Raw Behavior
Ben Shak2011Reflections
“They’re rude,” the sushi guy mutters under his breath.
They. He’s talking to me about chasidim and I am not “they”.
Tony, the sushi man, has lived in the US since he was six but still retains a Tibetan accent. He knows what I crave for even before I know it myself, gradually moving me away from fried kishke rolls to godzilla rolls, with plenty of raw fish in between. While he prepares my lunch he wants to understand ‘kasidim’. Good luck with that, I think to myself, while explaining to him the origins of the prohibition to mix milk and meat.
A few weeks ago, when I went in to satisfy my daily sushi craving, Tony told me: “You don’t look Jewish with that hat”. I was wearing a knitted cap, a black Hugo Boss jacket my friend made me buy, DKNY glasses I picked up in Boro Park and a scarf I found in G&G.
Later that night I looked at myself in the mirror at the bathroom in my favorite bar. I had to agree with Tony. I didn’t look Jewish. At least not totally. No chasid will ever confuse me with a local artisten or hipster. Although sometimes the artisten themselves think I’m one of them.
This morning Tony is complaining that his under-the-counter fridge had been left opened all night. I explain to him that after he leaves people still expect a second helping of chrain or wasabi. Tony doesn’t understand why his chasidish customers don’t understand they can’t have their wasabi when there’s no one behind the counter.
“Jewish people are different,” he claims.
“Yeah, they’re more confident,” I say.
“That’s because they’re rude,” he mutters under his breath.
4 Responses
Yeah Chasidim are rude the stink are the worst of the worst out there, we heared that enough already on this site, you guys have nothing positive or constructive going on in your lives to offer for a change? Anthony Weiner Arnold Schwartzanager John Edwards Mark Sanford Mark Foely and the rest of them who do it the smarter may we never find out their pervertnessand non of them are Chasidic even what a surprise but we all need to envy their success and work hard to get to where they are on taxpayer money.
Yikes, Nachman, you might actually have an argument there. I’d listen even if I saw it differently. It’s that long run on sentence and poor punctuation that stops me cold. Can’t help it. It offends the “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” in me.
Honest. I’m actually a nice person. And I should be kinder. I truly understand the educational challenges of ex-Chassidim. I know. I went to college in my parents’ home, behind their back. All hell broke loose when they discovered my ID card.
As Footsteps says on their web site, when you leave the insular strict world of Chassidim, it’s like being an immigrant in a new country. I sympathize. But Nachman, please, do everything possible to learn some basic grammar and writing. It can never hurt. Then come back and I’ll read your comment with more thought.
I don’t understand the point of this piece. It’s neither entertaining, nor informative. To top it off, there is also no punchline either. I’m surprised this was published on Unpious.
I agree with the last commmenter that this piece wasn’t really wrapped up. There should be more to it. More examples or something. Also, I want to add that it’s any but the most modern of Orthodox Jews. They ask the most intrusive questions but if you ask them something they don’t like they just say nothing and leave you standing or sitting there feeling dumb. They don’t even say that it’s personal. They could ask you all sorts of nosey intrusive questions and then even judge you but if you ask a little thing like “what do you do?” SILENCE!! So, they can cricize me for being a receptionist but can’t even tell me what they do? CLASSY-real classy. They have no concept of ettiquette or restraining from asking nosey questions. They want to know, they just ask. And who you are related to is everything so for anyone not religious thinking to buy into the hype of the kiruv types run away now before you lose part of your life like myself and Chavi from the God Gene story.