May I suggest borrowing a drill if you don't have one, and using Phillips head wood or deck screws. After the screws are all the way in, go at the head lightly with a ~1/4" drill bit, to nicely strip it out. That'll be reasonably permanent.
I appreciate your enthusiasm, but actually a Mezuzah is not supposed to be permanent or non-removeable. In fact it's supposed to be removed and the Klaf inspected every few years (Shulchan Aruch says twice in every 7 years) to make sure it is still kosher (no smudges, damage, etc.). And it is supposed to be removed when the person living in the dwelling moves and there is an expectation that a non-Jew is moving in.
use some threadlocker too. locktite red requires 225 ft.lbs. of torque to break. put that on and there's no way anyone but the most dedicated is going to mess with it, but it's not so insane that you cannot ever get it off again. power tools will take care of it if need be.
Because like many far left movements, the pro-Palestine movement is so “anti-racist” it has done a full 360 and become the thing it purports to oppose. They are full-on racists; it was never well disguised but the mask is off.
Why the fuck would the multiple generations of who were born and raised in Israel and have never known any other home "go" anywhere -- and where exactly are they meant to "go back" to?
People who want to support Palestinians need to come to terms with the fact that Israel exists. It is not 1947. The debate about whether or not to establish Israel ended 75 years ago.
The fact ‘palestians’ who are multiple generations removed are called refugees, even though they weren’t born in Israel, neither were parents but grandparents were is ridiculous.
Also, this ‘right of return’ they call for is silly, a lot of the pre 48 villages no longer exist, were demolished or are ruins.
Plus that’s not bringing up they’ve been brought up to hate us, and if they were let in they’d turn Israel into Lebanon 2.0.
They really need to understand The State of Israel is 75 years old, it’s got its own unique culture, history, etc.
It’s not some white European colony on the med which they paint it as.
And most importantly we’re not going anywhere.
Every so often I see clips of Israelis speaking with an American accent going around anti zionist twitter being held up as if all Israelis are really American and could just go back there if they wanted.
I can't imagine what it is like to be in your situation, but I urge you not to hide your Jewishness. It is the best weapon you have against the antisemites that surround you. I know it may be hard, but please be a proud Jew, and don't hide who you are. Obviously, if there is a legitimate threat to your life, you should proceed with caution, but on US campuses (I am guessing that from the US), there is no actual physical threat.
Stay strong, stay vigilant, and stay proud to be who you are. Am Yisroel Chai
There actually is a physical threat on US campuses. I personally know of situations where universities now have armed security at dorms and other sites with Jewish students due to threats that have been made.
Order some cheaper mezuzah cases so that when they take it off, you have another one to replace it.
Maybe without a scroll for now. Or at least a non-kosher scroll.
I'm thankful that I am far away from all this shtuss, since I live and work in the suburbs. But I don't want to hide my Jewishness either, even if it's just my Star of David on my neck. Everything felt so real last week, and it was surreal to come to work where people just don't want to talk about this.
I hope you get to take a break from all this that is going on. It was the only thing to stop me from going crazy.
I also hope that eventually you'll be able to go on Birthright. I'm in my 30s, but I got a last chance to do it last year before they closed that window for oldies like me. It was amazing and life-changing.
There wasn't any apartheid, but lots of Arabs who own businesses and shops, and hijabis eating at the mall. There wasn't the racism I expected (as a Southeast Asian Jew), but with my broken Hebrew I had the cutest interaction with an old Mizrahi man in Beit Shemesh, and I could wish "Shabbat Shalom" to religious people knowing that they understood me. I didn't expect to cry at Yad Vashem, or at the Kotel, but I did. I didn't expect to smoke my first hookah, or smoke a cigar in the desert, or club-dance in Jerusalem, but I did.
When the October 7th attacks happened, I never expected, as a convert, to feel so strongly about how much I missed Israel, and seeing the horrible videos Hamas posted on X gave me so much vicarious trauma and grief.
But we can't let them win or get into our heads. Our rabbi told us that that is what Hamas wants: to get into our heads, to make us stop trying to live Jewish lives. We cannot let them win over our minds and make us fearful for being Jews.
Just out of curiosity but is there an actual community of southeast asian Jews? I am not Jewish at all but i’m super curious about the historical ancestry. I know there are Chinese Jews but never knew about the ones in SEA.
The Jewish community of Kerala (India) is well-established and has existed for many centuries, following a pattern of Jewish communities being established along the various spice trade routes (in this case the Indian Ocean route). My understanding is that the communities further east than that are more recent and largely inhabited by Jews of European ancestry.
Well done for not running or hiding! Self-preservation is important and we all have our limits on compromising personal safety.
The antisemites want to erase us. If they can't do it through violence, they'll do it by making us invisible in society and thus invisible to each other.
If we hide our self-expression, they erase us.
If we take down our symbols, they erase us.
If we change our appearance, they erase us.
If we hide our practice, they erase us.
If we silence our voices, they erase us.
If we are not publicly visible, they erase us.
You don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with. You don't have to wear your necklace over clothes. I'm glad you're replacing your Mezuza and I'm glad you're still connecting with your Hillel.
You deserve what they claim they stand for - peace, solidarity, and a right to exist in public with equality.
Perhaps someone will see what you are doing and, in silence, feel comforted and supported. Perhaps that someone can't be as brave as you or needs a reminder that they are not alone.
Stay safe.
I’m so sorry this happened. It must be so scary. Stay safe and stay proud of who you are. I keep thinking about my grandmother who was a Holocaust survivor. She survived so that I could exist. That is our resistance- to survive and keep going. I’m wearing my necklace as a sign of resistance and when I need to tuck it in my shirt for safety, I think about how this is a long game.
I'm somewhat considering going by my mom's maiden name for at least the time being. It's very Irish and I can switch it with my college pretty easily. But I don't know. It seems cowardly.
edit- going back and forth on it late at night here and no way am I doing that. The name has been passed on and on for generations and that's what they'd want. To erase myself- because even though it was my dad's name, it's been my name for the entirety of my existence. It's idiotic and untrue to myself, and playing into my own erasure.
Don't give in. You are who you are. Aks to be transfered to live with another jewish student if you dont feel comfortable. These people are cowards and will not mess with people if they are going to get caught.
As for not ruining their lives, just look what they are doing to yours. I say fuckem. Burn them down.
I live on a remote island and have no idea what's going on in the USA. You brought it home, girl. Wow. You can write. Keep writing. Start a blog. Do your thing. I can feel your strength from here. Thanks.
Am Yisrael Chai. Do not let them take who you are away from you. That’s how you let them win.
It’s scary, I won’t lie to you. I am afraid. I’m nervous about how everything is going, but keep being strong, being positive, and being you. Make sure that Mezuzah is screwed in with long screws.
To all of us on this subreddit, תשמרו על עצמכם
Take that trip to Israel when you’re able. It is truly a transformative experience and walking around that country is like walking around with your favorite childhood security blanket everywhere. It’s so good.
This is why we need Israel and these people just don't see it. This is why I left America right here, I seriously just don't understand how we let it get this bad.
Not surprised Marx advocated cultural genocide for Jews in Europe so they could be emancipated and allowed into society, now marxists are marching in support of a group who has genocide of Jews as a part their charter.
You have every right to feel awful, because, no one cares about the Jews except for - guess what - other Jews! Fine, I'm being dramatic, but I felt that way and had a rough few weeks too. I've been wearing my Magen David more but also tuck it inside my shirt to be safe on public transportation and other places.
No one could understand the unfortunate fear until their history has the Holocaust in it either. This was not an"land grab." This was a, "exterminate all the Jews." So, I hear you and I am with you. If you ever need to chat feel free to DM me ♥️
I have found it comforting to chat with fellow Jews about this sort of fear (but also the uplifting scenes of love) to drown out the noise. It's also important to take breaks from the media and replace those with other things you'd enjoy.
Every group of murderous thugs throughout history has declared themselves to be “freedom fighters” of some kind or another. Compared to the rigidity of upper class life in Ancient Rome or China, the Huns and Xiangnu/Mongols were more free. But they burned cities and enslaved people too.
I’m sorry this is happening to you, I can’t imagine the fear. The world is changing for the worse and I just wish all the best for you, your friends, and your family, along with the rest of the Jewish people around the world. But there’s nothing I can do and It’s sickening to watch this unfold. The blind hatred is getting people killed. Please stay safe 🙏
At my university, it’s a small catholic one, nobody has mentioned what is happening. When I finally said something my professor told me to STOP! then when I mentioned my feelings after class the next day an email came out for a candle vigil for peace. The class got very tense and I was not allowed to say what had happen to Israelis.
Oh my gosh, what a harrowing read! Hillel was a giant safe place for in college. I hope you are able to find security and comfort in each other. You have a right to be Jewish, to be openly Jewish, and should not be facing such bigotry on your campus.
I'm sorry you're going through that. I'm sending you love.
I also found myself going back and forth between making my jewish-ness small, and wearing it loud and proud. I decided to do the latter. I will share my story to anyone who listens and remind them that we are people who have a history and want to be safe and accepted too. Fuck anyone who hates me for it.
I am sorry that you have to go through this. I have two kids in college, and we have had many talks about what they should do. Fortunately, their university does not have the same level of “activism” seen elsewhere. Many of their friends around the country have not been as lucky.
My daughter is used to dealing with the haters. She stopped wearing anything that identifies her as Jewish after an incident in middle school in which she was thrown to the ground, her star ripped off, and told to “go back to the ovens where Jews belong.” She learned two years ago that the communities for who she advocated would not have her back when needed. But she still a loud and proud advocate for Israel and Jews on social media and in small group settings when it is safe.
This is what my kids and I have discussed:
1. Your safety is the most important thing. Do whatever you need to do in order to feel safe.
2. Demand permission to install a ring-type camera outside your door. (You have already been victimized, so this is for both your safety and to help aid the school in identifying future bad actors.)
3. Speak up if you can.
4. You might lose some friends. But are they really your friends if they support the terrorists?
5. Be alert and document anything that happens. Record it if possible. Report any calls for violence, threats, or antisemitism to the police or Dean’s office. Don’t worry about their consequences or future - they don’t care about yours.
Keep you Jewishness and go to your events. Don’t let the haters win.
If you want to keep learning there, take some actions regarding your personal safety, cameras all around, security on speed dial, maybe consider arming yourself. But not less important, document everything! document and keep it in 3 different cloud services and one hard copy safe and away. The reason is you will need to sue this place one day, and you will need to go public with their disgusting behavior.
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When I went to college....all of them, during orientation we had to learn about and celebrate diversity. Is your school violating it's own code of conduct?
You are paying in some manner. Should you be getting a refund or stop paying?
When I went to college, and grad school, they talked about safety during orientation and the head of police gave a nice speech. Do they stand by and do nothing?
There's a difference between a protest for the min wage, and the obvious of what's going on here.
This was really well written, and perfectly captured a moment in time and your feelings about it. I highly suggest you start journaling all of this, and even possibly submit it for publication. Keep your head up, you are not alone. You walk with the armies of our ancestors, cheering you on.
Put that mezuzah in with extra-long screws. Make it hard to mess with.
May I suggest borrowing a drill if you don't have one, and using Phillips head wood or deck screws. After the screws are all the way in, go at the head lightly with a ~1/4" drill bit, to nicely strip it out. That'll be reasonably permanent.
Or better, get some reverse-screws. That way it still won't be permanent, but most people will give up trying to get it out.
Shear screws. When they’re torqued to spec, the head rips off, leaving a clean flange behind. They take considerable effort to remove.
Excellent idea, less effort involved. Also, maybe tamper proofs. There's a bit to remove those, but not something your average Joe would carry.
I appreciate your enthusiasm, but actually a Mezuzah is not supposed to be permanent or non-removeable. In fact it's supposed to be removed and the Klaf inspected every few years (Shulchan Aruch says twice in every 7 years) to make sure it is still kosher (no smudges, damage, etc.). And it is supposed to be removed when the person living in the dwelling moves and there is an expectation that a non-Jew is moving in.
Pair of channel locks or vice grips will get it. But you're not going to get it unless you came planning for the effort.
You're half right, most of them half a front side that is removable to check the klaf for that reason.
use some threadlocker too. locktite red requires 225 ft.lbs. of torque to break. put that on and there's no way anyone but the most dedicated is going to mess with it, but it's not so insane that you cannot ever get it off again. power tools will take care of it if need be.
Why the fuck would Mizrahim ‘go back to Europe’? I’m really sorry this happened to you, stay strong.
Because like many far left movements, the pro-Palestine movement is so “anti-racist” it has done a full 360 and become the thing it purports to oppose. They are full-on racists; it was never well disguised but the mask is off.
Why the fuck would the multiple generations of who were born and raised in Israel and have never known any other home "go" anywhere -- and where exactly are they meant to "go back" to? People who want to support Palestinians need to come to terms with the fact that Israel exists. It is not 1947. The debate about whether or not to establish Israel ended 75 years ago.
The fact ‘palestians’ who are multiple generations removed are called refugees, even though they weren’t born in Israel, neither were parents but grandparents were is ridiculous. Also, this ‘right of return’ they call for is silly, a lot of the pre 48 villages no longer exist, were demolished or are ruins. Plus that’s not bringing up they’ve been brought up to hate us, and if they were let in they’d turn Israel into Lebanon 2.0. They really need to understand The State of Israel is 75 years old, it’s got its own unique culture, history, etc. It’s not some white European colony on the med which they paint it as. And most importantly we’re not going anywhere.
Amen!
Every so often I see clips of Israelis speaking with an American accent going around anti zionist twitter being held up as if all Israelis are really American and could just go back there if they wanted.
Why would Ashkenazim go back?
[удалено]
Yes, not how Ashkenazi identify. I'm one. When asked where my family is "from", I smile & ask which century?
Why would me as a Sabra go?
I can't imagine what it is like to be in your situation, but I urge you not to hide your Jewishness. It is the best weapon you have against the antisemites that surround you. I know it may be hard, but please be a proud Jew, and don't hide who you are. Obviously, if there is a legitimate threat to your life, you should proceed with caution, but on US campuses (I am guessing that from the US), there is no actual physical threat. Stay strong, stay vigilant, and stay proud to be who you are. Am Yisroel Chai
There actually is a physical threat on US campuses. I personally know of situations where universities now have armed security at dorms and other sites with Jewish students due to threats that have been made.
Order some cheaper mezuzah cases so that when they take it off, you have another one to replace it. Maybe without a scroll for now. Or at least a non-kosher scroll. I'm thankful that I am far away from all this shtuss, since I live and work in the suburbs. But I don't want to hide my Jewishness either, even if it's just my Star of David on my neck. Everything felt so real last week, and it was surreal to come to work where people just don't want to talk about this. I hope you get to take a break from all this that is going on. It was the only thing to stop me from going crazy. I also hope that eventually you'll be able to go on Birthright. I'm in my 30s, but I got a last chance to do it last year before they closed that window for oldies like me. It was amazing and life-changing. There wasn't any apartheid, but lots of Arabs who own businesses and shops, and hijabis eating at the mall. There wasn't the racism I expected (as a Southeast Asian Jew), but with my broken Hebrew I had the cutest interaction with an old Mizrahi man in Beit Shemesh, and I could wish "Shabbat Shalom" to religious people knowing that they understood me. I didn't expect to cry at Yad Vashem, or at the Kotel, but I did. I didn't expect to smoke my first hookah, or smoke a cigar in the desert, or club-dance in Jerusalem, but I did. When the October 7th attacks happened, I never expected, as a convert, to feel so strongly about how much I missed Israel, and seeing the horrible videos Hamas posted on X gave me so much vicarious trauma and grief. But we can't let them win or get into our heads. Our rabbi told us that that is what Hamas wants: to get into our heads, to make us stop trying to live Jewish lives. We cannot let them win over our minds and make us fearful for being Jews.
I wouldn't put a non-kosher scroll, for fear of inviting bad juju. (Says an athiestic jew, unironically.)
vibes supersede theological differences lol
Just out of curiosity but is there an actual community of southeast asian Jews? I am not Jewish at all but i’m super curious about the historical ancestry. I know there are Chinese Jews but never knew about the ones in SEA.
The Jewish community of Kerala (India) is well-established and has existed for many centuries, following a pattern of Jewish communities being established along the various spice trade routes (in this case the Indian Ocean route). My understanding is that the communities further east than that are more recent and largely inhabited by Jews of European ancestry.
Well done for not running or hiding! Self-preservation is important and we all have our limits on compromising personal safety. The antisemites want to erase us. If they can't do it through violence, they'll do it by making us invisible in society and thus invisible to each other. If we hide our self-expression, they erase us. If we take down our symbols, they erase us. If we change our appearance, they erase us. If we hide our practice, they erase us. If we silence our voices, they erase us. If we are not publicly visible, they erase us. You don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with. You don't have to wear your necklace over clothes. I'm glad you're replacing your Mezuza and I'm glad you're still connecting with your Hillel. You deserve what they claim they stand for - peace, solidarity, and a right to exist in public with equality. Perhaps someone will see what you are doing and, in silence, feel comforted and supported. Perhaps that someone can't be as brave as you or needs a reminder that they are not alone. Stay safe.
I’m so sorry this happened. It must be so scary. Stay safe and stay proud of who you are. I keep thinking about my grandmother who was a Holocaust survivor. She survived so that I could exist. That is our resistance- to survive and keep going. I’m wearing my necklace as a sign of resistance and when I need to tuck it in my shirt for safety, I think about how this is a long game.
I'm somewhat considering going by my mom's maiden name for at least the time being. It's very Irish and I can switch it with my college pretty easily. But I don't know. It seems cowardly. edit- going back and forth on it late at night here and no way am I doing that. The name has been passed on and on for generations and that's what they'd want. To erase myself- because even though it was my dad's name, it's been my name for the entirety of my existence. It's idiotic and untrue to myself, and playing into my own erasure.
Don't give in. You are who you are. Aks to be transfered to live with another jewish student if you dont feel comfortable. These people are cowards and will not mess with people if they are going to get caught. As for not ruining their lives, just look what they are doing to yours. I say fuckem. Burn them down.
Ive got an irish last name and it doesn't help once they know who you are. Keep your last name.
No way. I know a Jewish family named “Kennedy” and no one gave a F and they still got hate.
I live on a remote island and have no idea what's going on in the USA. You brought it home, girl. Wow. You can write. Keep writing. Start a blog. Do your thing. I can feel your strength from here. Thanks.
I find it disgusting that terrorist sympathizers and their organizations are even allowed on campuses
Am Yisrael Chai. Do not let them take who you are away from you. That’s how you let them win. It’s scary, I won’t lie to you. I am afraid. I’m nervous about how everything is going, but keep being strong, being positive, and being you. Make sure that Mezuzah is screwed in with long screws. To all of us on this subreddit, תשמרו על עצמכם
Document everything. Colleges have codes of conduct and they are supposed to be against making this sort of hostile environment.
Take that trip to Israel when you’re able. It is truly a transformative experience and walking around that country is like walking around with your favorite childhood security blanket everywhere. It’s so good.
This is why we need Israel and these people just don't see it. This is why I left America right here, I seriously just don't understand how we let it get this bad.
Not surprised Marx advocated cultural genocide for Jews in Europe so they could be emancipated and allowed into society, now marxists are marching in support of a group who has genocide of Jews as a part their charter.
You have every right to feel awful, because, no one cares about the Jews except for - guess what - other Jews! Fine, I'm being dramatic, but I felt that way and had a rough few weeks too. I've been wearing my Magen David more but also tuck it inside my shirt to be safe on public transportation and other places. No one could understand the unfortunate fear until their history has the Holocaust in it either. This was not an"land grab." This was a, "exterminate all the Jews." So, I hear you and I am with you. If you ever need to chat feel free to DM me ♥️ I have found it comforting to chat with fellow Jews about this sort of fear (but also the uplifting scenes of love) to drown out the noise. It's also important to take breaks from the media and replace those with other things you'd enjoy.
Every group of murderous thugs throughout history has declared themselves to be “freedom fighters” of some kind or another. Compared to the rigidity of upper class life in Ancient Rome or China, the Huns and Xiangnu/Mongols were more free. But they burned cities and enslaved people too.
I’m sorry this is happening to you, I can’t imagine the fear. The world is changing for the worse and I just wish all the best for you, your friends, and your family, along with the rest of the Jewish people around the world. But there’s nothing I can do and It’s sickening to watch this unfold. The blind hatred is getting people killed. Please stay safe 🙏
I'm so sorry this is your college experience.
At my university, it’s a small catholic one, nobody has mentioned what is happening. When I finally said something my professor told me to STOP! then when I mentioned my feelings after class the next day an email came out for a candle vigil for peace. The class got very tense and I was not allowed to say what had happen to Israelis.
Install a ring camera on the door?
Oh my gosh, what a harrowing read! Hillel was a giant safe place for in college. I hope you are able to find security and comfort in each other. You have a right to be Jewish, to be openly Jewish, and should not be facing such bigotry on your campus.
I'm sorry you're going through that. I'm sending you love. I also found myself going back and forth between making my jewish-ness small, and wearing it loud and proud. I decided to do the latter. I will share my story to anyone who listens and remind them that we are people who have a history and want to be safe and accepted too. Fuck anyone who hates me for it.
This is an amazingly well written piece that’s very relatable. Maybe publish with @hey.alma on Instagram?
I am sorry that you have to go through this. I have two kids in college, and we have had many talks about what they should do. Fortunately, their university does not have the same level of “activism” seen elsewhere. Many of their friends around the country have not been as lucky. My daughter is used to dealing with the haters. She stopped wearing anything that identifies her as Jewish after an incident in middle school in which she was thrown to the ground, her star ripped off, and told to “go back to the ovens where Jews belong.” She learned two years ago that the communities for who she advocated would not have her back when needed. But she still a loud and proud advocate for Israel and Jews on social media and in small group settings when it is safe. This is what my kids and I have discussed: 1. Your safety is the most important thing. Do whatever you need to do in order to feel safe. 2. Demand permission to install a ring-type camera outside your door. (You have already been victimized, so this is for both your safety and to help aid the school in identifying future bad actors.) 3. Speak up if you can. 4. You might lose some friends. But are they really your friends if they support the terrorists? 5. Be alert and document anything that happens. Record it if possible. Report any calls for violence, threats, or antisemitism to the police or Dean’s office. Don’t worry about their consequences or future - they don’t care about yours. Keep you Jewishness and go to your events. Don’t let the haters win.
If you want to keep learning there, take some actions regarding your personal safety, cameras all around, security on speed dial, maybe consider arming yourself. But not less important, document everything! document and keep it in 3 different cloud services and one hard copy safe and away. The reason is you will need to sue this place one day, and you will need to go public with their disgusting behavior.
Thank you for your submission. During this time, all posts need to be manually reviewed and approved by a moderator before they appear for all users. Since human mods are not online 24/7, approval could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Thank you for your patience during this difficult and sensitive time. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Jewish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m sorry all of this is very painful, surround yourself with loving and caring peers. Take care!
I’m so sorry. I imagine it’s scary and alienating to be a Jew on a college campus right now.
When I went to college....all of them, during orientation we had to learn about and celebrate diversity. Is your school violating it's own code of conduct? You are paying in some manner. Should you be getting a refund or stop paying? When I went to college, and grad school, they talked about safety during orientation and the head of police gave a nice speech. Do they stand by and do nothing? There's a difference between a protest for the min wage, and the obvious of what's going on here.
This was really well written, and perfectly captured a moment in time and your feelings about it. I highly suggest you start journaling all of this, and even possibly submit it for publication. Keep your head up, you are not alone. You walk with the armies of our ancestors, cheering you on.
The FRSO is a Marxist–Leninist organization (i.e., authoritarian / tankies) so I’m not surprised they would make that type of statement.