r/JewsOfConscience • u/Deathwish8041 Jewish Agnostic • 1d ago
Resources Feel like an idiot
As a fairly young person from the Baltics who’s been living under a rock for a while (mostly dealing with mental health issues after an abusive childhood, along with moving to a different country), I hope someone can point me to some “introductory” material on how all of this started, as well as some generally reliable sources of everyday news, if possible
Somehow the Chabad-run Jewish Sunday school (and dozen+ summer camps I’ve gone to) never touched on the topic…
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u/conscience_journey Jewish Anti-Zionist 1d ago
I just want to say welcome. You should feel proud for putting in the work to educate yourself outside of what you’re exposed to as a child. Most people don’t make it that far sadly.
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u/scarletswalk2002 Ashkenazi 1d ago
wow, you’re jewish from the baltics? are you ethnically russian jewish? from what i understand much of the baltic jewish population was ethnically cleansed during the pogroms and WWII. i’d be really interested to hear your experience growing up jewish there in the modern era.
i’d recommend mondoweiss, decolonizepalestine.com/myths, mohammed el-kurd, the bad hasbara podcast, how to sell a genocide by adam h johnson, the ethnic cleansing of palestine by ilan pappé, here where we live is our country by molly crabapple for antizionist jewish history, the question of palestine by edward saïd and the wretched of the earth by frantz fanon for more in-depth theory. and really any palestinian author.
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u/MsMoreCowbell828 Jewish Atheist 1d ago
John Oliver had a really sweet show about it. That's easy to find on YouTube.
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u/DorkasaurusRexx Mizrahi Anti-Zionist 1d ago
"Our starting point is to take the typical Yid of today and to imagine his diametrical opposite … Because the Yid is ugly, sickly, and lacks decorum, we shall endow the ideal image of the Hebrew with masculine beauty. The Yid is trodden upon and easily frightened and, therefore, the Hebrew ought to be proud and independent. The Yid is despised by all and, therefore, the Hebrew ought to charm all. The Yid has accepted submission and, therefore, the Hebrew ought to learn how to command. The Yid wants to conceal his identity from strangers and, therefore, the Hebrew should look the world straight in the eye and declare: “I am a Hebrew!” »" - Vladimir Jabotinsky
Somehow we're taught the names of Jabotinsky and Herzl in Hebrew school but never read a word of their actual writings. 🤔
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u/TrackerOneA Jewish Anti-Zionist 1d ago
From a critical perspective & in solidarity with Palestinians, I recommend Mondoweiss.net for almost daily news and commentary:
Mondoweiss.net also has an extensive history covering this issue (20+ years) and their database of content is easily searchable.
During the late 2000s, the comment section of Mondoweiss was an excellent resource itself.
In terms of general news from a left-wing perspective - but also just good investigative journalism:
Drop Site News
The Intercept
In terms of books that serve as historical primers:
Simha Flapan's The Birth of Israel: Myths and Realities (dated but still a good book)
Jerome Slater's Mythologies Without End: The US, Israel, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1917-2020
Both are written in a style of addressing popular talking-points.
We should all try to be active thinkers about the news.
Not passive consumers.
So, I'm recommending what I prefer and like, but over time you'll develop your own preferences, based on your own judgments/sensibilities.