On my primary news outlet, Facebook, I came across a startling piece of news: not only do Mormons apparently convert dead Jews posthumously, but Anne Frank has been a recent candidate.

The reactions were quick and angry.  Offended.  Wounded.  Outraged.

Me?  I thought it was funny that anyone was wasting their time with this nonsense.

Here’s what I posted:

  Re the Mormons, I don’t find it
offensive at all, because such rites don’t change anything.

To which the OP responded:

while the rite may be
meaningless I find the sentiment behind it offensive. Much the same way
I find it offensive when somebody tries to “save” me.

Me:

That’s a common sentiment, but one I don’t share. It’s like an annoying mosquito on the other side of a window.  It can’t touch me.

OP:

I’m going to start thinking about it that way!

Random friend:

Ruchi, you sound very enlightened! 

I like that girl.

***

My two teenaged daughters were shopping at a grocery store before Chanukah.  One of the (non-Jewish) shelf stockers dropped something made of glass, and it broke.  Instinctively, the dropper said, “Well, Mazel Tov!” and they started singing a Chanukah song.

This was not a Jewish store.

Why Jews say “Mazel Tov” when they break glass is a whole ‘nother post, but what interests me here was their quickly sobered behavior when they noticed my obviously Jewish daughters.

The laughing stopped, the singing stopped, and they quickly apologized.  “Did we offend you?” came the question.

My daughters looked at each other oddly.  Offended?  They thought it was cute.

***

Do you think Jeremy Lin was offended by the Ben and Jerry’s fortune cookie ice cream flavor in his honor?  The ice cream flavor was changed after “initial backlash.”  As a Jew I wondered which segments of the Asian American community felt threatened by this.

If it would have been a Jewish sports star (ha) with a bagel-and-a-shmear in his honor, well, as a strongly identified
Jew, I think I would find that clever and amusing – though perhaps
acknowledging privately that it’s a rather shallow nod to my faith. But
hey – it’s food, not the high holidays.

***

Does the offended reaction serve us well?  Is it justified?  Wise?  Due to… insecurity?

What do you think?