Can I be Jewish for Halloween?

[Flankerl]

Here is the best example of a flash mob I seen so far.

The best example I have seen was when Germany won the World Cup last year and everyone in every single city, town however small it was went out into the streets in the middle of the night and started to party.

And the next morning people went to work again.

 

[rosends]

The only one that bothers me is that last one. Yarlmulkas and tzitzis don't have kedushas haguf. I don't see how it would be different than wearing a Yerushalmi yarmulka or tzitzis with Radzin techeiles and a breslov yarlmulka on Purim. Mar'is ayin is the only one I'd care about. Although I guess in a community where there are no Jews, and people know him, I guess that wouldn't be a problem either.
Is there something mocking that I'm not getting about dressing up on Halloween?

I wasn't going for kedusha as much as a weird, inverted mar'is ayin. Either people might confuse the wearer for a Jew and say "that behavior is acceptable for a Jew because a Jew is doing it" or they might confuse the wearer for a Jew and say "look, Jews break their own rules". It isn't actually mar'is ayin as far as I know because the wearer isn't actually Jewish but it is a societal concern.

 

[Tumah]

I wasn't going for kedusha as much as a weird, inverted mar'is ayin. Either people might confuse the wearer for a Jew and say "that behavior is acceptable for a Jew because a Jew is doing it" or they might confuse the wearer for a Jew and say "look, Jews break their own rules". It isn't actually mar'is ayin as far as I know because the wearer isn't actually Jewish but it is a societal concern.

Yeah, that's what I was saying. That's why I only understand the last one, not the first two.

 

[rosends]

Yeah, that's what I was saying. That's why I only understand the last one, not the first two.

The first was more about the fact that Jews don't all look alike so trying to dress "like a Jew" will end up being "trying to dress up like a Chasid of Eastern European extraction" which will end up mocking a specific subgroup and not necessarily be about religion. The second was the question of a non-Jew devaluing religious articles, not just modes of dress - it could be the case that the costume won't include actual tzitzis, just strings, but there is the possibility of a bizayon (even though the person doing it isn't actually bound by the laws of tashmishei mitzvah) which would create ill will in that it would devalue something that a Jew would find integral to the religious expression of his beliefs.

 

[Tumah]

The first was more about the fact that Jews don't all look alike so trying to dress "like a Jew" will end up being "trying to dress up like a Chasid of Eastern European extraction" which will end up mocking a specific subgroup and not necessarily be about religion. The second was the question of a non-Jew devaluing religious articles, not just modes of dress - it could be the case that the costume won't include actual tzitzis, just strings, but there is the possibility of a bizayon (even though the person doing it isn't actually bound by the laws of tashmishei mitzvah) which would create ill will in that it would devalue something that a Jew would find integral to the religious expression of his beliefs.

Oh, I see what you're saying.

 

[dust1n]

Practice.

I think the only way to dress as a Jew for Halloween without being horribly offensive is to dress as a specific movie character.

And I don't mean Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.

Right, dressing like a single person is a homage, but just kinda of throwing together a Jewish get-up to go to Halloween party would just seem strange to me.

 

[Revoltingest]

Currently, our plan is this.....
@dust1n will dress up as a rabbi.
I will dress as a priest.
& @Wirey will dress as a minister.
We'll walk into various bars, & ask...
"Hey, did you hear the one about us!?"

 

[leibowde84]

Hello. I'm wondering if it would be acceptable to wear a tztizit and yalmulke to some of the parties I'm going to this year for Halloween. I'm mostly asking Jews here, but I don't mind if other people wanna say something.

I actually asked my sister who is Jewish, and after she stopped cracking up, she said you should definitely go for it.

 

[leibowde84]

Currently, our plan is this.....
@dust1n will dress up as a rabbi.
I will dress as a priest.
& @Wirey will dress as a minister.
We'll walk into various bars, & ask...
"Hey, did you hear the one about us!?"

Can I get in on this?

 

[Revoltingest]

Can I get in on this?

You can be the black guy!

 

[leibowde84]

You can be the black guy!

Thanks buddy. How "inclusive" of you.

 

[Revoltingest]

Thanks buddy. How "inclusive" of you.

We believe in a multi-cultural rainbow of offensiveness!

 

[roger1440]

You can be the black guy!

 

[dust1n]

I actually asked my sister who is Jewish, and after she stopped cracking up, she said you should definitely go for it.

Couldn't help but ask your sister is Jewish? Half-sister, step-sister, sister-in-law?

 

[Akivah]

I don't see it as joking and mocking. People dress up because it is fun. I don't imagine too many people are going to dress up to as a Jewish person. But people dress as priests, people dress as Greeks, people dress as Scotts, why not a Jewish person? I get that a stereotype might be offensive, especially given how stereotypes have been used in propaganda. But we are talking about a costume consisting of two items. How is that stereotyping?

Although it is unusual to dress as a Jew, I don't think that dressing up in black hat is automatically mocking. It's just a costume party. No one is expecting that anyone at the party is the real person than you would of someone dressed up as a police officer.

However, it is a bit unusual. And I would be a bit put off if someone wore a tallis or had a Tanakh under their arm. Those are holy objects and at a party, it is too easy to mistreat those objects.

 

[Levite]

I don't see it as joking and mocking. People dress up because it is fun.

Which may not always descend to the level of mockery, but it is taking it lightly and turning it into a party gag.

But people dress as priests, people dress as Greeks, people dress as Scotts, why not a Jewish person?

I am not a priest, or Greek, or a Scot, so I cannot answer whether they find such costumes offensive or not. I could imagine they might, though, and it still wouldn't stop people from dressing up. Americans often aren't particularly sensitive to the cultures and beliefs of others.

I get that a stereotype might be offensive, especially given how stereotypes have been used in propaganda. But we are talking about a costume consisting of two items. How is that stereotyping?

Blackface is only one thing, and yet....

 

[roger1440]

So you wanna be a Jew at Halloween party? No holds barred, the get up you want to throw together you can purchase at most dollar stores. It shows very little creativity. Some people may think you are a Jew without a costume. Is there a difference between custom and costume?

 

[Tumah]

Most Jews dress exactly like non-Jews
How do you dress like a Jew?

 

[Levite]

Most Jews dress exactly like non-Jews
How do you dress like a Jew?

I have seen such costumes before. They are trying to dress like Chasidim or other frum guys who wear black and white, and/or have long tzitzis hanging out, etc. I've even seen people get or make peyos wigs or hair weaves, fake beards, and so on. I once even saw such a guy carrying around a masechet of Talmud as a prop.

 

[Tumah]

I have seen such costumes before. They are trying to dress like Chasidim or other frum guys who wear black and white, and/or have long tzitzis hanging out, etc. I've even seen people get or make peyos wigs or hair weaves, fake beards, and so on. I once even saw such a guy carrying around a masechet of Talmud as a prop.

That's pretty extreme! So its not really dressing up as a Jew per se as much as the stereotypical Jew. Since the overwhelming majority of Jews don't dress that way.

Although I guess there wouldn't be much novelty in dressing up as a Reconstructionist.