Con Ed helps right-wing religious group

These guys are annoying as f*ck stop asking me if i am jewish every 2 blocks. I am going to knock that thing over.

They're trolls, all right, but they're not out to annoy people... They're trolling for converts ... Jewish converts... to their cult.

Next time, do what I do: reply "No, are you?"

SlopeDuder said:

These guys are annoying as f*ck stop asking me if i am jewish every 2 blocks. I am going to knock that thing over.

Magicube said:

Next time, do what I do: reply "No, are you?"

I HAVE done that, they just say Yes! right away.

OK, one time I was on subway and one sat right next to me and he immediately started in as soon as I sat down. I tell him "none of your business" about 50 different ways, and he kept badgering me, finally he asked, "is your MOTHER jewish?" and I slipped up and say "no" so of course I was immediately dead to him and he pretend I don't exist for rest of ride.

One time I was walking to the playground with my son and I got asked along the way, then i get to the playground and there are 2 MORE INSIDE the playground asking everyone there. I say to them, YOU GUYS JUST ASKED ME NOT 2 MINUTES AGO!@! but then they just play stupid like they don't know what you are talking about and you are a complete idiot and go about their business.

Wasn't that line from Spaceballs (rather than Meatballs)?

I'll take the "Are you Jewish?" people over the "Can I talk to you about Jesus?" ones. Worse is the ancient "The weak shall inherit the earth" subway preacher who toddles down the aisles handing out pamphlets and talking about how wealthy people are evil and poor people are god's chosen ones. But nothing is worse than a stray subway preacher who goes off, shouting on an early morning subway. At least with the "Are you Jewish" a simple NO ends the conversation. I say "no, happy holidays" they reply nicely in closing and that's that. No panties get in a twist. Jeebers.

Honestly, the invite to the Menorah thing sounded nice. People of all faiths were invited and they had latkes. Mmmmmm, latkes.

Once I actually said yes and they handed me a Menorah and some candles - when I continued to say that my Father was Jewish, but my mother's not... well, they straightup snatched everything right out of my hands and no longer spoke to me.

Ever since, when asked I either say: "Not according to you" or just tell them I think it's inappropriate for men to be approaching/hounding women walking alone on the street. This usually gets them to back off.

metalnyc said:

Not even close, bud. What they're actually doing is looking for secular Jews who don't practice often or if at all and will say a prayer with them. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. It's against Judaism to proselytize.

So they are looking to convert secular Jews to their cult?

They believe that every time a Jew does a mitzvah (like men wrapping tefillin or women lighting Shabbat candles) that it gathers in the holy sparks that were dispersed by God when God's creation was created. It is through the gathering in of those holy sparks that the world will be ready for the messiah to come. They are rabid in their fervency because they believe that every time they can get you to put on tefillin, they are helping to bring the messiah. Doesn't matter that you may have no idea what you're doing - it is the act of putting them on that has the potential to bring the messiah.

They just don't get how annoying they are to the rest of us - who happen to be located close enough to Crown Heights that these well-intentioned but clueless people on a mission flood our neighborhoods.