Why I Don't Understand Why People Call This Place So Liberal

[debka_notion]

As I was getting my lunch today, Steve comes over to me, takes a look at my shirt, which says "Brandeis University Conservative Organization" on the front and "Hebrew is Gender Specific, BUCO is not" on the back, and says to me "You know, we have a shirt like that for BOO too, only on the back it says 'G-d doesn't hate us'". (BOO is the Brandeis Orthodox Organization.) I tried to joke back something, but I was rather offended. It isn't like this is the first time he's said something offensive to me either: last time it was a whole string of bigotted comments about Indians, Pakistanis, Muslims, Asians and other immigrants. I'm getting to the point where I really want to do something about it, but I'm not really sure what to do. File some sort of complaint to the student senate about religious persecution? It seems a bit ridiculous here, but I'm not sure what else to call this one. Talk to the Orthodox rabbi here? I don't know what he'd do... Ideas?

Comments

[sharonaf.livejournal.com]

Interesting...
Since there are other points against the Steve in question, I'll try not to defend him. But I will state that my interpretation of his statement was rather different from yours.
I found in my time at Brandeis that if you're Orthodox and involved in a religious discussion with a BUCO or Baruch member, you're required to be quiet and not argue your point because it would be wrong to suggest that Orthodoxy is right and someone else was wrong.
I saw this comment as a person complaining about this frustration. Telling a person wearing a shirt stating "Hebrew is Gender-Specific; BUCO is Not" that 'Hey, I'm Orthodox and God DOESN'T hate me, really God doesn't, despite what you seem to think judging by the social rules about what I'm allowed to say!' is an expression of frustration.
I wouldn't make that expression, because I do believe in keeping my mouth shut. But what I found at Brandeis was that when people in other branches of Judaism were telling me about their branches, I had to keep my mouth shut or hear my views be taken apart, mocked, and accused of nearly any crime you can name. Sometimes I had to hear it anyhow. Walking through minefields is good practice, but there were times I wished I could defend myself.
God doesn't hate me, and I believe God doesn't hate my views. But many religious liberals at Brandeis seem to think God does. And Maya, if you were one of them I wouldn't be writing this to you, so don't get concerned. *hugs*

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

I think that's one of those problems one has in any Jewish position on the spectrum. I've had people tell me I didn't have to be Reform if I lived in Israel because I could walk to synagogue there (I could, and did walk to my parents' reform shul at home too). I've had people tell me I should "just tell my parents that I won't use electricity on Shabbat, and let them adjust" when I've told those people that I made some compromises at home because certain things really freaked my parents out. I've had people tell me that they don't understand how I could possibly pray standing next to a man. It isn't just being Orthodox at Brandeis- it's being Jewish with other Jews around. I get plenty of it at Brandeis- not just from this Steve, although ze is about as badly put as it gets: most of the other people are at least trying to be helpful, I *think*.

But the way you put it, I can see what you're saying. I just know that I wouldn't say anything like that, and that I felt attacked by what this person said. I wish we could "all just get along", or at least stop pushing our ideas at each other, and relax that we don't all agree, Jews probably have never all agreed, and leave it at that. Oh well, so much for hope.