Published by Why do I feel that I am about to be reformed before teaching a Hassidic Jew a language? That’s because I have a sixth sense that I am going to be asked a whole load of questions about my personal life once I say I talk about Jewish customs. Stupid me, I had to say that I know about the Mezuzah on the door and he asked how I know. Before you know it I am being asked where I live, if I am married and whether I am child of a holocaust victim.
Not that I have anything against holocausts, but I am teaching and want to steer away from personal topics. I was told just to tell the guy I married a Catholic and then would be a lost cause, which I was about to do had I wanted to lie. Then he would have eased on the questions. But I just said look it’s a matter of politics, no discussion on religion, politics and sex in the class. But I forgot about the politics and threw in drugs to his astonishment!
Naturally I got a reaction that he was sad I didn’t want to talk about religion while I didn’t feel sad at all just frustrated at not being able to conduct a lesson free of whether or not I was Jewish. Naturally he sensed my discomfort talking about whether I practice or don’t. Kind of makes you feel that these guys are out to bring out secular Jews back to their birthright but that’s if they want to be brought back.
I didn’t appreciate being worked on as though I were in need of consolation. Anyway things settled back into lesson mode as I commented that he was there for conversation and so many other topics were available one of which was more pertinent, how to prepare himself for entry into the province of Quebec and be knowledgeable about its history.
