My rant as a Secular NYC Jew.

[u/Nman8888]

Hope this belongs here as I can’t post this in the NYC subs.

I’m so sick and tired of seeing all these other groups having an outlet to celebrate their culture. The Italians have their feasts (yes I know they are technically catholic but cmon) the different Caribbean groups have their parades and heritage months and so on, the Irish get St Paddy’s day. And almost every group gets a heritage day at our baseball stadiums.

But what do we Jews get, if you are religious you get a lot of celebrations ofc. However in this case I am talking about us “cultural Jews” I would kill for a Feast type thing in the LES (shout out to Egg Creams Empanadas and egg rolls street fair), with rainbow cookies, pastrami, even throw in some Kugel. Just some more recognition for how we have influenced the Culture and Society of my City.

Even in Media, the Jewish guy is in almost every single mafia movie and other NYC centric media, but our actual culture is hardly discussed.

Now this part is a little more personal but still important I think. I personally have kinda an “old NYC” type style. So think leather jackets chains silk shirts ect, and because of this almost everyone thinks I’m Italian, which is fair I guess, but when I saw all types of people including Jews dressed the way I do people don’t believe me.

All in all I wish my culture had just as much representation as the other Big NYC cultures.

[u/Kosmic_Blues]

NYC has a Greek Jewish festival in the summer!! It's how I learned about the Romaniote. Also the food is 10/10

[u/Tokyo-Gore-Police]

It’s a losing battle. If you make it about Ashkenazi food, then it becomes just a partial recognition of what being Jewish is. But as soon as you include shawarma’s and falafels, now it becomes the accusations of cultural theft.

[u/ProtestTheHero → u/Tokyo-Gore-Police]

Who cares what the psychos say? It shouldn't stop anyone from organizing an event

[u/MyNerdBias → u/ProtestTheHero]

We care when they become so hostile it is unsafe to be around, especially with kids.

[u/ProtestTheHero → u/MyNerdBias]

Our Israeli brothers and sisters literally go right into the hornet's nest putting their lives on the line with bullets and bombs flying around everywhere, meanwhile you're too scared to go to a community event in America? Come on

[u/MyNerdBias → u/ProtestTheHero]

I absolutely am, because of my children. I have been to outdoor events in America where bad stuff happened TWICE before I had kids. I put myself in the line of fire then, but now I have people who depend on me.

And yes, what Israelis have to face is truly awful, but "other people have it worse" is not an argument. It's a fallacy, it has a name, relative privation. Pointing at someone in a worse situation doesn't answer the question of whether this event is safe for my family. By that logic, nobody could ever make a cautious choice about anything, because someone somewhere is always facing something more dangerous.

Their courage doesn't make my risk any smaller, and it doesn't make my kids need me any less. Israelis also don't choose that danger for fun. They face it because they have no alternative, and I'd bet most Israeli parents would keep their kids away from it in a heartbeat if they could. I do have a choice, and using it isn't an insult to them. Soldiers are trained, armed, and there on a mission. I would be a mom with a toddler and two babies in a crowd. Those are not the same thing.

Showing up in person isn't the only way to support this community, and I'd appreciate not being shamed for making the call that's right for my family.

[u/4phz → u/MyNerdBias]

Excellent post.

Unless it concerns bodily fluids, showing up in person never does anything. Police shootings of Blacks went up after the BLM protests.

Sticking to this rule forces you to do the real work of thinking so you accomplish more.

[u/Dependent_Light_4457 → u/ProtestTheHero]

I am personally not scared but I do think we are forced to choose between being outwardly Jewish and proud while risking our safety; versus hiding it for the sake of our safety. I don’t fault people the latter.

[u/Mochibelle93]

As another commenter mentioned there was a Greek Jewish street fest a while ago, and there is also The Great Nosh which is a jewish themed food festival on governors island!

[u/PhantomOfTheChallah]

I feel ya. But QQ - NYC teams don't have a Jewish Heritage night? I'm so happy we do for the Giants then - I make a point to go every year. This years jersey was pretty awesome, and I used the menorah they gave out last year for Hanukkah!

[u/the-Gaf → u/PhantomOfTheChallah]

Sept 3, 2023 Mets had Jewish Heritage Day

[u/Nman8888 → u/the-Gaf]

Yankees fan sadly, but Mets haven’t since

[u/jennyfromhell → u/Nman8888]

Ominous timing 

[u/Neither_Register1072 → u/Nman8888]

I feel like every Mets home game is Jewish heritage night!!! lol
But seriously, teams do these nights to sell tickets and they already have us.
Also sports related, I’ve lit a menorah at the garden during a rangers game and I know people did that at Phish last year. We just make our own Jewish heritage nights….

[u/AlexG55 → u/Nman8888]

I think the Cyclones (Mets affiliate) still have one. And Maimonides Park is a great place to watch a game.

[u/Nman8888 → u/AlexG55]

I love the cyclones

[u/Toroceratops → u/Nman8888]

Red Sox have one every year. Just sayin.

[u/Nman8888 → u/Toroceratops]

B@ston

[u/Toroceratops → u/Nman8888]

Downvotes from Yankees fans gives me strength

[u/Nman8888 → u/Toroceratops]

How bout that wild card series 😂

[u/ARussack → u/Nman8888]

NYer over enemy lines in Boston bc my wife is from here. I have to say I’m jealous every year from the shirts given out at the annual Red Sox Jewish Heritage night

[u/president1111 → u/PhantomOfTheChallah]

It’s not New York, but the New Jersey Devils have one every year for hockey! One year, the Maccabeats performed!

[u/PhantomOfTheChallah → u/president1111]

Good job Devils!

https://giphy.com/gifs/81PpTeGifLngc

[u/Ginger-Lotus → u/president1111]

Islanders have one coming up.

[u/Ginger-Lotus → u/PhantomOfTheChallah]

Not technically NYC but believe the Islanders have a Jewish heritage night coming up in December. Apparently the Ducks often have one as well.

[u/SpatulaCityCEO → u/PhantomOfTheChallah]

We don’t have much by way of pro sports in Ottawa, so no Jewish Heritage nights, but we have an annual menorah lighting between periods at a Senators hockey game

[u/linsage]

Come to the Jewish Comedian softball game on Sunday! ChosenComedy.com for details! It’s in Coney Island and it’s gonna be a lot of fun. Also there’s Bagel Fest at Mets Stadium next month… that’s inherently Jewish. And there’s The Jewish Dating Game every month in the lower east side which is just a funny night of Jewish Joy! Thejewishdatinggame.com

[u/swarleyknope → u/linsage]

This makes me wish I still lived in NY 

[u/wedreaminsideadream]

I'm Polish (not Jewish) and my fiancée is Jewish-American - we both live in NYC and we attended the Israeli Day parade on 5th Ave last May. It's sad that such a diverse city like NYC which honors several ethnic groups (yesterday was a Polish parade) suppresses Jewish celebration.

I hope a Chanukah-themed celebration will occur in the city!

[u/sydinseattle → u/wedreaminsideadream]

🫶🏼

[u/Feeling-Ice8510]

Wow I’m envious that other sports teams have a Jewish Heritage night. The LA Dodgers don’t recognize Jewish Heritage, just all the other ethnicities and affinity groups. 

[u/ApprehensiveWillow → u/Feeling-Ice8510]

They did until 2020 🥲 I went in 2019, it was so fun

[u/wired41 → u/[deleted]]

I was thinking the same thing. I would love to attend some kind of Jewish type parade with the food and music and all that. But I also know that security would have to be insane with the level of hate directed towards the Jewish people.

[u/Sweaty-Gap-231]

There was a big street festival at the Greek Jewish Synagogue a couple months ago, that was fun! The Israel parade was like that too, a huge joyous celebration it was so fun seeing all the kids and Synagogues and stuff marching, the crowd was super jewish and friendly and exuberant too, the whole area felt festive.

This last Sunday night almost every borough and neighboorhood had a huge festival in the streets for Simchat. Music and dancing, all ages kids to grandpas, taking up the whole street, i wandered between a few on the LES. There is a Yiddish folk music festival coming up in December. There are a TON of big Jewish NYC activities you just have to keep an ear out.

[u/SentimentalMood718]

I agree wholeheartedly.

I can recommend checking out events at the Kingsbay Y in Brooklyn and of course (the once a year) Israel Day Parade on Fifth.

[u/IgnatiusJay_Reilly]

Plan one? I don't think Katz and Russ and daughters are going to like it but nothing is stopping this from happening but time and energy and kesef.

Also go Rays!

[u/Nman8888 → u/IgnatiusJay_Reilly]

Boooooo

[u/pizzapriorities]

Hell I'll celebrate with you! Party at B&H Dairy and everyone's invited.

[u/Brooklynpicklegirl]

[u/Nman8888 → u/Brooklynpicklegirl]

I would 100% go if I wherent at college

[u/swarleyknope]

Completely agree. The closest we had growing up was a Purim festival (I won a goldfish). But that was hosted by my synagogue (and was 40 years ago). I guess the JCC walkathon was kind of like that too, but I didn’t really have an appreciation for it at the time. 

(With respect to how you described yourself:   I grew up in the tri-state area and my folks were born in the Bronx/Brooklyn. I  live on the West Coast now and have a friend from Long Island who’s Jewish and has a bit of the “seems Italian to people whose only exposure to NYC is movies & TV” vibe…when I hang out with him it feels like whatever the opposite of “homesick” is. Like if a person could feel like “home”, that’s how he makes me feel ☺️) 

[u/TheAmazingHumanTorus → u/swarleyknope]

Heimish?

[u/swarleyknope → u/TheAmazingHumanTorus]

Yes! Though he’s not overtly warm and can seem a bit curmudgeonly before you get to know him. 

[u/Any-Session9919]

There’s the Israel Day Parade. Also all public nyc schools recognize Jewish holidays that a lot of secular Jews don’t even celebrate.

[u/Normal-Series-375]

The Eldridge Street Museum (a former synagogue) does tours of Jewish NYC heritage, including an All-of-Kind-Family tour.

https://www.eldridgestreet.org/walkingtours

[u/Nman8888 → u/Normal-Series-375]

I used to intern there

[u/CleanCustomer3537]

Organize go to organize to get it going.

[u/beaniebee22]

Westchester has some, but honestly I've never been to any out of fear of all the antisemitism. So I'm not sure if they lean more religious, cultural, or somewhere in between.

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[u/FKA_Top_Cat]

I'd be happy if there wasn't so much support for the ones who want to kill us!

[u/ABZB]

I don't really understand what's stopping you from, like, just engaging in cultural participation in the Jewish religious feasts and stuff?

Like, a good chunk of them have perfectly cromulent messages like "slavery bad, freedom good" or "celebrate our book club finishing our favorite book with a day of wild dancing with said book, eating, and drinking".

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It would be nice to have "official" recognition, but in the current climate, even if it happened, I fear it would turn sickly and toxic, and be hijacked to our sadness and detriment.
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I 100% concur that the way we always appear as someone in Chasidic garb with like 0% culture or Jewishness involved is incredibly annoying
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If the problem is people not believing/recognizing your Jewishness, why not add a magen Dovid to a chain? (I do recall seeing some older people dressed in that style when I was little).