Thoughts from the Homeland: Diaspora Jews and Otherness

I’ve given a lot of thought to whether I am an American Jew or a Jewish American. To some, perhaps there’s not a difference; to me, the difference feels huge. I am an American Jew. My Jewishness is the core of who I am and what makes me different from 98% of the American population. Growing up in New York, I’m not going to pretend that I felt different all that often. Sure, someone threw pennies at me as a kid, and the phrase JAP was wielded at Jewish (and non-Jewish) girls so often most people took it as a compliment (I didn’t), but other than that, I didn’t really feel all that different. Fast forward twenty five years. I feel different all the time. And it isn’t because I’ve become more observant nor is it because I’ve moved into communities without active and visible Jewish populations. <a href="https://medium.com/@LoganLevkoff/thoughts-from-the-homeland-diaspora-jews-and-otherness-b4ad25a8ecda">Website</a>