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From its start in 1906, A Bintel Brief was a pillar of the Forward, helping generations of Jewish immigrants learn how to be American. Now our columnists are helping people navigate the complexities of being Jewish in 2020. Send questions to bintel@forward.com.
Dear Bintel,
Okay, what’s the deal are Moroccan Jews Arab, or is my dad white? I had to fill out a survey about whether I thought I was included in diversity metrics at my company, and I told my (white, non-Jewish) boyfriend that I grew up in a multi-racial household and he was like:
Did you though? Because I guess Sephardic Jews came from Spain, which is European?
falafei in Chinese) for customers.
“A lot of Taiwanese love to try it,” he says. “A lot of them want to come back. But they don’t know this food, so a lot of people won’t stop into my shop.”
While different geopolitically, Taiwan and Israel have some similarities that Avgil identifies with as an Israeli: They’re both small, disputed states with diasporic populations.
It’s not uncommon to hear Taiwanese sympathize with Israel or lump Israelis and Jews together as one identity. Likewise, upon mention of the Jews or Israel, Taiwanese often insist that Jews are smart and good at business. These stereotypes, also common in China, do not stem from antisemitism, says Avgil, a secular Sephardic Jew, rather a feeling of commonality.
Ropa Vieja to Save a Roast
On the transformation of a quintessential Cuban dish
Ropa vieja is considered the national dish of Cuba, though its name meaning “old clothes” might not exactly hint at just how delicious it is.
The name comes from the tomato-based stew’s shredded meat, which bears some resemblance to the tattered edges of worn fabric. The legend attached to it is of a poor old man struggling to feed his family. He used his threadbare clothes in a desperate stew and prayed over the meal. Then a miracle happened: Old clothes became hearty meat stew.