Thread by @KosherSoul

How does someone like me experience #Antisemitism ?
Anti-Jewish sentiments and behavior can reflect the different variants of people expressing their displeasure with Jews as a people, sub-ethnicities and as a set of religious practices or cultural or social stances.

Wearing a kippa, having a beard or wearing tzitzit...or fringes intended to remind me to observe the commandments often signify my Jewishness but that's not the only way people might identify me as a Jew and treat me differently in a negative way.

I was slapped in a grocery store by a man who grinned as he said "oh sorry didn't see you there..." and my kippa fell off. I was so shocked I didn't know what to do.

A white woman called me a "kike" in a parking lot dispute and when I called her on it, the cops threatened me with arrest for "escalating," for calling her anti-Semitic. They were Black and no help to a fellow brotha.

A former landlord demanded I let workers in and around on Saturday and demanded that I be there to let them in even though I reminded her it was Shabbat. The city gvt of Rockville. Md didn't care.

I was attacked on the metro by a large group of fundamentalist Christians and their children mocked me and attempted to spit on me and my prayerbook. They preached about how awful Jews were....once they figured out I wasn't Muslim. Nobody intervened.

People might think I am Muslim if I wear an African or Asian style kippa which resemble the kuffi. I desperately needed to charge my phone at Union Station&a very rude older white man who worked there demanded to know what I was doing&he told me to get my "fuckn terrorist ass"out

Getting my ID for research at the library of congress...the woman taking care of me demanded to know why I was Jewish. She then said, "I bet you're a damn Republicans too..." and shook her head with pursed lips.

The first and last time I prayed at a station with my tefillin I had more than one person with a walkie talkie come up to me and ask what I "thought" I was doing and why I had strange things on me and if they were dangerous.

like why would you even bother to ask...

I mentioned during a presentation for the Folklife festival that the folks in my synagogue made the same dish but w/ different ingredients and context& the curator for food ripped the mic out of my hands&told the crowd they were misinformed&that it had nothing to do with the Jews

Antisemitic and Anti-Jewish in my world is having a cop pull us over on Tisha B'Av&hold a gun to my head, its being told not to "bring up that Jewish angle" or having an editor turn down The Cooking Gene because I mentioned I was Jewish&them telling me "America wasn't ready"

Its being harassed and questioned on the train about why I am not a Christian or people hoping that I'm really "Messianic." Or ppl thinking they are funny at work calling me "Little Amish boy."

Its having another landlord threaten you over building a Sukkah. Its having a kippa off and being perceived as just Black while some white dude talks about "the fnn Jews..." are the problem behind everything...

Its being asked "Do you have to wear that here?" (Kippa)

Its people seeing this beard and a headcovering and experiencing intersectional isht at an airport....

Its people questioning my Jewish identity because they only frame Jewish identity as one identifiable type.

Its saying "I'm Jewish," and having people burst out laughing.

That one...

They can't hide the fact that bc I'm not a caricature that they think I am ridiculous in my current incarnation as a complex and nuanced American.

It hurts really bad.

Its people coming into my social media saying "I heard you were a Zionist. Are you a Zionist? Explain yourself." I never said a word about the matsav but I say Jewish and they say that.

Its people assuming that Jewishness takes me out of my consciousness as a person of color. Its people assuming real Black ppl can be Christian or Muslim but not Jews. Its people trying to tell me what Jewishness is about to justify de-centering me as a Jew.

I'm going to close it here. Shver tzu tzayn a Yid.