What's the biggest thing Gentiles misunderstand about Jews?

[jj1000]

I was asked this by a Gentile recently on social media.

Any good answers?

(We need @CountValentine back)

[moko]

I was asked this by a Gentile recently on social media.

Any good answers?

(We need @CountValentine back)

Kosher means blessing the equipment and food...
don't know if it's in the top ten

[skyguy918]

I was asked this by a Gentile recently on social media.

Any good answers?

(We need @CountValentine back)

Shouldn't said gentile tell you what the gentiles think they understand about Jews first, and then you can respond with what's wrong?

[yawn]

I don't know if it's the biggest thing, but they don't often don't comprehend the diversity that exists within the religion. They often conflate typical progressive political views with Judaism at large, in many cases point to ridiculous sounding stringencies that maybe 2% of orthodox jews adhere to and malign all Jews with a broad stroke, and so on.

[yungermanchik]

Issues of Relationship between Genders : Negiah, Yichud, Tznius.

(many Jews also misunderstand about Jews)

[Definitions]

It frustrates me when non Jewish people say someone is Jewish when they don't believe in God don't practice anything remotely Jewish. If they're coming from a halachic standpoint fine, but they aren't, they don't even know the aleph bais and they're telling me who's Jewish?!

And then come the people that say Judaism is an ethno-religion. It's not. Full stop.

[mevinyavin]

Fixed the title. 

What I think the answer is:

I can't count the number of times I've heard RYBs assert, "Judaism is NOT a tolerant religion." It is interesting that the world outside seems to count tolerance as among the so-called Judeo-Christian values.

[Something Fishy]

Not ALL of us are in the weather bureau. Some of us have real jobs, like space laser engineering.

[Euclid]

Not ALL of us are in the weather bureau. Some of us have real jobs, like space laser engineering.

Was convinced you'd say something like: "Jews are short"

[bochur22]

A lifeguard at Six Flags New England asked one of my friends on the night Jewish camps rent the place out, "What's the reason in Judaism that all the boys wear the pants with three stripes?" (Adidas Tiros)

[Randomex]

<...>
And then come the people that say Judaism is an ethno-religion. It's not. Full stop.
<...>

You may dislike the word, but I'm pretty Judaism is within the category it describes.
Consider the following: People can be Jewish from birth regardless of their religious
beliefs or practices, and people can become Jews despite not having been born Jews.
Clearly, both religion and and ethnicity are in play here.
(Another angle: Is there such a thing as "the Christian people" or "the Muslim people?")

[AsherO]

Thinking all the Jews are from Israel or from Eastern Europe (like, recently, basically not understanding our dispersion/migration patterns).

[YitzyS]

A lifeguard at Six Flags New England asked one of my friends on the night Jewish camps rent the place out, "What's the reason in Judaism that all the boys wear the pants with three stripes?" (Adidas Tiros)

 

I once posted about this

Do all those Lakewood kids get paid to advertise for Nike or Adidas?

I've often said that I should open a camp in Lakewood called Camp Adidas, and I won't need to make any camp t-shirts because everyone will be wearing them already. "We are עדי דת, witnesses of religion!"

But then I found out that Adidas was founded by an actual Nazi, so I passed on that idea.

[YitzyS]

There seems to be a huge misconception among the anti-Semites in New Jersey that Lakewood is teaming with illegal immigrants from Israel. I've seen them make this accusation numerous times on hate blogs and social media. Many seem to think that much of Lakewood's frum residents are people who plopped down here from Israel with no legal papers.

[Yehuda57]

There seems to be a huge misconception among the anti-Semites in New Jersey that Lakewood is teaming with illegal immigrants from Israel. I've seen them make this accusation numerous times on hate blogs and social media. Many seem to think that much of Lakewood's frum residents are people who plopped down here from Israel with no legal papers.

Exactly! This is a ridiculous assertion. The truth is, they are illegal immigrants from Brooklyn.

[justaregularguy]

I was just talking about this topic with a work friend. We felt they have no idea just how much we believe their religion (or lack thereof) is wrong. We all are nice at work and strive to make a kiddush Hashem every day, but behind the scenes it’s not just like “there’s your religion, then there’s my religion and everything is beautiful”. No. They are just plain wrong. (Will this post get flagged? )

As an aside, there are some who have a much deeper understanding than others: the wife of a guy at work told him that she met a Jewish person while jogging, “he said hes reform” so right away my work colleague told her “that’s not really jewish”

[AsherO]

 

I once posted about this
I've often said that I should open a camp in Lakewood called Camp Adidas, and I won't need to make any camp t-shirts because everyone will be wearing them already. "We are עדי דת, witnesses of religion!"

But then I found out that Adidas was founded by an actual Nazi, so I passed on that idea.

א נקמה אין היטלר ימ״ש
2023 edition

[imayid2]

Thinking that if you’re Jewish you’re proud of Israel and support the government there.

[Mordyk]

Thinking that if you’re Jewish you’re proud of Israel and support the government there.

Profile pic checks out

[Alexsei]

Thinking that if you’re Jewish you’re proud of Israel and support the government there.

Thinking that Jews=Zionists and Zionists=Jews