New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke to the Jewish group Agudath Israel on Sunday at the New York Hilton and described two joyous events, one being his parents’ anniversary.
While we’re here with mishpocheh [extended family], I have two simchas [joyous events]. Six weeks ago my daughter got married. When she talked about him she said she had a boyfriend named Shappy and I was a little worried, because Shappy doesn’t sound like a Jewish last name. But that was his nickname; his last name is Shapiro. He’s a wonderful boy and we’re very happy.
Let’s talk about Schumer’s “worry.” First we need to acknowledge who is allowed to have that “worry.” Our culture says parents are not allowed to be “worried” about race, creed, color, religion, gender. Your daughter is bringing home her new friend, you better not be “worried,” whoever is attached. It is supposed to be all the same to the parent. There is apparently one exception to all of this.
When Debbie Wasserman Schultz told a Jewish audience “we have the problem of intermarriage,” she was compelled to apologize for the statement a day or two later. Maybe because she is so powerful– being the chair of the Democratic National Committee. Schumer is one of ten Jewish senators; and Jews can’t really describe themselves as outsiders in the US power structure. And as Cliff Wolf of the American Jewish Committee said very sensibly at a Jewish event at SUNY Purchase two weeks ago, other American religious groups such as Protestants and Catholics are experiencing the same rates of intermarriage as Jews are. We are all Americans, he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OvpswjJgWs&feature=youtu.be
Nonsense. Parents (if involved, of course, which is another thing entirely — adult kids get married w/o parents OK) have every rioght to do their best for their kids (arranging and dis-arranging marriage possibilities) with a view to getting their kids into culturally-coherent marriage.
When I told my parents that I was engaged to a Palestinian who I met in chamber-music-camp, a terrific pianist (like my father), they saw at once that there was TOTAL cultural coherency. We were secular Jews, she a very good person of Quaker (understated Christian) background. No problem.
But they might have opposed my getting together with an evangelical Christian on the grounds that that would eb absolutely not culturally compatible. (Whether in such case I would have listened is of course another matter.)
All that said, I favor mixed marriages if the mixture combines compatible differences. Seems Schumer seeks to forbid some mixtures.
Chuck displays stereotypical traits of a narcissistic parent. As a father, its his responsibility is to either introduce her daughter to a man (or a woman) that will be loyal to her and is capable of providing and protecting her til the end, or he should just move aside and allow her daughter to choose for herself.
Chuck doesn’t get to decide who the daughter gets to marry, nor has he any right to even disagree with her choice especially if he is incapable of fulfilling his primary responsibility as a father.
Your children are not yours, they belong to humanity which Jewish people are a part of along with millions of other groups.
Shorter: the sooner judaism disappears, the better.
“Yakov Hirsch is a professional poker player and dog trainer.”
That explains it. I always wondered who trained C.M. Coolidge’s dogs.
I wish you could train my Dora. I’m tired of making up her gambling losses.
Had Bill or Hillary Clinton addressed a group of Protestant Christians several years ago and said that Chelsea had brought home a boyfriend with the last name of Mezvinsky and that “they were a little worried”, because Mezvinsky “doesn’t sound like” a Christian last name how long would Hilary’s political ambitions remained legitimate and viable in the Democratic Party?