đ Let's Get Uncomfortable!
A review of Noa Tishby & Emmanuel Acho's book, "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew."
A couple of weeks ago, The Shabbat Drop got uncomfortable (but not really because weâre all Jews lol) with our latest book club discussion, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew, by Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho!
đ P.S. Our next book (no date yet) will be The Amen Effect by Sharon Brous. Get your reading started early!
Uncomfy Convos brings together two friends in dialogue: one Jewish (Noa) one black (Emmanuel) as an educational conversation similar to Emmanuelâs first book, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.
Noa, a current activist and former actress, producer, and the former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, educates Emmanuel, a former NFL player and current author and producer, on:
what a Jew is, and how Jews are an ethnicity but not a race
if itâs okay to even call a Jew âa Jewâ
how Jews are perceived as being too white to some and not white enough to others
the history of antisemitism
common Jewish tropes and where they come from
what Zionism is (and is not)
how to be an ally
As soon as I started reading this book, I realized itâs not for Jews. While it could help Jews explain some of these complex topics to non-Jews, itâs most beneficial to people who have burning questions about Judaism/Israel.
At times, it seemed as though Noa was talking for pages on end, giving a lecture on antisemitism. Yes, sometimes Emmanuel would push back, like in the chapter called âHow This Book Almost Didnât Happen.â In that chapter, Noa and Emmanuel explained how they had plans to write this book before 10/7, and then after that tragic day, their friendship became contentious when Emmanuel hosted a pro-Hamas Palestinian on his show after hosting Noa.
I appreciated their candor, how Emmanuel defended his position by saying many of his followers were hurting after he hosted an Israeli on his platform and he wanted to hear from the âother side.â In response, Noa expressed how much pain it caused her to have her friend willingly host someone who supported Hamasâ barbaric actions, and how silent the world was to Jewish pain.
Other than that part, we were hoping for more in-depth back and forth and pushback between the two. Maybe there needs to be a similar book where one Zionist and one anti-Zionist have respectful dialogue and learn from one another. In my dreams!
Letâs Talk About the HolocaustâŚ
It was fascinating how timely this book was to my recent Poland trip! Many of the topics Noa and Emmanuel covered were topics that my friend and I discussed as we toured Jewish historical sites, one example being could the Holocaust happen again? Noaâs take on that was my favorite chapter in the whole book, describing in detail how the Holocaust was first perpetuated by everyday âgoodâ citizens who were led to believe Jews were evil, selfish, and to blame for the economy. It was my favorite chapter because it made me feel less alone and less crazy for wondering this question. Her short answer: yes, not exactly like how it played out, but yes.
What I Learned
Though the book felt basic for me at times, I did learn a couple of things, like that the term âwandering Jewâ is NOT a cutesy moniker for Jews wandering the desert or those who are lost in their religious or cultural identity. It comes from medieval Christianity, claiming those who donât accept Christ are doomed to wander the Earth in perpetual exile.
Fun fact that I now know isnât fun: The original name of this blog was Modern Jewish Wanderer. Phew⌠avoided that crisis! Though, there is something powerful about reclaiming tropes and negative connotations, but I personally prefer The Shabbat Drop.
How to Be an Ally
Lastly, I always love a book or piece that ends with actionable items, and Emmanuel and Noa include just that in the chapter titled, âBe a Mensch: Show Up as an Ally.â One tip was to adopt Natan Sharanskyâs 3Ds of anti-Israel rhetoric: Demonization, Double Standards, and Delegitimization. If youâre comparing the IDF to Nazis, pointing fingers while ignoring actual genocides going on in the world, or denying Israelâs fundamental right to exist, your language might be antisemitic. That doesnât mean you canât criticize the actions of the Israeli government, though! Far from it.
My favorite piece of advice was rather than worrying about how you can stand up for Jews online, go out and enjoy Judaism. Go to a Shabbat dinner. Talk with Jews. Check out a synagogue service (okay I donât think they said this but why not!). As Noa said, âJudaism is all about being in life, go be in life!â
Something that was said in book club was the emphasis on Jewish victimhood throughout this book. While itâs important to educate and make non-Jews aware of the rising levels of antisemitism around the world in recent years, we need to balance that with what it means to actually be Jewish.
I encourage you to explore that this Shabbos.
Shabbat Shalom!
Great read! Noa Tishby is a great advocate for Israel. And btw whoâs that guy in the Zoom picture bottom right??!
Looking forward to the next book.