Jews in Lebanon

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

so, I have recently been studying my family history and it turns out that my grandfather's mother was an Orthodox Jew from Slovakia.  I was curious (I guess now I'm a dead cat...) and I asked my Lebanese friend at school if there were Jews in Lebanon.  he said no.  now, when we see eachother, he gives me a dirty look.  a friend even told me he called me a "dirty Jew" to his friends.  mostly everyone knows I'm an Orthodox Christian by the books I read and even making the sign of the cross before lunch.  I even told him and almost brought bim to Church to meet my other Orthodox Lebanese friends. 

why the hostility?

and please don't make this a big political arguement (there's a different subforum for that!). 

[rakovsky]

Why? B/c Some people have problems. It sounds like a personality thing on his part.

It's stupid on several levels, like just offhand, you aren't Jewish in a religious way, your friends will recognize that. And even if you were Jewish why should you be mistreated?

So don't worry about it, just move on, be nice to your friends, people will understand.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

Why? B/c Some people have problems. It sounds like a personality thing on his part.

It's stupid on several levels, like just offhand, you aren't Jewish in a religious way, your friends will recognize that. And even if you were Jewish why should you be mistreated?

So don't worry about it, just move on, be nice to your friends, people will understand.

okey dokey.  sounds good to me 

[Theophilos78]

so, I have recently been studying my family history and it turns out that my grandfather's mother was an Orthodox Jew from Slovakia.  I was curious (I guess now I'm a dead cat...) and I asked my Lebanese friend at school if there were Jews in Lebanon.  he said no.  now, when we see eachother, he gives me a dirty look.  a friend even told me he called me a "dirty Jew" to his friends.  mostly everyone knows I'm an Orthodox Christian by the books I read and even making the sign of the cross before lunch.  I even told him and almost brought bim to Church to meet my other Orthodox Lebanese friends. 

why the hostility?

and please don't make this a big political arguement (there's a different subforum for that!). 

Your friend, who talks behind your back and gives you a dirty look, may be a secret Muslim. Investigate his genealogy! 

[biro]

That's too bad he said that. I would pray for him.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

so, I have recently been studying my family history and it turns out that my grandfather's mother was an Orthodox Jew from Slovakia.  I was curious (I guess now I'm a dead cat...) and I asked my Lebanese friend at school if there were Jews in Lebanon.  he said no.  now, when we see eachother, he gives me a dirty look.  a friend even told me he called me a "dirty Jew" to his friends.  mostly everyone knows I'm an Orthodox Christian by the books I read and even making the sign of the cross before lunch.  I even told him and almost brought bim to Church to meet my other Orthodox Lebanese friends. 

why the hostility?

and please don't make this a big political arguement (there's a different subforum for that!). 

Your friend, who talks behind your back and gives you a dirty look, may be a secret Muslim. Investigate his genealogy! 

actually, he's "Druze".  from what I've heard, it's related to Islam, but they have very different beliefs and are almost cult-ish in that they let no one into their places of worship, and they can only marry Druze.

[Tallitot]

No matter what or who you are, someone somewhere hates you for it. Sad but true.

[Saint Iaint]

Firstly, there is no conceivable way you could be considered a 'Jew' by anyone - in any way.

According to Halachic law you would certainly not be considered 'Jewish' and the 'Jewish state' would not grant you citizenship according to your level of 'Jewish-ness'.

Secondly, this is all gossip and hearsay... how can you be sure that the Lebanese kid even said that?

I would take the advice of Ialmisry's signature tag line:

Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.
A hasty quarrel kindles fire,
and urgent strife sheds blood.
If you blow on a spark, it will glow;
if you spit on it, it will be put out;
and both come out of your mouth

Lastly, your Lebanese friend is wrong about the Jews in Lebanon thing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Lebanon

There aren't many (only between 20 and 40 according to Know-It-All-Ipedia)... but they're there, and it seems they've always been there.

There is a good chance these are real descendants of the Israelites; real Hebrews... (though they could also easily be of Edomite descent.)

†IC XC†
†NI KA†

[quietmorning]

Trevor, I'm also Jewish in ancestry (German from WWII) . .and Italian (also from WWII). . .and Native American. . .and Irish (From the Potato Famine). . .and English. . .and one of my forefather's signed the Declaration of Independence. . .

people are people are people. . .I spent time in lockers, tied to theater chairs, thrown out windows into mud puddles, had my books thrown down the stairs, been punched in the face - and have been called all kinds of names.  And if it weren't me, it was who I chose for friends, that (n-word) or this (derogatory for Oriental, Native American, Mexican. . .you name it).

God is giving you something that is beyond one of the best gifts you can ever receive. . .the opportunity to love your enemy.  If you can do this, then you can be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Wow... what an opportunity.  There is hate in the world.  We in America are a bigoted people, unfortunately.  But more than that. . .much more than that, we are a chosen people that lives in the world, but we are not OF the world -- and the world owns it's own, and does not receive us, because it does not receive Christ Jesus.  If it isn't this reason to hate you, it would be another.  Count it as knowing the truth of who follows Him and who doesn't. . .and pray for them. . . as they are judging and they will be judged with the same judgement they dish out. 

My brother is a practicing Jew. . .and when I pray for him, his wife and his daughter, my heart always leaps in love and joy.  I don't understand it, but He does - and that's enough for me.  Jesus came to save sinners. . .of whom I am chief. . . let there be no judgment in my heart, Lord have mercy. 

Loving your enemy is the hardest truest form of love.  May He bless you in it and keep you in it, and bring you closer to knowing His Father through it.  Lord have mercy. 

[rakovsky]

I liked quietmorning's post.

actually, he's "Druze".  from what I've heard, it's related to Islam, but they have very different beliefs and are almost cult-ish in that they let no one into their places of worship, and they can only marry Druze.

That's alittle funny. You can ask him how come the Druze are in the Israeli army, but Palestinian Orthodox Christians aren't. Maybe this will show him another way of looking at things. Also it's important to be nice to people. But probably also keep distance.

Peace.

[Orest]

so, I have recently been studying my family history and it turns out that my grandfather's mother was an Orthodox Jew from Slovakia.  I was curious (I guess now I'm a dead cat...) and I asked my Lebanese friend at school if there were Jews in Lebanon.  he said no.  now, when we see eachother, he gives me a dirty look.  a friend even told me he called me a "dirty Jew" to his friends.  mostly everyone knows I'm an Orthodox Christian by the books I read and even making the sign of the cross before lunch.  I even told him and almost brought bim to Church to meet my other Orthodox Lebanese friends. 

why the hostility?

and please don't make this a big political arguement (there's a different subforum for that!). 

The Jews in what used to be Czechoslovakia were very assimilated and there was a lot of intermarriage with Christians.  I remember reading the stastics of intermarriage before WW1 in my history class but have forgotten the exact number.  So there is nothing out of the ordinary in your grandmother marrying a Christian.  In fact it was usually women who intermarried because there were more duaughters around than sons.
As for your friend or classmate if he has recently come from Lebanon, he may have bad memories of all the fighting between his countrymen and israel.  he may have lost family in the war etc. so don't take it personally.  Most of the jews have left lebaonon where they lived for centuries.

[Theophilos78]

actually, he's "Druze".  from what I've heard, it's related to Islam, but they have very different beliefs and are almost cult-ish in that they let no one into their places of worship, and they can only marry Druze.

Their relation to Islam may be one of the reasons underlying your friend's anti-Jewish attitude.

The funny thing is most Muslims consider Druzes heretics and disparage them. For instance, in Turkish the word "Druze" has a negative connotation. It is used to identify evil and dishonest people.

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