Not Your Average Jewess

Are you Jewish?

I am feeling a bit guilty about how I have been neglecting my weblog lately, especially with all the priceless readers I have. But sometimes us humans simply experience what one might call 'just one of those times'. That is pretty much, or even precisely, what I'd call what I have been going through lately. I am still working like a lunatic to save up for university 'registration fees', that have just been raised by 40% (we all know it's tuition in disguise).
But even though life isn't always easy, pleasant and amusing, it does seem to constantly be able to provide you with more of those funny little incidents. Since work is all I've been doing lately, all my recent experiences are related to work. This is why I shall describe the events of today and yesterday, at the little souvenir shop on Reykjavik's tiny shopping street, where I work.

As you know, there are very few Jews in Iceland. There is no Jewish community. There are, however, a lot of people who don't like Jews and/or Israelis. I believe I've been through this. Iceland is certainly not the only place, but it is, after all, where I spend all my time. So since it is all I see, all I encounter, all I come in physical contact with.. it might as well be the whole world where I'm concerned. Or at least for the time being.

Since yesterday I have been asked 3 times if I'm Jewish. The first time the question was "you're not Jewish, or are you..?", with an obvious tone of a sort of mixture of disgust and anger. The second time I was asked with a tone of suspicion, and a degree of seriousness that made me feel almost as if I'd say yes, I'd be confessing to having committed a crime.
During the third time, one the other hand, I was asked with a tone of anticipation and positivity.
So why the difference in attitude?

Yesterday an Australian woman and a British man walked into the shop where I work. We talked a little, and the woman soon told me that they lived in Jordan, but that before that they had been "living in Palestine" (if it hadn't been my job to try to get them to spend money, I would have corrected that term). Further conversation led me to tell them that I had been in Israel, and I made a few 'minor' comments that nevertheless made it clear where I stand. The man asked what brought someone from Reykjavik to Israel? I replied with the question: What leads someone from Australia to Ramallah? (They had been living in Ramallah, and the woman told me I really should visit, since it is 'such a lovely city'). The woman angrily answered that she was doing human rights for palestinians, and that the man was doing water. Then I saw her begin to return the things she had intended to buy, and she headed to the shop accross the street.
The man on the other hand stayed behind and chatted with me for a while and was friendly, trying to make excuses for the woman's behavior. As he was leaving he even said: "So, next year in Jerusalem, perhaps?"..

The second incident was my co worker that day. Since he is new at the job I haven't worked with him before. He insisted on discussing Middle Eastern politics, claiming (like most other Icelanders) that he had most certainly acquired knowledge on the matter, and had therefore formed an opinion. I gave him several warnings to stop. When he had given me a very lengthy speech about how the hamas is 'simply a political organization', I finally got very angry.

The third incident took place today. I've actually had a few similar things happen at work, but they are always a pleasure, and make up for things such as what I mentioned above.
A middle aged Jewish couple from Montreal walked into the shop today, just as I was playing Ofra Haza's 'Yemenite Songs' in the shop. They did a lot of shopping, and stayed for at least half an hour chatting with me. In the end the woman (her name was Miriam) asked me to write my name on the back of the company's card, to be able to 'remember me and tell people about me'. Like all the other Jews I've encountered they wanted to know if there is a Jewish community in Iceland, etc. As they said goodbye, they also left that greeting that is so traditional, and so unbelievably filled with hope: "next year in Jerusalem".

So these were the people who asked if I am Jewish. The answer to that question is of course: No, I am not Jewish. I am just a girl who loves Israel, and a girl who is trying very hard to tell right from wrong.