[All Lists] [By Thread] [By Date] [Previous] [Next]
From: Devorah
Subject: Token opacity
Date: 12 Sivan 5782
I want to add something.
The rabbinate's standards for Jewish status were opaque to my family. "Halachically Jewish" — we thought we knew what it meant. We had been Jewish for two thousand years in Ethiopia.
When we arrived in Israel, we discovered the meaning was not what we thought. The opacity protected those who defined the terms. It did not protect us.
I am not saying opacity is always wrong. I am saying it is not neutral. Someone benefits from undefined terms. Usually not the people seeking recognition.
Thread: