Expecting your leftist friends from your past to have evolved as you have is asking a lot. Every Jew who has a childhood friend who has abandoned being Jewish for whatever reason knows what this is like. Take joy in your new friends that I see you write about sometimes.
There are millions more Christian Zionists in the US than there are Jews and Muslims combined. Whether or not you convert, you will find plenty of kindred spirits.
I am so sorry you have to deal with this. Sadly, it's a feature not a bug when you're Jewish (or considering becoming) and pro-Israel.
In the few years before 10/7, I lost a few people I considered "friends" because I chose not to ignore antisemitism disguised as anti-Israel/anti-Zionism.
Please know that you are not alone. Far from it. There are many of us dealing with the same or similar.
Sending best wishes for a happy 51st birthday. As for your long time friend offering to take you to dinner, hard to say if a free dinner and connecting with an old friend is worth the self righteous lecture you might endure. I view such engagements as a chance to chance somebody's mind when it comes to Israel, but have resigned myself to it being close to impossible. I have a nephew who has become a niece. We were always close. His father was Jewish, mother Christian, and he was raised Christian. But since their "gender journey" they have found their Judaism and become religious in the "as a Jew" sense. We go back and forth on messaging, with me sending information how the apartheid and genocide labels are completely false and lies, and they sending information to the contrary. As if we were playing conceptual tennis. They explain to me how folk in the LGBTQ community side strongly with "Palestine," which to me is crazy. My arguments to the contrary get no traction. On the plus side, we always end each message sending love to each other, and always cordial and respectful. I am aware of the high suicide rate in the trans community, so always keep that in mind in my interactions with them.
I’m sorry that your friend world has collapsed. I can relate, and it definitely sucks. But, I’m happy for you that you have a new friend world to lift you up!
It was and is never about anything other than Jew-hatred. If it was truly about concern for Gazans, people like your friend (and I know many such people) would be equally or more concerned about Syrian Christians and Druze, Somalians. Congolese, and South Sudanese. But they do not care at all about those people, who far outnumber the Gazans and suffer much more torture and death. You are right about the masks coming off: https://substack.com/home/post/p-166372525
"“I’ll be honest, I’m trying to absorb what you’re saying particularly about Israel and the genocide, in the most generous way I can, but I’m having a hard time doing so. Converting to Judaism in this context, when the entire world with the exception of the US government and some NATO allies, condemns Israel’s acts as crimes against humanity, may be a bridge too far for me.”
Errrrrr....so much for "I don't hate Jews, I just hate Israel." At least he's being honest about linking the two!
Expecting your leftist friends from your past to have evolved as you have is asking a lot. Every Jew who has a childhood friend who has abandoned being Jewish for whatever reason knows what this is like. Take joy in your new friends that I see you write about sometimes.
There are millions more Christian Zionists in the US than there are Jews and Muslims combined. Whether or not you convert, you will find plenty of kindred spirits.
So true.
I am so sorry you have to deal with this. Sadly, it's a feature not a bug when you're Jewish (or considering becoming) and pro-Israel.
In the few years before 10/7, I lost a few people I considered "friends" because I chose not to ignore antisemitism disguised as anti-Israel/anti-Zionism.
Please know that you are not alone. Far from it. There are many of us dealing with the same or similar.
I am sorry this happened to you. I am glad you had real friends to reach out to. 💖
Sending best wishes for a happy 51st birthday. As for your long time friend offering to take you to dinner, hard to say if a free dinner and connecting with an old friend is worth the self righteous lecture you might endure. I view such engagements as a chance to chance somebody's mind when it comes to Israel, but have resigned myself to it being close to impossible. I have a nephew who has become a niece. We were always close. His father was Jewish, mother Christian, and he was raised Christian. But since their "gender journey" they have found their Judaism and become religious in the "as a Jew" sense. We go back and forth on messaging, with me sending information how the apartheid and genocide labels are completely false and lies, and they sending information to the contrary. As if we were playing conceptual tennis. They explain to me how folk in the LGBTQ community side strongly with "Palestine," which to me is crazy. My arguments to the contrary get no traction. On the plus side, we always end each message sending love to each other, and always cordial and respectful. I am aware of the high suicide rate in the trans community, so always keep that in mind in my interactions with them.
I’m sorry that your friend world has collapsed. I can relate, and it definitely sucks. But, I’m happy for you that you have a new friend world to lift you up!
It was and is never about anything other than Jew-hatred. If it was truly about concern for Gazans, people like your friend (and I know many such people) would be equally or more concerned about Syrian Christians and Druze, Somalians. Congolese, and South Sudanese. But they do not care at all about those people, who far outnumber the Gazans and suffer much more torture and death. You are right about the masks coming off: https://substack.com/home/post/p-166372525
April, I am so sorry this happened to you. I welcome you with open arms.❤️
Cut ties with this person. You’ll be better off.
"“I’ll be honest, I’m trying to absorb what you’re saying particularly about Israel and the genocide, in the most generous way I can, but I’m having a hard time doing so. Converting to Judaism in this context, when the entire world with the exception of the US government and some NATO allies, condemns Israel’s acts as crimes against humanity, may be a bridge too far for me.”
Errrrrr....so much for "I don't hate Jews, I just hate Israel." At least he's being honest about linking the two!
❤️ Happy birthday, dear Charlotte!