It started with starting to learn the future tense, so of course the next thing we did was read a passage all in present tense called, "העיר העתיד’ the future city. So we talked about what we thought the future would be like and what a future city would have. Of course then we started with all of the cheesy, kitschy things that people say like flying cars and everything being run by computers. Anyways, being in Jerusalem, עיר הקודש, we of course went to moshiach. And this is where I started to get frustrated.
First, we talked about who moshiach is explaining to those who are not Jewish (most of the class) and comparing moshiach with Jesus and Isei?? and that was fine until we got into what will bring moshiach. The stupid kid that sits next to me declared that America and Iran would blow up the entire world with nuclear power and then the Jews would receive moshiach. The very religious and into gematria Spanish guy in my class said that all the world and all the peoples would have a fight here in Jerusalem and then moshiach will come. The normal, modern Orthodox guy in my class said that if people are good, that good things will happen to them and that not everyone has to die for moshiach. (I think he was trying to say something else but it didnt quite work in Hebrew) But anyways, the annoying kid next to me then said that people are inherently bad and therefore there will never be good people to bring moshiach, a great war is inevitable. And I said to him in English (and therefore accurate and not misinterpreted) that what he is saying amounts to original sin and as a kipah wearing, orthodox kid from Canada (though also truly an idiot) he should know that is not a Jewish belief and he looked at me and said straight that there have never been good Jews and that is why bad things happen to us. It is our fault when people try to kill us because we are not "good Jews."
I couldn't believe it. That a Jew would say that we as Jews had brought the Holocaust on ourselves and the inquisition on ourselves and the programs on ourselves? It completely threw me on my back. I don't think I have ever had a fellow Jew told me that because of the way I practice my religion or other Jews who do not practice to the full extent of the law are responsible for the murders of millions of people. What kind of God can someone who thinks that way believe in? A punishing God who can only hate us? I'm still stunned and have fully made the commitment to avoid the kid I've been trying to avoid for weeks now except before it was just because he truly was not smart and incapable of figuring things out for himself or simply brushing his teeth or understanding personal space or saying really stupid things throughout class.
Anyways, then the conversation turned to Christianity and it was basically decided (in our class of Muslims, Jews, and two Catholics) that Catholics are the same as Protestants except more religious. For example Catholics are to Protestants what Orthodox Jews are to Reform Jews. So, having grown up in the Bible Belt and general NOT IDIOT I tried to correct them by saying that Catholics and Protestants are different parts of Christianity and that no section is inherently more religious than the other. There are religious Catholics and non-religious Catholics just as there are Religious Protestants and non-religious Protestants. I even tried to explain the history of Luther and the Protestantism and no one agreed with me or backed me up or even listened to what I was saying. And I had to fight for the name of the Protestants. When in my life did I ever think that would happen? And what truly amazes me is that I am living in a city where all three monotheistic religions grew from and no one knows anything about anyone else's religion. The other day on an ulpan field trip around Jerusalem, we stopped at Terra Sancta, and the teacher leading the trip said that it was Protestant Terra Sancta as the nuns walked by with their rosaries. And when I tried to say that "Protestant Terra Sancta" does not exist and that there is no such thing as Protestant nuns with rosaries I was ignored again.
And we wonder why there is no peace with each other. We know shit about each other. Did you know that this week is a major Islamic holiday/combination of holidays one of which commemerates the binding of Isaac except its not Issac, it's Ishmael. We are so similar and we have no idea.
And what annoys me is that I know for example what protestant history is and how they live their lives and I understand Catholic history and the church because I have learned it in school. I know the basics of my religion and can answer a lot of questions that people have in my ulpan class but no one in that class will listen to me because I am not Orthodox and therefore can not possibly understand my religion. I am not christian and therefore could have no clue about anything pertaining to Christianity. And it is so frustrating because I know more than that stupid awful kid that sits next to me, but he's the expert we listen to when it comes to Judaism.
But, when people were saying what they wanted in their "city of the future," the religious Muslim girl said "Peace" and the Orthodox Jewish man said "A great war where everyone dies so the Messiah can come." Sometimes I wonder where religion gets us at all. And sometimes I really hate the people in mine.
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