<p>jym,</p>
<p>FYI Simon Baron-Cohen is Sacha’s cousin, not brother. </p>
<p>Carry on with the convo…</p>
<p>^^ Thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>On a more hopeful note, the ADL’s annual survey of anti-Semitic attitudes in the US reports that anti-Semitism is down in the US and matches the lowest level that they survey has every recorded, with 12% of US adults holding anti-Semitic views (down from 15% last year).</p>
<p>[ADL</a> Poll: Anti-Semitic Attitudes Match Lowest Level Recorded | Reuters](<a href=“http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS184455+29-Oct-2009+PRN20091029]ADL”>http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS184455+29-Oct-2009+PRN20091029)</p>
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<p>We cannot read the mind of the steward, but it may be entirely possible that the steward in the story was not being negative or rude to Jews, but instead made an insensitive and overly generalized comment, but a comment based on experience. When I was landing at Heathrow a couple of weeks ago, the same thing happened as PJR’s story described: the minute the wheels touched down, every one of the men in my vicinity who wore all black clothes with yamakas (sorry - I do not know how to spell the word) stood up immediately, even thought the plane was taxiig. The steward tried to get them to sit down, but since the stewards couldn’t get up, their announcements were ignored.</p>
<p>Each person who stood up was wearing all black. But several of the people who remained seated were wearing all black.</p>
<p>Until I read this thread, it never occured to me that someone noticing this could be rude or antisemitic. All the people who stood up were probably Jewish, but the thought never entered my head that all the people who were Jewish, stood up. I just thought at the time that the people who stood, probably were used to an airport that was lax in enforcing such rules, so they’d gotten used to anticipating the deboarding. </p>
<p>As Hunt pointed out, there are many ways that certain individually can act similarly, without it being the result of religion or ethnic background. But furthermore, I guess my point is that not all things that certain people have in common are negative. As Freud said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. On the other hand, I certainly understand that Jews, so exposed for so long to terrible discrimination and persecution, might be wary.</p>
<p>A study in Israel showed that ultra-orthodox Jews were more likely to jaywalk than were their less observant brethren. </p>
<p>[Ultra-Orthodox</a> Jews more likely to jaywalk - life - 22 January 2005 - New Scientist](<a href=“Ultra-Orthodox Jews more likely to jaywalk | New Scientist”>Ultra-Orthodox Jews more likely to jaywalk | New Scientist) Not sure if the link will work for nonsubscribers</p>
<p>And based on what we see in our own neighborhood, which has a lot of orthodox and black hat types, it’s not just limited to Israel. It’s noticeable and annoying enough that the spouse and I, driving to Shabbat services, make jokes about the jaywalkers.</p>
<p>The ultra-Orthodox are more likely, IMHO, to want to impose their view of how life should be on others. There’s recently been rioting in Israel over a parking lot near the Old City that the authorities want to open on Saturday. They’re also known for stoning buses that run through their neighborhoods. </p>
<p>As to David Sedaris, remember that he makes stuff up. He tells stories so there’s no way to say this actually happened or that it happened as he tells it before exaggeration to make the point that he never really felt Jewish. </p>
<p>As for people getting up to leave a plane early, try flying in other cultures. In some places, they’ll place all their bags in the aisle before the plane has landed. And there are no Jews at all there - unless you count me as a guest. </p>
<p>And if you really want to see this kind of thing in action, try riding on a bus in Mexico or a train in Bombay - never done the latter but my friends’ descriptions are enough.</p>
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<p>I doubt very much that David Sedaris feels Jewish at all. I don’t know whether he has any Jewish ancestors, but he has always publically identified himself ethnically as a Greek-American.</p>
<p>I’m the person who posted the David Sedaris story. My point was less about the story itself and more about the people sitting behind us who felt comfortable saying out loud “it’s the truth” in agreement with the flight attendant’s assumption that those who weren’t following her instructions were all Jewish. Frankly, I was stunned.</p>
<p>Thanks for the correction; I completely misspoke, which is weird considering I’ve also seen David perform - once as part of Ira Jackson This American Life roadshow - and I have some of his books. The point, though, is that he invents for a purpose.</p>
<p>And the people sitting behind, assuming they’re real and that they said what they said, may have been Jewish. One never knows.</p>
<p>its so sad that there are so many jews who dont learn about their faith. with the 50% intermarriage between jews and non-jews within 30 years there wont be any jews left in America</p>
<p>“It wasn’t until she went to college, she felt people looked at her differently. As Marian pointed out, most blacks and Asians are segregated on many college campus, they tend to stick by themselves.”</p>
<p>Actually, the research indicates that black students on predominantly white college campus integrate themselves by having friendships and being active in clubs that are predominantly nonwhite far more than white students do this. Source: Dr. Beverly Tatum’s book, “Why are All of the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria”. </p>
<p>People, though, are far more likely to notice 5 black students sitting together than the same people notice the sea of white students sitting together. People also don’t consider that the black students sitting together in predominantly white environments may be spending the rest of their day with people who are not black. </p>
<p>I would bet that the same is true when it comes to middle class and upward blacks and whites. I know that I have lots of progressive white friends, and I’m involved in many organizations that are predominantly white. These include organizations in which I’m an officer.</p>
<p>It’s not unusual for me to be the only black person in a group. That’s because from what I’ve seen white middle class/upper class white people hang around only white people far more than midde/upper class black people socialize only with other black people.</p>
<p>I’m curious about how many of the white people who comment on black students, etc., allegedly only hanging around with their own race have friends of other races or participate in clubs in which they are in the racial minority.</p>
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<p>My daughter (who is white) is one of those who has commented on the self-segregation at her college and on her disappointment when she discovered, as a freshman, that most non-white students at her college were not interested in becoming friends with her.</p>
<p>She went to a majority-minority high school. While in high school, she participated in several outside musical organizations where the majority of participants were Asian. Her social group in high school was multiracial; so is her social group at college, although the proportion of whites is much higher (due to the self-segregation thing). Her best friend in childhood was Asian; her best friend in college is Hispanic; her roommate last year was African American. </p>
<p>I think she’s qualified to comment, and I think that her comments reflect the reality at her college.</p>
<p>Wow, you guys have been busy. I am Catholic woman married to a Jew. We raised our children Jewish in a Reformed Temple. We were accepted whole heartly as an interfaith couple and we considered our children Jewish, until or Reformed Temple merged with another Reformed Temple about 1/2 hour away and we decided to join the local Conservative Temple. The first year went spendid (almost) - my eldest son quickly became friends and was even elected to the USY board. My youngest had a harder time adjusting. Then about 3/4 of the way through our first year of membership - the elders got word that I was Catholic and OMG did all hell break loose. The elders wanted us out OR my children had to do a conversion. Of course, my husband I met with the Rabbi (whom we love) to discuss to “situation”. After all the discussions, it was going to be my childrens decision, not mine or my husbands. My husband and I were ready to walk away if that’s what they wanted. We discussed the various “things” they would have to do in order to convert. And you Jews know what I talking about and I’m talking about two boys - aged 16 and 13. I’m talking about the hatafat dam brit - it is part of the conversion process where drops of blood must be drawn from the *****. After all of the discussions and after about a week of quiet, my eldest came to me and said he was willing to do it. My youngest reluctantly followed his brother. The worst was the ritual described above in which neither child would talk to me about. The best was the actual day of the conversion with the prayers and dipping in the water. We had alot of the temple hierarchy there and it was really a beautiful experience. After it was over, they were both glad they did it. I am proud of my family and our dynammic. My son actually wrote about our family’s diversity in his college essay. It has made my children so accepting of others. We also did have very supportive parents when we we married and I think that has only helped through the years. My family has been at all the “jewish ceremonies” and his family has been over for Easter Dinner at my sisters, etc.</p>
<p>To get back to the OP question though. My son, who is a Freshman at Northwestern has not “to my knowledge” experienced any negative comments towards him because he is Jewish and he does have a Jewish last name. Hopefully, it will continue to be a good experience for him.</p>
<p>Hi Kleibo, I’m a parent (with a Catholic mother, Jewish father myself); I attended Northwestern with a very Jewish last name, and there would be absolutely no reason to expect any problems or issues at a place like NU, which is probably in the realm of 25% Jewish.</p>
<p>Thanks Pizzagirl. When my son decided he was going to attend Northwestern, we had no idea that it was about 25% Jewish. He was strictly looking at which college was best for his major - chemistry. We only really found out during Welcome Week when we stopped in at the Hillel for an open house. He hasn’t attended many Hillel functions, but he did attend High Holy Day services there and always feels welcome when he does go.</p>