AN ABOVE-AVERAGE JEW
Some Geauga County kids put on “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” a play about the Theresienstadt concentration camp. I spoke to the actors at their theater in Chardon, Ohio. I figured they’d be obnoxious, but they weren’t. I explained what a Jew is. They sang a Theresienstadt-based song for me. I asked them who, in their world, was the most famous Jew. I thought they would say Jesus. They said Billy Crystal.
The kids wanted to know about “the beanie ” — the yarmulke. (Note: I don’t where a yarmulke.) I said it shows one’s humbleness, vis a vis God. Was I right? I gave the actors a couple Yiddishe Cup CDs and said, “The people at Terezin didn’t listen to klezmer music but enjoy these.” Was I Jewish enough? Was I above average?
On one foot
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A version of this post appeared here 10/28/15.
4 comments
Re kippah, “wear” and not where. Your friendly proof reader. How can your readers answer your question when you didn’t divulge what you said about Jews (rhetlorical question) or what their feedback was to you about their perceptions of you afterwards.
Sounds pretty good, as far as what you shared here. But for shame on your advance stereotyping of kids in Geauga County. I take it this wasn’t Russell, South Russell, or Bainbridge.
To Ken Goldberg: Chardon
This post is both poignant and vocabulary-expanding.
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