Tuesday, May 13, 2008

American Jews and Israelis: brothers from different mothers

Kvetching in PresenTense about being a "single, twenty-something Jewish coquette" expected to marry a nice Jewish boy, my friend Rachel Axelbank explains why she finds herself much more attracted to Israelis. As a point of reference, she mentions the guards who issued our security clearance before we met last summer with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert -- they apparently shot her glances that I, fortunately, didn't receive -- and quotes Jon Stewart on the differences between our Jews and theirs:
“You have American Jews, who are the ‘let me help you with your tax return’ Jews,” he said. “And you have Israeli Jews, who are the ‘hold my machine gun while I take a leak’ Jews.”
Anyone want to argue with that wisdom?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

She wins hands down. But tell us now what the difference is between the Israeli Jewish woman, and the American Jewish woman?

Brad A. Greenberg said...

I'm not sure. I'm married.

Brad A. Greenberg said...

Actually, here's a better answer that my wife would agree with: Natalie Portman.