THE JEW FROM THE JAW

Growing up in a small Canadian town in the ‘60s, I spent a good part of my childhood feeling weird about being Jewish. There were some other Hebrew kids, but most of their families moved away. By the time I was in grade school, I was the only one I knew that didn’t celebrate Christ’s birthday, which was isolating and strange.

My Dad had a small menswear store, (obviously), and we weren’t well off, but I remember telling my grade 4 class we didn’t do Christmas because we couldn’t afford it!

 “We really wanted to buy some gifts and stuff, but Dad’s not selling enough leisure suits these days, so it’s no joy for the Glassman’s this year!” And then I’d sheepishly laugh, “Ha-ha, how we Glassmans love the Christmas!” Pretty sure no one called it “The Christmas.”

Oh, but we had Channukah!  You know, the Festival of ‘Not as Good as Christmas!’

Or at least that’s what it felt like to 1960s me. It felt perpetually like a knock-off or lesser version. You know back then, only the rich kids got the cool stuff.

I wanted Adidas sneakers, which we couldn’t afford, so my mom went to Army and Navy and found some 2-striped faux-Adidas, and told me they were just as good.

They weren’t. So, I took a magic-marker and drew in a third stripe.

That was Chanukah to me. A two-striped holiday.

Those were a lot of my Moose Jew memories.

I left there when I was 17, and at that time I equated being Jewish with being on my own, feeling less-than and different. You know, all the things teenagers love.

Since then, I’ve found out that all Jews feel that way. I’m not religious, but I am Jewish, and as I’ve aged, I’ve come to understand that whether you’re from Moose Jaw or Montreal, we’re all the same.

I feel more kinship with other Jews now, than I did growing up. I know more about our special place in history, and our many incredible contributions to mankind, and all societies. I’ve also been exposed to anti-Semitism. Yeah, that’s still a thing.

No, you may not say Jew-boy, we aren’t all cheap, and no I don’t know some random MOT from Winnipeg you met on a cruise. We don’t all know each other.

I do know we are unique. I know we are smart, funny, kind, liberal, generous and tough. I never understood that as a kid.

I know we put up with a lot of shit, and punch way above our weight when it comes to turning the other cheek. The most hate crimes are against us every year in the city of Toronto, and yet most non-Jews have no idea.

I surprise myself these days with how my feelings about Israel’s history and my being a Jew have changed.

I know that Israel came into being because of the bravery and suffering of many Jews who were sacrificed in the name of tyranny, and I know that I’m connected to all of them by virtue of my birthright.

Yes, I was born in Moose Jaw, but I’m from someplace else as well.