[jgregorie]

for me seven
fucking seven times on my 5 block walk to the park for my run.

and there were these little kids standing in the bike lane trying to flag people down as they ran.

im seriously thinking about getting a hat made online that says "no im not fucking jewish"

oh new york you find new ways to annoy the shit out of me on a daily basis

okay im better now

[dapearl9]

Last year on the Jewish New Year I was running to the park and by the museum a group of about 3 Hasidim hanging around. With my curly hair I get the Jewish question all the time and I could see them scoping me out so I was getting my, "Nope, sorry" response ready (I don't know why I apologize, but whatever). And sure enough one of them asks me, "Excuse me, are you Jewish" and before I can even say anything one of his friends looks at the questioneer with disdain and says, "C'mon [name], really? He's running."

It kept me amused for the rest of my run.

[whynot_31]

I was asked twice, but look at the events much differently.

First time, the man approached me and was about to ask, but I preempted him and stated "No, but Happy New Year". He responded back "I was going to ask you if you were a wonderful person". I replied "Thanks" and went down the steps to Eastern Parkway Station...

Second time, Orthodox man begins his approach. I smile and shake my head, "no" before he asks. I then ask him "are you?". He says "am I what?" ...I respond "Jewish?". He laughs, rolls his eyes, and says "yes", and I say "Happy New Year".

...oh new york, I find new ways to amuse myself at you everyday.

[Karl the Druid]

i've been told i don't look druish
_________________
destination: roam

[sneakyonstmarks]

Shana Tova, i know that there are many self hating Jews out there, i am not one of them. Proud to be one of the tribe, so happy Fucking New year, the best is yet to come and for all of you non Jews, well i wish you all the same..
Sneaky!!
_________________
The life that has borne me me through these years is still in my hands and in my eyes. Wether i have subdued it, i know not. But so long as it is there it will seek its own way out, heedless of the will that is within me. Erich Maria Remarque

[Fjord]

Happy New Year to all as well.

So I was asked 4 times. Once leaving the 2,3 at Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum, and 3 times while cycling in the park. One dude sorta jumped right in my path, "excuse me, sir!" and I was like "dude, i am climbing a hill right now!"
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"The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the crow."
William Blake

[brooklynpotter]

i was asked once: when i hit south slope while walking back from sunset park. two very young--like maybe 20--hasidic guys (one with a prayer book, one with a shofar) walked by, looked at the red curly hair, doubled back to ask.

i always tell them i'm not, then wish them a happy holiday. it's far easier even though i am (though ethnically, atheist non-practicing anything), because i don't feel like having to turn down prayers, invites, etc... but at least these two were friendly. it makes me nuts when they're not
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what would you tell me, if i could hear you speaking?--t.r.

[stewart]

Three.
I grew up in Philadelphia where there's like one Jew for every 5 million Catholics. And I think they're all Conservative. Which is a long way around way of saying: Why are they asking?

[brooklynpotter]

it's rosh hashanah, and they want you to hear the prayers and the blowing of the shofar (a ram's horn). i believe (and i could be wrong) that hearing the horn is a necessity.

it's the lubavitch hasidim who are approaching you, the most lenient of all hasidim and the only ones who prosletize (sp?). they're the ones who run chabad.
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what would you tell me, if i could hear you speaking?--t.r.

[Underhill_MT]

Yeah, brooklynpotter is right. It's the Lubuvitch crew that go out and ask if folks are jewish. They're the charismatic lenient (so to speak) hasidim who strive to encourage all jews to come back to the fold and embrace the teachings of the rebbe.

I am a jew, technically speaking, but I always say, "No, but Shana Tova and have a beautiful day." This year I've been met with a lot of smiles and enthusiastic "You, too!"s unlike most years when as soon as I say no I get a cold sholder and a turned back. This morning at the Grand Army Plaza 2/3 stop the man from yesterday morning recognized me and said "I hope today is more beautiful than yesterday for you!" It's so refreshing to not be immediately ignored when I (lie) say I'm not jewish.

Happy New Year all!
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Be the change you want to see in the... neighborhood.

[apollonia666]

I always feel kinda flattered when I get asked, for some reason. Your response is great, Underhill_MT!

[poppy13]

stupid question here... is this a new thing?

[Underhill_MT]

[sterling2000]

I picked up a great standard response that is a generic enough to use whether it is Jewish guys or one of those pro-insert-cause clipboard folks all over Manhattan:

Question: "Excuse me sir, are you Jewish?"

Question: "Hi, there! Do you have a few minutes for gay rights?"

Question: "Have a few seconds for the environment today?"

Answer: "Nope, but I'm a big fan."

(usually elicits a response of brief confusion before they move on to the next target)
_________________
"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
--- Richard Nixon

[belzjm]

feel free to use my stock response to the guy who hangs out on 7th avenue and has literally asked me 600 times in the last year...

him: "you jewish sir?"

me: "no, are you?"

at least i get to walk away with a smile...

[sneakyonstmarks]

At least they are not missionaries trying to steal away your culture and identity ..!!
_________________
The life that has borne me me through these years is still in my hands and in my eyes. Wether i have subdued it, i know not. But so long as it is there it will seek its own way out, heedless of the will that is within me. Erich Maria Remarque

[flux]

They asked me as well. At my place of work. I work at a hospital and they came to my office and asked me if im jewish. I told them i was and they said if i know of any other doctors who are jewish. I told them my boss is. They said that they keep on getting turned down by him and they asked me if i wanted to hear the shofar.

I said "sure...but only if you blow it right outside my bosses office". they agreed. we stood by the office as the other doctors walked by looking confused as the rabbi blew the horn. after a minute or so I heard foot steps walking toward the door and then I heard my boss slam the door shut.

I had a huge smile on my face all day.....

[brooklynlager]

[bobbybrummel]

zero this year, but i used to get it all the time when i had a hasidic sized beard. i've found all of the questioners, chabadniks, environmentalists, etc, really hate it when your response is to try and hug them. the only thing worse than a stranger badgering you for money/soul is a stranger trying to touch you.
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I've done a lot of lying in my time. I've lied to men who wear belts. I've lied to men who wear suspenders. But I'd never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both belt and suspenders.

[withachaser]

4x today. 3 in bk, 1 in midtown. twice yesterday. lately, i've been answering, with a warm smile to the assertive young men, 'thanks for asking! in fact, i'm lesbian.' none of them have bothered to ascertain, after that, whether or not i'm also a jew. if i'm feeling particularly ironic/friendly/sadistic/jewish, i'll follow it with "l'shana tovah, to you and yours." the reactions often keep me entertained enough to avoid being irritable with them.

[Lo Kee]

[withachaser]

as an undergrad twenty years ago, i experimented heterosexually. when i do it now, it's probably more about disaffection or opportunism or curiosity

[The Invisible Lines]

[BKChickie]

[arches]

Any faith-based questioning is more than compensated for by the four joyous days when Jews and Muslims work in harmony to cancel alternate side of the street parking regulations!!

[bobbybrummel]

[bobbybrummel]

did no one notice that we got blagged? http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/10/things_t....._say_to_jews_who_ask.html
_________________
I've done a lot of lying in my time. I've lied to men who wear belts. I've lied to men who wear suspenders. But I'd never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both belt and suspenders.

[rtraindweller]

Anytime I've been asked it's always by a pair of friendly young guys. I always say "nah sorry guys". I think I say "sorry" because they're obviously trying to find people who are, and they got a swing and a miss with asking me. I don't mind being asked about religion by strangers, except by the Jesus nutjobs who bombard me after I say "nope definitely not". After that it's nothing but "do you believe in God? WHY NOT? WHY DONT YOU FEEL YOU NEED A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST? WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HELL? JESUS WILL SAVE YOU! OMFG UR GOIN 2 HELL LOLZ!". Those folks I'd like to sometimes push down the steps to the subway.
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"the radio makes hideous sounds"
-bob dylan

[Underhill_MT]

[supreme_ian]

i got asked if i was jewish once.. but then i took my hood off and showed my fitted hat and du rag and i think they realized i wasnt jewish !
_________________
hello.thank you.good bye.
"death to emo post whores"

[my2cats]

In college I was asked so much that I ended up getting involved with the local Rabbi and I got so much into it I even moved to Crown Heights and then become one of those who ask others.

It is really pushed in the schools for the students to go out and say prayers, give shabbos candles, and put on teffilin with the most amount of people possible.

That stuff does get very old and I am very happy to be out of that insulated community.

[sneakyonstmarks]

Fuck, no boozing tonight, no food, no shower, no sex but it does not matter have not had sex since the ex, frustrating but used to it. I do have to atone for all the fucked up things i did in the last year and most of all ask g-d to give me strength to make the changes that i need to make in my life. Atonement will be!.
_________________
The life that has borne me me through these years is still in my hands and in my eyes. Wether i have subdued it, i know not. But so long as it is there it will seek its own way out, heedless of the will that is within me. Erich Maria Remarque

[BKChickie]

Twice this evening.

I think that the most appropriate answer, no matter what, is "No." Some guy mentioned that his father was Jewish, his mother wasn't. A Lubavitcher just chased him into the gym trying to give him a pamphlet. Talk about inappropriate. Another guy wearing a yarmulke got followed by a pair of men across Flatbush (in traffic!) all the way to the subway. At that point, I think that I would have gotten on the train just to get away from them.

[Smokin' Joe]

i did yesterday. i just said yes, smiled and kept walking.

the fatal mistake is slowing down.
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"Great regular flavor."

[queen_of_pies]

[Underhill_MT]

Earlier in the week I was asked while I was walking home from the 2/3...

I said, "No, but have a wonderful sukkot!" The 2 young dudes were so grateful and smiley about having someone tell them to enjoy their holiday they almost didn't know what to say. The one guy said, "Just out of curiosity, what number were we for you today?" When I told him he was just the second he said he felt kinda special. Ha! It was a funny, little cross-cultural exchange that didn't result in me running away or them giving me the cold shoulder. A nice, lighthearted exchange between people who would probably otherwise never have come into contact.
_________________
Be the change you want to see in the... neighborhood.

[daver]

[stacey]

[elitt]

Listen...Jews and non-Jews alike...native NY'ers and Newcomers...there is a reason you are ASKED if you are Jewish in these situations.

One of the tenants of Jewish code and law is that Jewish people of all 'levels' of faith are commanded NOT to convert, or proselytize to the general public...that is why people are asked if they are Jewish.

It's a basic law and custom almost all Jews, regardless of whether or not they are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox or Hassidic, follow.

If the answer is 'no' the conversation ends. No proselytizing! Get it?

This happens during the 'High Holidays and other times of the year like Hannuka...light the menorica...it's time for Hannukah...sing along with me.

Please note, this is not written 'in defense' of the Hassidic community, nor do I condone everything that goes on within that community. The post is written only to clarify why, in certain situations, people are asked if they are Jewish.

[Smokin' Joe]

well they certainly proselytize, but only to other jews. so you're right about that part. still, they proselytize big time. a huge part of what they do is recover lapsed jews. (see any post on this board by rabbi ari.)

another part of the rationale, i think, is that it's a mitzvah for jews to do certain things at certain times, e.g. recite the blessing for succot. according to my understanding of hasidism (which is admittedly superficial, so anyone who knows should feel free to correct me), the more jews performing the more mitzvot, the sooner the messiah comes.

as any mathematician will tell you, god is in the numbers.
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"Great regular flavor."

[elitt]

agreed / well stated

[Trainsmoke DeLeon]

I'm Jewish today.
_________________
www.ilovedeleon.com
Keep Freedom Free - Buy This Record

[Plucky Purcell]

personally, i think it's really rude to approach a total stranger and ask them about their personal beliefs/faith, or lack of... but that's me.

[Smokin' Joe]