A rude attitude
See the comments.
posted by Shira Salamone at 1:32 PM
Friday, January 01, 2010
About Me
- Name: Shira Salamone
Once upon a time, I belonged to a left-wing egalitarian Conservative synagogue, where I was one of a number of women who wore a tallit—and one of the few members who used an Orthodox prayer book (adding the Mothers, of course). Having moved since then, I now belong to a right-wing traditional Conservative synagogue, where I’m almost always the only woman wearing a tallit—and one of the few members who adds the Mothers. I seem destined to be forever . . . on the fringe.
PUBLIC SERVICE POSTS
- Park your ego at the door: Links to my series "On raising a child with disabilities"
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14 Comments:
See next comment.
Please keep going.
Kindly be patient.
Just a bit further.
One more, just to be sure.
This is another of my (in)famous "hidden" posts, published in the comments so that my co-workers would have to click *and* scroll to read it. I cherish the delusion that I'm still "in the closet" as a blogger at the office (or, at least, I don't want to be *too* obvious).
See actual publication date below.
Monday, February 01, 2010
A rude attitude
Earlier today, when I left an open package of cookies on my desk for my co-workers to enjoy, in honor of my birthday, one co-worker commented that perhaps I shouldn't leave them out, not because they might attract bugs (or worse), but because not all of our co-workers are Jewish, and we didn't know what they'd eaten for breakfast. Personally, I found that comment rather obnoxious, and that approach a bit extreme. I don't believe that the laws of kashrut require us to be rude to our co-workers.
Speaking of rudeness to non-Jewish (or, for that matter, less knowledgeable Jewish) co-workers, must announcements concerning the deaths of employees or their loved ones use the words "petirah" or "was niftar" instead of "the death of" or "passed away?" And why can't an announcement that a person is "sitting shiva" include the explanation "accepting condolence calls?" I don't appreciate this "we don't give a hoot whether the 'goyim' understand, and we assume that all Yidden are yeshiva grads" attitude.
POSTED BY SHIRA SALAMONE AT 6:32 PM
For the record, I don't think I'd heard the word "niftar" until a year or so ago.
what the heck does: "but because not all of our co-workers are Jewish, and we didn't know what they'd eaten for breakfast." have to do with leaving cookies out? I mean, if people don't know to check about ingredients, you're not their mother, just being generous.
But, frankly, speaking of attitudes, I had it with a goyishe person on one of my online lists who was rude to the point of being anti-semitic in their demand to know "why" about everything regarding the "Orthodox" view of women and niddah.
They ignored specific responses, misread information and in general just wanted to get into arguments.
All under cover of wanting to learn.
I am not Hillel and finally ran out of compassion, but did relate the story of learning the Torah on one foot.
I've experienced subtle and not so subtle anti-semitism too much not to recognize it when I see it.
Ugh. Sometimes I'm happy I don't work in a place where I have to explain myself continually to people.
And they never do the same!
Anon., I apologize for having been unclear: My co-worker was concerned that a non-Jew might treif the cookies by touching them with hands that had been used to eat breakfast sausage, or something else non-kosher. I thought that that was a bit much. Should we tell our non-Jewish co-workers to keep their distance, less we be exposed to their "bacon breath?" Really, I don't think it's necessary to be obnoxious in order to be observant.
I'm sorry that you're having problems with people who have anti-Semitic attitudes.
Who eats bacon with their hands? I'm at a loss to understand the proposed transmission mechanism of the treifus (non-kosher food) - it won't be hot, there won't be liquid involved, any amounts clinging somehow to the hands will surely be less than 1/60th....
In any event, surely the best reaction if you have a problem is to not eat the cookies yourself rather than impose a pointless churma on the general population?
In any event, surely the best reaction if you have a problem is to not eat the cookies yourself rather than impose a pointless churma on the general population?
Precisely the argument I make regarding tzniut, by the way.
Larry, my opinion precisely.
You may be amused to know that my co-worker ate the cookies.
Anon., I like your logic.
Um, Larry, I hate to tell you this, but I'm pretty sure that from the day I was born to the day I gave up treif, I never actually used a fork to eat bacon. It was definitely a finger food in my household. And judging from the way a friend of mine ate tonight, other people feel the same way. I would be horrified, but I love finger food, so I stick to being horrified at the notion of greasy dead pig.
That said, I think you're right about the fact that it wouldn't be a kashrut issue for the cookies.
Ah, bacon, remember it well.
At least we all agree that treifing something simply by touching it shouldn't be an issue, as a general rule.
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