Enough With The ‘Ashkenormativity,’ Buzzfeed

By Anne Cohen March 23, 2015

Another day, another Buzzfeed Jewish-centric video. And much like their other chosen productions, it’s incredibly Ashkenormative.

“11 Things Jewish Friends Just Get” tells the tale of two nominally Jewish ladies, who have to stick together in the face of incredibe goyish ignorance. Thank God someone in this room understands what “schlepping” means, amirite?

Aside from being a generally inane piece of content, as a Sephardi of Moroccan origin, I find the repeated equating of “Jewish” with “Yiddish” tiresome. While I understand the impulse to celebrate the cemented bond that comes with being able to declare “This tastes like Manischewitz” and have your friend know exactly what that means, it’s not a universal Jewish experience. It’s an Ashkenazi one.

If you search #chleu (French slang for Moroccan Jew — Note: kosher for insiders only; if you’re not Jewish, don’t use it) on Instagram, you will find a slew of Sephardi memes. Some apply to all Jews (and basically anyone who’s ever been to a wedding): “Going to a wedding and having the elders tell you ‘You’re next.’”

Some are more Sephardi-specific: “Oh yeah, you ate a lot over Christmas? Just wait until I invite you over for daf.” (Dafina, a stew of meat, potato, egg and chickpeas much like cholent, puts the consumer in an instant food coma.)

If we want to get even more insider-y, there are the jokes only Montreal Moroccan Jews will understand:

I’d explain, but:

The point is, Judaism, even in its most basic, cultural form, isn’t defined by whether or not you can spell “kvetch.” So, enough Buzzfeed. Enough.

Anne Cohen was the Forward’s deputy digital media editor. When she’s not looking for the secret Jewish history of Voodoo in New Orleans, or making lists about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she writes for The Assimilator. She graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism with an M.S. magazine concentration in 2012.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO