Oct
24
Filed Under (judaism, work) by Arjewtino on 24-10-2007

During a staff lunch yesterday, a co-workers raised the idea of throwing a party for our pre-dominantly Indian office to celebrate Diwali. The following conversation ensued:

AJT: “What’s Diwali?”

Her: “It’s the ‘Festival of Lights’.”

AJT: “Cool! So it’s like an Indian Hanukkah?”

Her: “Man, Arjewtino, why do you have to Jewify everything?”

AJT: “It’s the way I filter the world.”

Fictional verbs aside, it sparked a thought. Why do I, as my co-worker so eloquently put it, Jewify everything?

Easter is nothing more to me than a reminder that Passover is coming up; a pinwheel hat reminds me of a yarmulke; and an essay by in which he describes eating nothing but Chicken McNuggets for a week prompted me to ask The Princess if I should try the same thing: but with matzo balls.

One could argue that we all do the same thing, merely filtering the world through the lens of our personal identities and experiences.

One could also argue that, since Judaism has been described by Americans in a poll as the “most admired religion”, we all should Jewify everything.

Think about it:

  • Christmas would finally be called the “Christian Hanukkah”.
  • The calendar would list today as the 12th of Heshvan, 5768. Also, I could tell people I was born on the 15th of Tamuz, 5735. Just rolls off the tongue, right?
  • Fast-food places would serve gefilte fish to go.
  • A teenager’s act of rebellion against his parents would consist of getting a B in math class.
  • Ann Coulter would finally shut the fuck up.
  • Beards would be in style.
  • We would read everything from right to left, which makes more sense if you’re right-handed, which most of us are anyway.
  • Purim – a time to get drunk, have a festive meal, and give charity to the poor — would become the greatest holiday of the year.
  • Every time people gave their spare change to a homeless guy, we would call it an act of Tzedaka.
  • There would be more pigs.

So the response I wish I had given, when asked by my co-worker why I “Jewify everything”, is this:

“Why doesn’t everyone?”

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Comments

Elisa on 24 October, 2007 at 10:08 am #

I’m in support of Ann Coulter shutting up. Go Jews!

Too bad she wasn’t the one at Asylum that night.


on 24 October, 2007 at 10:10 am #

Yay no Ann Coulter and more gefilte fish. That shit is the shit. Or something.

Gefilte fish is an acquired taste, like tofu or bloody marys.


freckledk on 24 October, 2007 at 10:18 am #

How would you use Jewification with the whole cut/uncut, um, thing?

At no point, in the writing of this thing, did that cross my mind.


on 24 October, 2007 at 10:19 am #

The problem with Judaism (and most other religions) is that they were created for primitive people like shepherds, so their rules seem kinda silly by today’s standards. Do you really want to grow a beard and be rockin the sideburns? Do you want to give up bacon?

We need a new religion for modern times (and that yippie-hippie crystals and chakra crap doesn’t count either). I’m working on starting a religion. It will be like Scientology, except with less weirdos (except for me) and more value-added paraphenalia that you’re required to buy for spiritual salvation. Maybe I’ll charge a montlhy membership fee (like health insurance) so that you have to keep paying if you want to avoid damnation. Maybe I’ll have pay-per-view specials. I don’t know. I’ll definitely have a webpage though. If it gets big enough, I can sell Google ads.

I think you may be on to something. Of course, naming is everything, so what would you call your new religion?


on 24 October, 2007 at 10:30 am #

why doesn’t everyone? b/c there’s only one arjewtino. thank jeebus.

For now.


Baby Bien on 24 October, 2007 at 10:48 am #

Wasn’t there an awkwardly hilarious episode of “The Office” about Diwali??? Michael’s date showed up dressed like a cheerleader because he told her it was a costume party.

Yeah, actually, there was. I never saw it, but during my research into Diwali I found it online. I’ll have to make a point of watching it.


on 24 October, 2007 at 10:53 am #

I couldn’t give up bacon. I’m sorry.

Neither could I. It’s the dessert of the meat world.


suicide_blond on 24 October, 2007 at 10:53 am #

the ninja had me at bacon…
sorry..
xoxo

That’s why he might be successful with his nascent religion.


jess on 24 October, 2007 at 11:15 am #

could the extra pigs eat ann coulter? just a hope…

Kind of like in the Silence of the Lambs sequel? That was pretty disgusting.


on 24 October, 2007 at 12:01 pm #

Your blog puts a smile on my face every time I read it.

Then my work here is done.

Thank you.


Platypus on 24 October, 2007 at 1:31 pm #

Your blog initiates an irreversible chain of events that always ends with me having two eggs to incubate for the next 10-12 weeks.

Again, my work here is done.


Torre can always clean my bathroom - I have low expectations on 24 October, 2007 at 1:33 pm #

Your blog is like the Jewish version of a different blog.


H on 24 October, 2007 at 1:39 pm #

yeah, but if we always read right to left, we’d have to write that way, too, and then the majority of us would have smudges all over our writing the way lefties do. but otherwise, I think it’s a great idea!

Forgot about the difficulty in writing, I’ve been so used to using computers. You raise a good point.


KassyK on 24 October, 2007 at 3:50 pm #

Ah, to be a chosen person. Oh wait, I am. :)

We are a lucky bunch.


on 24 October, 2007 at 4:19 pm #

I think the eating of Ann Coulter would make the pigs holy and clean, and then everyone in the world would be cleared for bacon.

That’s some specious reasoning, but I like it.


Hey Pretty on 24 October, 2007 at 6:23 pm #

I love me some Purim. So much so that my Jewish coworkers all think I’m Jewish because I always wish them a happy one when it falls on a work day.

There would also be more good delis in DC and knishes would be considered a major food group.

Of course, as I am in the middle of Portnoy’s Complaint, I fear there may also be more manditory guilt.


Anonymous on 24 October, 2007 at 6:25 pm #

Ooh! Yes! I’d be delighted if the pigs ate Ann Coulter and we didn’t have to give up bacon. And FK makes a good point, you know. Personally, I’m in favor of penile Jewification.


on 24 October, 2007 at 6:26 pm #

Oops - didn’t mean to be anonymous.

Ooh! Yes! I’d be delighted if the pigs ate Ann Coulter and we didn’t have to give up bacon. And FK makes a good point, you know. Personally, I’m in favor of penile Jewification.


roissy on 24 October, 2007 at 6:57 pm #

would this mean i could finally use jdate?

*rubbing hands together and cackling*

btw, thanks to computers i’ve forgotten how to write cursive.


on 24 October, 2007 at 8:31 pm #

Why doesn’t everyone? Because the thought of “gefilte fish to go” is enough to make me vomit.


on 24 October, 2007 at 10:53 pm #

Amen on Ann Coulter!

As for the rest of it, sounds good to me. Where do I sign up?

You’re right about how “we all do the same thing, merely filtering the world through the lens of our personal identities and experiences.” (Sorry to copy and quote there. Gauche, I know, but you said it so well.) It’s called ordering our universes and setting things in order, if you will, based on what we know and are most comfortable in.

Jewify away. I love the idea.


on 24 October, 2007 at 11:36 pm #

Jo beat me to my comment. I cannot give up bacon, or pork in general. My grandma’s pozole (a spicy pork and hominy stew) and the lechoncito de Navidad are too much to sacrifice.


Sisco on 25 October, 2007 at 7:15 am #

A) We all know Jews are the shit. It is obvious.
B) America would be inherently better if Jews were the majority.
C) Delis are basically amazing.
D) All penises should be circumsized (don’t ask).

I totally back all statements made in this post. Jews are the chosen for a reason and Purim is fuckin’ bad ass.


on 25 October, 2007 at 8:27 am #

hahaha. There would be more pigs. That’s funny. And the Anne Coulter thing…that would just be beautiful.


on 27 October, 2007 at 9:39 pm #

i’m catholic and love the purim as well. there really should be a christian support group for the kids who love jewish shit.


on 28 October, 2007 at 8:41 pm #

You Jewify things just like Christians christianize everything. You’re no different. After all, what is Haloween? Is it really a Christian holiday?!


alex on 4 November, 2007 at 6:20 am #

Obviously the zionists have found it easyto jewify the halacaust and apartheid in Palestine. How ironic.


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