[Dianne Shames]

Actually, I consider myself an American first, but I understand the complexity of the question. When I was young I could not understand why, in my textbooks it said that to the shores of America came the Russians, the Irish, the Italians (etc.) and the Jews. It didn’t say Methodists, Lutherns, Catholics & Jews. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood that Judiasm is more than a religion, it is a culture as well. In most countries Jews were not allowed to become citizens, so though my grandmother was born and raised in Austria, by their government she was considered a Jew who lived in Austria, not an Austrian. It makes you think huh?

User Detail :  

Name : Dianne Shames, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 53, City : Media, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Dianne Shames]

Jews are always American first…we are no different than anyone else when it comes to loyality. But to answer your question, your family was Italian and also Catholic. My family was never Austrian or Russian or German;they were Jews who were permitted to live in those countries but never allowed to be citizens. Therefore, our religion became a culture as well. Does this help?

User Detail :  

Name : Dianne Shames, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 53, City : Media, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Dianne Shames]

To begin with, Jewish men & women wear a kippah as a reminder that G-d is always watching & that we stand in awe. When my children were little they used to threaten to draw a dot in the middle of my husband’s bald spot so that it looked liked he was always wearing a kippot. He has a terrible time keeping his kippot on…just one of the difficulties of being ‘almost’ bald, not necessarily a difficuly of being Jewish.

User Detail :  

Name : Dianne Shames, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 53, City : Media, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Dianne Shames]

I can’t speak for everyone who is Jewish, only for my friends and family and of course, for me. Some people found it frightening. In light of our past, it reminds us of the ‘programs’ which were just an excuse for anit-semetic acts, often instigated by Christian holidays or sermons that reminded them that ‘the Jews killed Jesus’ and resulted in acts of violence. Some felt very isolated in the theater where they watched a historical movie that others in the theater took as the truth. Still others, myself included, found it too violent to watch and did not go see it.

User Detail :  

Name : Dianne Shames, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 53, City : Media, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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