# Post your closest "Jewish influence" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 17, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917 "2015-10-17T18:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/101 "2015-10-19T14:17:30Z")
Not a ton of Jewish people here, one of my good friends in high school is Jewish but we don’t talk much anymore. A few coworkers. Sometimes I go to the Publix by the synagogues. Has a bigger kosher section than normal. It’s the place to get kosher for Passover Coke, when it’s in season. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/102 "2015-10-19T14:55:27Z")
My maternal Grandmother was Jewish. She married my Roma grandfather in the middle of World War II for a bride price of 8 rifles and a machine gun. Years later my grandfather used to joke when drinking that Hitler was their matchmaker. She always fought hard against my mother to see that I got an education. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/103 "2015-10-19T15:18:02Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Don’t take that to mean that you can’t bring me cheese burgers. **Hajaro** , keep spanking the ignorant & calling them on their BS and you can have any burger you want. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/104 "2015-10-19T16:32:00Z")
I’ve seen Jews on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/105 "2015-10-19T16:36:45Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > And no, there’s no reason this needs to be in The Pit. If you folks want to snipe at each other, start your own Pit thread. Let’s keep this one civil. Thanks, **Asimovian**. I purposely put this thread IMHO to keep it a simple and informative question. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/106 "2015-10-19T17:01:27Z")
Well, I roomed with a Jewish guy on several cruises (single rates are ridiculous). Of course, he is also bisexual and an atheist (I am neither), so that may mitigate the influence. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/107 "2015-10-19T18:06:38Z")
I’m going with my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/108 "2015-10-19T19:42:56Z")
As for us stealth Jews, when we went to France on the QE2 my wife and I sat at a table with a guy retired from the IRS and his wife, a nice couple from Ireland, and a retired opera singer. It turned out that everyone at that table except my wife was Jewish. And at dinner and lunch we did what we did every dinner and lunch - plan to take over the world! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/109 "2015-10-19T19:46:24Z")
I went to nursery school at a synagogue. My wife loves bagels. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/110 "2015-10-19T21:08:19Z")
My mRNA grouping is K, which is found mostly in Ashkenazi Jews. As mRNA is passed down only from the mother, somewhere in the past I have a great g g g g g g g g g bubba. Even though Jewish customs are based on a matrilineal determination, somehow my bubba didn’t pass it on to me, as I am not Jewish. Several of my closest friends are Jewish; they say that I should be as I like to discuss (argue almost) religious points in spirited conversations; they are complimenting me. I am not religious, but find religions to be fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/111 "2015-10-19T21:23:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I went to nursery school at a synagogue. My wife loves bagels. Are you sure, many things sold as bagels are just rolls with holes and not bagels. I know you’re west coast, might not have ever had an actual bagel. It is hard enough for me to get a good bagel and I am less than 30 miles by car from NYC. For the record, Manhattan Bagels, Dunkin Donuts and other similar chains don’t really make proper bagels at all. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/112 "2015-10-19T22:34:38Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Are you sure, many things sold as bagels are just rolls with holes and not bagels. I know you’re west coast, might not have ever had an actual bagel. It is hard enough for me to get a good bagel and I am less than 30 miles by car from NYC. For the record, Manhattan Bagels, Dunkin Donuts and other similar chains don’t really make proper bagels at all. LA has something approaching decent bagels. In the Bay Area Noah’s is as close as I can get. Most of the bagels around here cry out “put a hamburger on me.” And putting ham and cheese on a bagel don’t make it. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/113 "2015-10-20T06:48:23Z")
I went to almost totally Jewish elementary, junior high and high schools in Los Angeles in the fifties, and if I had stopped to think about it I probably would have assumed nearly all Americans were Jewish. You should have seen the schools on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshana. Deserted. Just a handful of us gentiles and the rare gentile teacher to take all of us into one classroom. This was in a high school of over 3000 students (Alexander Hamilton high). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/114 "2015-10-20T13:41:18Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > LA has something approaching decent bagels. The lack of really stellar bagels in L.A. is an oddity considering how many Jews live here. I can get great chicken soup, great pastrami, why not great bagels? I describe myself as Jewish-adjacent. I married a Jew, my kids were raised as Jews, I cook a decent brisket, I can mumble my way through the most common prayers. Weirdest moment was being cast as Haman in the temple Purim spiel. I got to sing a song about killing all the Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/115 "2015-10-20T14:19:46Z")
My (Catholic) cousin married a Jewish guy and they’ve had their two kids go through the various Jewish rituals (naming ceremony, etc). I don’t recall if she herself converted or if she’s still nominally Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/116 "2015-10-20T14:25:18Z")
I don’t believe it a coincidence that [this street sing](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1340/1355086883_52c346fc68.jpg) is only found in cities with significant Jewish populations. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/117 "2015-10-20T14:30:56Z")
When I was a child (1st - 4th grade or so) my best friend was the boy next door who was Jewish. His parents were quite observant, and I somehow picked up that it would be polite to drop by on Saturdays and turn the oven on or off, and flick the light switches in rooms where people were sitting in the dark, that sort of thing. I do remember a bit of a standoff one time when I was there for dinner and wanted butter for my steak. His father was furious, his mother trying to explain that I (a then-Catholic child) had no idea what was wrong with my request. I just really didn’t like steak without butter, so I ate my greenbeans or whatever and went home as soon as possible. I was in my twenties before I understood what had happened there. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/118 "2015-10-20T23:14:16Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > … I somehow picked up that it would be polite to drop by on Saturdays and turn the oven on or off, and flick the light switches in rooms where people were sitting in the dark, that sort of thing. > > … > > His father was furious… That was a bit mean, considering the earlier comment. How hard would it have been to explain to you, as the mother had tried to do. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/119 "2015-10-20T23:56:44Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > The lack of really stellar bagels in L.A. is an oddity considering how many Jews live here. I can get great chicken soup, great pastrami, why not great bagels? > … Part of it is the water. I think most of it is thanks to the crappy bagel chains & Lenders many people wouldn’t actually appreciate a real bagel if they stumbled across it. When we first moved down here from NYC there was one good Italian bakery for bread but most of their breads had soft crusts and were kind of crappy. My dad asked the owner why and he explained that people thought a hard crust meant it was stale. I’m guessing the bagel places might run into similar problems. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917/120 "2015-10-21T00:43:33Z")
I went to Tulane (Jewlane in some circles) for undergraduate school which is [9th place in the Top 30 Private Universities by Jewish Population](http://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2014/09/04/2014-top-60-schools-by-jewish-student-population). Somehow it beat out Brandeis and Harvard on that measure. You certainly can’t avoid lots of Jewish influences in an environment like that and I am glad that I had that experience. I am still fairly partial to Jewish people to this day. The only major Jewish influence I had before that growing up in a very small Southern town was the fact that I had a True Texan Jewish step-grandmother for a while when I was a child. Everyone else hated her and she hated almost everyone except for me. However, she treated me like a Golden Child and made sure her Jewish daughters did the same. I still have some very expensive things that she gave me as gifts. That is the way to win a 4 year old’s heart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-closest-jewish-influence/734917.md?page=7)