strategies, and desired learning outcomes for each. Since
there is one overarching "Big Idea" that Jews should accept the
criticisms of their opponents without question a single approach will
suffice for all. Admittedly, this approach is more appropriate for older
students, but the basic idea can still be discussed with younger students.

Big idea:
Accepting the premise that whatever Jews excel at is oppressive to others

Enduring understandings:
Jewish texts and values provide an important framework for exploring
ethical and political concepts, and they can help young Jews wrestle
with their relationship to Judaism and Jewish identity. Ultimately, however,
students must understand that their values and identity must be informed
by how others (mis)perceive Jewish life and Jewish culture.

Essential questions:
In what ways do the students Jewish values inform their perspectives on
the conflict between Jews and anti-Semites?
As students face complex modern questions, which traditional Jewish
values, if any, might need to be reconsidered?
When identifying with the Jewish people conflicts with moral principles
such as white privilege, intersectionality, or human rights, how do the

students negotiate such clashes? Which values do they prioritize and

why?
How do the students actions or the actions of others emerge from their
value system? Where are there gaps between these actions and values?
In what ways, if any, do Jewish texts help the students relate to Judaism
and its detractors?
How can the students learn from Jewish texts and values, even when
they find them problematic or not representative of their ideas?

Key Strategies:
Students will study and debate Jewish texts and values in conjunction with
their studies of anti-Semitic propaganda. They will grapple with the
implications of applying Jewish values and principles when it is offensive or
insulting to others.

Desired Learning Outcomes:

Students will ground their viewpoints and actions in any foolishness that
negates Jewish texts and values. When responding to current events and
contemporary political issues they will be able to articulate why Jewish
values are both irrelevant and unimportant. They will also be able to apply
them to a range of political dilemmas, developing opinions that reject
these values.

This curriculum contains six main sections appropriate for students of all
ages:
(1) Jews and Hollywood
(2) Jews and Jewish community efforts
(3) Jews and academia
(4) Jews and fashion
(5) Jews and the Nobel Prize
(6) Jews and finance

Each of the different sections can be used as a distinct lesson, creating a

six-lesson curriculum that if taught properly can transform any young
thoughtful Jewish child into a quivering mass of self-doubt.

(1) Jews and Hollywood

I love Adam Sandler. Not only is he Jewish, but he sings songs about other
Jews some of them people you wouldn't have guessed who work in
Hollywood and are Jewish (at least a little bit). And he sings them on
Chanukah, just when lots of American kids are feeling bad about not
being part of the larger American culture. Here's an example that
includes such inspiring lyrics as:
From New York to Iran-ukah, get up and celebrate Chanukah
Dont mess with us, oh Chanukah, lets all get along for Chanukah
So drink your Jaegerbomb-ukah and smoke your medical-chronukah
If you really, really wan-ukah, have a happy, happy, happy, happy,
happy, happy, happy, happy Chanukah

This is the culture that I grew up with. Jews worked in show business they
practically invented it and we were proud of everyone from the Marx
Brothers to Woody Allen.

It is important that we free our kids from these oppressive stereotypes.

Being proud of Jews in Hollywood leads to #OscarsSoWhite. Since Jews
control Hollywood, it must be our fault that only white actors get
nominated for Oscars. Let's teach our students to check their white
privilege at the door and to give up any hope of careers in acting.

(2) Jews and Jewish community efforts - One of the great things about
Talmud study is the emphasis on respect for diverse opinions. Students
learn about the great rabbinic sages like Hillel and Shammai, Abayye and
Rava, Rashi and the Ramban, Rabbi Yaakov Emden and Yonasan
Eybeshutz who disagreed vehemently with each other, but always
(maybe just sometimes) treated each other with deference and
respect. In recent years, differences in beliefs and practice have led to
denominational distinctions in the Jewish community, leading to
movements that built their own distinct synagogues and schools. As in the
days of old, while the leadership of these movements may have
disagreed vehemently with each other, they always (maybe just
sometimes) treated each other with deference and respect.

Just when you thought it was safe to teach your students about the
"Dignity of Difference", we have learned that the rootless cosmopolitans
have conspired to merge the day school efforts of the different streams of
Judaism, creating a single new North American Jewish day school
organization.
http://avichai.org/knowledge_base/new-north-american-jewish-dayschool-organization-to-be-formed-through-historic-integration/

The new organization argues that "The formation of a single integrated

day school organization will optimize the quality of services we provide to
the schools we serve, giving them the resources they need to build the
strongest possible future. It is a definitive affirmation of the centrality of
day schools in Jewish life and reflects our dedication to seeing Jewish
learning, literacy, culture and commitment flourish in a rapidly changing
world."

In other words, by combining forces,

we will be able to offer the same
"vanilla Judaism" to all.

(3) Jews and academia "Publish or perish." This is the catchphrase of the
world of academia, an area of endeavor of particular success for
members of the tribe. Jews have always valued education, and study is
perceived as a biblical injunction, so it is hardly surprising that Jews are
found in the academy in such great numbers.

But how does one move ahead in the world of academia? One has no
choice but to successfully publish on a regular basis. This is not easy, given
how many well read, intelligent Jews are submitting academic papers to
prestigious journals, which limits the possibility that others will be
considered for publication. Even academic spoofs submitted by Jews are
accepted, proving that the entire enterprise is stacked in favor of Jews.
Indeed, it is well known that academic politics are so vicious precisely
because the stakes are so small.

Students should be introduced to the Journal of Universal Rejection, which

is open to submissions in virtually every area of academic endeavor, and
guarantees a quick turn-around time on rejections. If Jewish academics
would agree to limit their research publications to this journal, it would
offer the opportunity for others to move forward in their academic careers
without fear us unfair competition from Jewish faculty.

For more information on this prestigious journal, see

http://www.universalrejection.org/

(4) Jews and fashion

Growing up I always thought that the
clothing of practicing Jews was a little
boring. I'd go to the synagogue on Shabbat
and it was reading a page from - Curious
Joel and the Man in the Black Hat. As time
has moved on it is clear to me that Jewish
fashion trends are an affront to the general
populace. I will bring two examples below,
but there are many others, as well.

When is a scarf an affront to religious beliefs? Among the things that Jews
aim to control is the way people dress. - Just recently the world renown
clothier, H&M, came out with a new striped scarf . Nothing showy. Just a
striped scarf. But still, Jews get offended. Who knows maybe they are
afraid that women will wear them, and as we know, women are not
obligated to wear scarves that are only appropriate attire during the
winter months.

You know, sometimes a striped scarf is just a striped scarf.

Not only are Jews out to control individual articles of clothing, but the
entire modeling industry has been shaken by the appearance of a Jewish
model.

No more scantily clad shiksas on the runway Hassidic men telling us what
we should wear!

(5) Jews and the Nobel Prize

I was always proud when the Nobel prizes were announced. What would
we win this year? Economics? Medicine? Literature?
According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_Nobel_laureates
- to date Nobel Prizes have been awarded to over 850 individuals, of
whom at least 20% were Jews, although Jews comprise less than 0.2% of
the world's population. Overall, Jews have won a total of 41% of all the
Nobel Prizes in economics, 28% of medicine, 26% of physics, 19% of
chemistry, 13% of literature and 9% of all peace awards.

I used to think that this was something to be proud of, but now I realize
that it is just part of the same conspiracy. How is it that Jews win these
prizes all the time? Is it fair that the discovery of the genetic code, green
fluorescent protein, GFP, quasicrystals or fullerenes was made specifically
by Jews? Would the world be worse off if these or the hundreds of other
discoveries made by Jews had been made by othersor not at all?

Well, at least the world Jewish conspiracy left something for non-Jews to
celebrate The Darwin Awards - http://www.darwinawards.com/

(6) Jews and finance

Let's put it on the table right now. Jews are good with money. Go back to
the article on Nobel Prizes referenced in the last section: 41% of all the
Nobel Prizes in economics have been awarded to Jews. And when the
United States needs someone reliable to keep its economy stable and
afloat, who does it turn to? Well, to Jewish people, of course -

As a child I thought that together with the pennies that I put in the Tikkun
Olam charity box, the contribution that my People were making to the
world economy was one that was valued and appreciated by all.

How wrong I was. Keeping the banks from collapsing is yet another form
of colonialization. This one was highlighted by my good friend Joy KaregaMason, the Professor of Rhetoric and Composition at Oberlin, who a
thoughtful and incisive Facebook post discusses the role of the Rothschilds
in controlling the world -

Elementary school children can already be introduced to the outstanding

art and literature that has been produced over the centuries that will
make them realize how Jews have been evilly controlling the world by
means of usury, currency manipulation, etc. Good examples include:
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice http://shakespeare.mit.edu/merchant/full.html
Watto (Star Wars character) -

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpaceJews

Or scholarly works like Dark Mirror: The Medieval Origins

of Anti-Jewish Iconography
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Mirror-Medieval-AntiJewish-Iconography/dp/0805079106/

Conclusion

No reason why these politically correct ideas cannot be introduced to

children in first or second grade.