Essay On Jewish Masculinity

The Nice Jewish boy is a stereotype of Jewish masculinity which circulates within the American Jewish community, as well as in mainstream American culture which has been influenced by the Jewish minority. In the Jewish Journal there is an article describing a young boys Barmitzfa in ‘Today I Am a Man’, by Rabbi Ed Feinstein. He goes on to speak about how ‘Today I am a man. But what do you know about being a man? A Jewish man?’. Strong men as the judge Samson, blessed with his superhuman strength, with aggressive and impulsive behavior and lustful attraction is not what Jewish men are personified in American culture. It is a lingering stereotype that has undoubtedly been satisfied by Jewish men as a ‘weak’ minority. These unanswered questions about Jewish men are only becoming more prominent and involved in society because of the
Apparently to one of the woman’s’ mother, it was her obligation to marry a nice, key word, Jewish boy. Very sarcastically, the woman made it very clear that she didn’t want a, quote, ‘’skinny, little woman”. I was a bit shocked as the conversation dragged on about different Jewish men and how unappealing they are not only to non-Jews, but to Jewish women. To think that Jewish women are contributing to the stereotype, not only by their words, but by their actions as the Jewish mother. I was reminded of both, Yentl’s Revenge by D. Rustenburg and S. Heschel and You Never Call! You Never Write! ; A History of the Jewish Mother by Joyce Antler. Young Jewish looking for freedom and embracing feminism seems to make them a stronger gender. The stereotypical Jewish mother with her, “nagging, whining, guilt-producing maternal intrusiveness.” is a haunting stereotype that Jewish mothers are afraid to have labeled to