Seattle's Jewish Problem
Dec. 29th, 2006 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
randy_byersA couple of weeks ago, The Stranger published an interesting piece by Eli Sanders about Jews in Seattle. I'm not sure it really defines the problem in the title all that clearly, but it seems to have been written in response to the fandango about Christmas trees in SeaTac Airport and the rabbi who wanted menoras displayed with them, in which the Port of Seattle came out looking like complete idiots and the mouth-breathing "War on Christmas" anti-Semites came pouring out of the woodwork. What was most interesting about the article to me was the history of Jews in Seattle in contrast and comparison to other parts of the US. It was pretty much all new territory to me.
I guess the problem is defined as being one of a Jewish population so small that most Seattlites are ignorant of and thus potentially prejudiced against Jewish culture. In response to the anecdote Sanders tells about a hipster at a party who embarrassed him by loudly proclaiming that "the Jew has arrived," Christopher Frizzelle wrote a pretty pathetic post on the Slog wondering if he was the one who had done that. To my mind, at least, it comes perilously close to pleading the "some of my best friends are Jews" defense. Sanders has replied with a fascinating post about how his article has made many of his friends wonder if they were the guilty party. Unfortunately, this exchange has reminded me of a time at the Pacific Inn when I drunkenly (and loudly) "teased" a Welshman about being a leek-eater. Clever, eh? I'm lucky the guy didn't deck me.
All in all, a very enlightening discussion. I actually had no idea how small the Jewish population here was. You'd never know it by looking at science fiction fandom!
I guess the problem is defined as being one of a Jewish population so small that most Seattlites are ignorant of and thus potentially prejudiced against Jewish culture. In response to the anecdote Sanders tells about a hipster at a party who embarrassed him by loudly proclaiming that "the Jew has arrived," Christopher Frizzelle wrote a pretty pathetic post on the Slog wondering if he was the one who had done that. To my mind, at least, it comes perilously close to pleading the "some of my best friends are Jews" defense. Sanders has replied with a fascinating post about how his article has made many of his friends wonder if they were the guilty party. Unfortunately, this exchange has reminded me of a time at the Pacific Inn when I drunkenly (and loudly) "teased" a Welshman about being a leek-eater. Clever, eh? I'm lucky the guy didn't deck me.
All in all, a very enlightening discussion. I actually had no idea how small the Jewish population here was. You'd never know it by looking at science fiction fandom!
