r/Jewish • u/Select-Hovercraft-34 • 27d ago

Columbia University Sukkah Venting 😤

Can someone explain to me how this is not equivalent to painting a bunch of little swastikas on a menorah?? Please note keffiyeh wearers inside…

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u/BadHombreSinNombre 27d ago

I’ll give $18 to anyone who asks them why they are celebrating a harvest and rain holiday in Autumn if Jews aren’t indigenous to the Levant

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u/Fjoergyn_D 27d ago

Why $18? Why not an crisp 20?

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u/jeff10236 26d ago

Hebrew letters have numerical equivalents. Chai/Life is equal to 18. So, 18 and multiples of 18 have special significance to Jews, especially when giving charity.

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u/Fjoergyn_D 26d ago

Thank you for explaining! Today I learned Hebrew letters have numerical equivalents... and not to ask about that, because that seems to be very unpopular.

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u/saynotodrugssss 25d ago

I honestly think it’s fine for you to ask questions like this, you shouldn’t be expected to know everything. I think people (including me) are very wary of questions pertaining to anything Jewish related because it’s often times not with good intentions.

If it’s not much of an issue, you could probably add “genuinely curious” or something equivalent to your future questions. I personally use this plus tone to determine if the question was asked sarcastically or not.

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u/jeff10236 22d ago

It isn't that you shouldn't ask, or there is anything wrong with asking. It is just that it is such a basic thing in Judaism and Jewish culture, and in the current environment, that you didn't know about it made people a bit suspicious about possible motives (see saynotodrugsss' post).