Sgt_Nick_Fury
Danneskjöld's love child.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2010
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Being it is the next major holiday after Thanksgiving, and we have a zone member or more whom I am sure this is special to. I feel it deserves a thread. Let us all recognize and commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after Brave Israelite warriors heavily outnumbered, overcame impossible odds and defeated the Baklavacrat armies occupying their homeland.
I know I have a personal story here. In that my wife's family on her mom's side turns out were Jewish. None of them knew that however until I started to date her and got into genealogy about the time I married her. They were Sephardic Jews by way of Portugal. somewhere between Savannah and middle Georgia their last name was anglicized, and the kids never knew that not only had they been Jewish but that their ancestor was one of the most famous Jewish Dr/Rabbi's. He had come to Savanah Georgia the colony during a terrible Yellow fever pandemic and was credited for saving the colony, and many patients of other ills as well. He established teh first pharmacy in Georgia as well. He made such an impression on John Wesley who spoke to him at length that he wrote "I began learning Spanish in order to converse with my Jewish parishioners, some of whom seem nearer the mind that was in Christ than many of those who call him Lord." Not a light thing to say from a guy starting a new denomination...that sorta thing got people killed. Religiious freedom wasn't a thing yet in the colonies. That John Wesley and the Dr talked at length so much may have very much influenced his ideals when he founded the Methodist Church. The thing is for a guy who made such a large impact in America, this Dr would not have been there at all. if not for....
The Spanish Inquisition. Yup....no one expected that.
He had been the doctor for the King in Portugal and many of the royalty. His family had been forced to convert to Christianity against their will a generation or so before him. He however studied the texts himself and converted back to Judaism. This was a no no under Spanish Church law and they sorta ran Portugal at the time. They allowed for Jews at that time to remain Jews, but Christians that converted to Judaism could be jailed, that they had been forced converted didn't much matter. He was imprisoned and would have rotted there save that the King And royalty pulled strings as they loved him and got him out, even so he had to flee teh country with his family. He Spent some time in England and I think with the Dutch but they were not much kinder to Jews then Spain/Portugal....so he made for the new world. They almost didn't allow him off the ship here either though.. save he was a Doctor and they needed one. They worried that rumors of a Jewish colony would mean losing funding for the colony. As it turns out he's the only Reason Savannah Georgia still exists....
Now....Picture this...I am visiting my wife's extended family who barely know her as a cousin. I am some new guy and to them Tennessee is in the "north". These guys are COUNTRY and a few card carrying rednecks...and literally dressed in their Realtree camo and as I am telling them all this and showing them the tree you'd think I had landed in a spaceship with aliens..... to the point I was somewhat worried I might instantly get kicked out. They were stunned. It got so quiet and I had been so excited to tell them all this, that I hadn't notice everyone was stone cold quiet. It got uncomfortable. One of their boys came in in hunting attire with a camo doorag, and the eldest Dad said...Look! It's a "Redneck Yamaka"! They laughed and to my relief seemed tickled by it all... (it could have gone either way)
This was in fact around Thanksgiving, and while none of them converted to Judaism (they are all Christian), I later found out that out of respect to their new found family history they went out and bought a menorah, and I was told they pull it out and light it to remember their family. Just my little humble edition to the fam.
SO anyway that is why if it were not for the Spanish Inquisition I would not have my beautiful wife, and son I love so today. G_d bless those racist hypocritical bastards every one. Well....that's all I got....
You do not have to be Jewish to have a Hanukkah story though.
I know I have a personal story here. In that my wife's family on her mom's side turns out were Jewish. None of them knew that however until I started to date her and got into genealogy about the time I married her. They were Sephardic Jews by way of Portugal. somewhere between Savannah and middle Georgia their last name was anglicized, and the kids never knew that not only had they been Jewish but that their ancestor was one of the most famous Jewish Dr/Rabbi's. He had come to Savanah Georgia the colony during a terrible Yellow fever pandemic and was credited for saving the colony, and many patients of other ills as well. He established teh first pharmacy in Georgia as well. He made such an impression on John Wesley who spoke to him at length that he wrote "I began learning Spanish in order to converse with my Jewish parishioners, some of whom seem nearer the mind that was in Christ than many of those who call him Lord." Not a light thing to say from a guy starting a new denomination...that sorta thing got people killed. Religiious freedom wasn't a thing yet in the colonies. That John Wesley and the Dr talked at length so much may have very much influenced his ideals when he founded the Methodist Church. The thing is for a guy who made such a large impact in America, this Dr would not have been there at all. if not for....
The Spanish Inquisition. Yup....no one expected that.
He had been the doctor for the King in Portugal and many of the royalty. His family had been forced to convert to Christianity against their will a generation or so before him. He however studied the texts himself and converted back to Judaism. This was a no no under Spanish Church law and they sorta ran Portugal at the time. They allowed for Jews at that time to remain Jews, but Christians that converted to Judaism could be jailed, that they had been forced converted didn't much matter. He was imprisoned and would have rotted there save that the King And royalty pulled strings as they loved him and got him out, even so he had to flee teh country with his family. He Spent some time in England and I think with the Dutch but they were not much kinder to Jews then Spain/Portugal....so he made for the new world. They almost didn't allow him off the ship here either though.. save he was a Doctor and they needed one. They worried that rumors of a Jewish colony would mean losing funding for the colony. As it turns out he's the only Reason Savannah Georgia still exists....
Now....Picture this...I am visiting my wife's extended family who barely know her as a cousin. I am some new guy and to them Tennessee is in the "north". These guys are COUNTRY and a few card carrying rednecks...and literally dressed in their Realtree camo and as I am telling them all this and showing them the tree you'd think I had landed in a spaceship with aliens..... to the point I was somewhat worried I might instantly get kicked out. They were stunned. It got so quiet and I had been so excited to tell them all this, that I hadn't notice everyone was stone cold quiet. It got uncomfortable. One of their boys came in in hunting attire with a camo doorag, and the eldest Dad said...Look! It's a "Redneck Yamaka"! They laughed and to my relief seemed tickled by it all... (it could have gone either way)
This was in fact around Thanksgiving, and while none of them converted to Judaism (they are all Christian), I later found out that out of respect to their new found family history they went out and bought a menorah, and I was told they pull it out and light it to remember their family. Just my little humble edition to the fam.
SO anyway that is why if it were not for the Spanish Inquisition I would not have my beautiful wife, and son I love so today. G_d bless those racist hypocritical bastards every one. Well....that's all I got....
You do not have to be Jewish to have a Hanukkah story though.
So drink your gin and tonicah
