Hello everyone, and if you read my review of Modern Magic by Michelle Tea, this topic won’t come as a surprise to you. This was my first experience of actually seeing an author specifically advise against cultural appropriation, and then go ahead and engage in cultural appropriation. 

I was actually going to try to find a lighter topic to talk about, but one of my best friends advised me to discuss it here and see what comes of it after I saw a really disturbing episode of cultural appropriation in a book championed as inclusive and avoidant of cultural appropriation. 

Cultural appropriation isn’t a new buzzword; it was first used in 1945, but really took off as a frequently used term in the 1980s and has only gotten more common to hear in recent years. According to Columbia College’s webpage on cultural appropriation (you can find it here), it was initially used in academic settings was a way to talk about colonial power dynamics between the majority and minority populations in a colonized place. Since then, it has branched out to include someone from the majority culture borrowing elements from a minority culture, as well as “when a member of a majority group uses the culture of a minority group in a belittling way or uses an aspect of the minority culture in a way it was not intended” along with “when a member of a majority group adopts an element of a minority culture without experiencing the same consequences as the minority culture.” Some examples of cultural appropriation we are hopefully all aware of include:

• Dressing up as part of a minority culture for Halloween or a another reason, especially if the costume portrays a stereotype about the minority culture.
• Using Indigenous Americans as mascots for a sports team or business.
• People wearing cornrows or dreadlocks, which people of color are often discriminated against for wearing, especially in a workplace.
• Having Christian Passover seders, or adopting any practices of a closed tradition/religion without being a member of that group.

I’m not qualified to speak on what the experience of cultural appreciation is like for any specific group of people, regardless of how I identify. I can provide factual information to support my position and work hard to avoid any cultural appropriation on my own part, but I’ve amassed some examples of Jewish cultural appropriation in the photos/videos below.

One of the biggest cultural appropriations occurred before we even had conceived of a term like this, and that’s the appropriation of the Jewish Torah to create both the Christian Bible and the Koran. Misunderstandings of the Jewish Torah were common, and were used to justify killing and subjugation of Jews from the earliest days of Christianity until today. This is where you find pockets of people who actually believe that Jewish people have horns (a mistranslation, I can assure you we don’t), and the incredibly harmful belief that Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus. By the way, that Catholic Church doctrine wasn’t actually rejected by the church until the 1960s. You can also keep an eye out for the ever-present blood libel, which morphs from the original ‘Jews use the blood of Christian children to make matzot’ charge that was highly popular starting in the 12th century. Nowadays you see it in statements like ‘Jews/Israelis/Zionists are bloodthirsty killers.’ Either way, it’s always used to justify antisemitic violence. To learn more about the versatility and how blood libel changes with the times, check out the US Holocaust Memorial Museum page on it here.

In the specific case I encountered, it felt especially egregious because the author was diligently avoidant of appropriating closed practices in witchcraft, such as Santeria, yet had no problem with appropriating from Jewish people. The exact quote I took issue with was this one:

“There is a reason Jewish men are encouraged to thank their creator for not having been born with a uterus and a vulva and a couple of teats.”

Aside from the vulgar rephrasing of a prayer, it doesn’t seem like such a harmful statement at first, but it is lumped in with her examples of how certain cultures are misogynistic or devalue women. Seems like it fits right there, doesn’t it? Except for the fact that I’m one of the portion of 15 million Jewish people who have a good understanding of our history, our practices and why we do them, and also have the ability to read critically.

Efforts to lump Judaism in as an Abrahamic religion with significant commonalities is problematic in itself. Christianity and Islam aren’t simply an offshoot and continuation of our practices; they are completely different in terms of value systems and expectations. Judaism has always valued women highly, even when practices may seem discriminatory. In our faith, it is believed that women are created as more spiritual beings, leading men to have additional responsibilities, different prayers, and more mitzvot out of the 613 commandments that Jewish people are told to do. When Jewish men are thanking God for not making them a woman, they are thanking God for a chance to do more mitzvot in his name. It also completely neglects the corresponding female prayer, thanking God for making us in his image. There’s a great explanation that I found that explains this all really clearly and in more depth that you can find here.

What makes this even more problematic than the simple misunderstanding of a prayer, is the more insidious way it is used to justify the way that Jews are misogynistic. And beyond that, this was a recent release, so presenting this information comes at a time when Jewish people around the world are literally being isolated and hunted at ever-increasing levels. There was even a coordinated pogrom this week in Amsterdam, and it required Israel to send planes to rescue Israelis and Jews who had the audacity to attend a soccer game. You can find news about it here. It’s notable because this occurred only days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

In fact, since the biblical era, Jewish women have been allowed to own property and sue someone in court without having to be represented by a man. Jewish women are at the forefront of our prayers and heroic stories—if you don’t believe me, let’s talk about how Shabbat is joyously welcomed with songs comparing the Shabbat to a bride. Look up the story of Judith and Holofernes and tell me she isn’t a badass, or the story of Queen Esther who saved the Jews of ancient Persia. Or the daughters of Zelophehad, who went to court to inherit their father’s property since he had no sons. And they won the inalienable right to own property. 

While I might be a little rambly because this is an issue that really bothers me and it’s still really fresh, this isn’t an issue unique to the Jewish people. I’ve seen this with teachers donning imitations of Indigenous Americans, white people being able to wear Black, protective hairstyles, without the backlash that these communities receive for the same. Wearing blackface, dressing up as a Romani ‘fortuneteller’ or Native American princess, or hosting Christian Passover seders is all harmful to the minority population, and it’s even worse when the person is profiting or benefiting in some way for something that a minority not only doesn’t benefit from, but may be attacked for or discriminated against.

Have you had any experience with cultural appropriation? What are your thoughts?