Kosher Salt

100% Salt

[morton-kosher-salt]

Since I’m already getting more followers than I expected I decided it was prudent to make a pinned post.

Tags

While this blog is called morton-kosher-salt I promise it won’t all be doom and gloom (I’m doing a challah experiment tomorrow and I’ll keep you all updated). Here’s an index of some specific tags I’ll be using to help you curate your experience on this blog.

Kosher salt – I’ll tag anything negative with this. Antisemitism, frustrations, etc.

Kosher sugar – I’ll tag anything positive with this, because as we all know, sugar is the opposite of salt.

Cooking – Cooking photos, recipes, and all that jazz.

GoyFriend – Support from non-Jewish allies.

Things will be tagged to the best of my ability. If you need something specific tagged feel free to let me know. If tags are added or changed I’ll try to update this list.

General Rules

I’m happy to answer any questions I can if they are asked in good faith. Not knowing something isn’t bad or a failing and you don’t know what you don’t know.

However I am not here to debate strangers on the internet. People are allowed to disagree on some things.

If you would like a reply to an ask to be private just let me know.

In general I do not block people or delete comments. If you come into this museum and take a dump I’m setting up a plaque, it’s now an exhibit with your name attached so people can see what you made. If you want it gone, you clean it up, the janitor isn’t paid enough for that.

I will not allow hate speech or telling anyone to hurt themselves. I do not care whose “side” you’re on. I will personally report your comment and then delete it.

Any suspected scams will be deleted. If you want to give money to strangers on the internet that’s your choice, but I will not be hosting obvious scams in my comments.

And remember, the most important rule is to have fun and be yourself.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I used to consider myself a leftist. I no longer do.

"What made you change?"

Nothing. I still hold the same beliefs, the same values, the same morals. I'm still the same person I was when I attended Pride, when I volunteered, when I was loudly fighting racism, sexism, and inequality. 

But at some point you found a dusty old sign in your grandfather's attic. You gave it a lick of paint and proudly placed it on the front door.

"NO ZIONISTS ALLOWED"

it reads. "Don't worry" you told me. "We like you. We just mean the racists, the fascists, the evil ones. We don't mean you. You're one of the good ones."

But the thing is, I'm not stupid. And you didn't do a very good job. The paint has already begun to peel, and the original words are peeking through.

"NO JEWS ALLOWED"

[morton-kosher-salt]

Because there seems to be some debate let me spell out the deep, secret meaning of this post. Here we go:

The left has an antisemitism problem and I no longer feel comfortable labeling myself as such despite still holding “leftist” values.

That’s it. That’s the main point of the post.

Many of the people responding to this do not seem to understand what an allegory is. So I guess I need to be very direct with this too:

This is not an account of an actual, specific event that took place.

I never claimed it was. I just seem to have forgotten how many people on this website enjoy urinating on impoverished people.

And @fluketopia and @betterredactually It’s a bit sad and weird that you see something you don’t personally agree with and understand and your first assumption is that it’s an “enemy” plant made by AI.

I have never once written anything by AI, and anything I do write is either an allegory (see above) or 100% true. Here’s a cheat sheet to help you tell the difference:

When I talk about specific stuff that has happened me and including other people in it (i.e. a girl in my class or my therapist) that’s a story of an event that happened to me.

When I’m addressing the nebulous “you”, that’s an allegory meant to make a point and not an actual event that happened as such.

We as people grow when exposed to opinions that don’t match our own. And the fact that you two (and others on the post) have decided to discount not only this but everything I have written because you disagree with it means you will stagnate as a person. You don’t have to like me or agree with me. I don’t like or agree with a lot of people, but I still value hearing and attempting to understanding their position because only using one set of data skews your results. And also, and this part is important so bear with me,

I’m aware that I can be wrong about things.

But if I shut my ears to dissenting opinions I will never know and never learn, and I would much rather learn, even if it’s uncomfortable, than stay wrong my whole life.

And let me just preempt some responses I know are coming, debate only works if both sides believe in their position strongly but are open to being wrong. Otherwise it’s just a fight.

[morton-kosher-salt]

morton-kosher-sal

[morton-kosher-salt]

I hope you're having a good day, and if you're not, please know there are people who hope tomorrow will be better for you. I'm just one of them and I'm sure there are others <3

Thank you. Sometimes that can be difficult to remember, but it’s also very important to keep in mind.

Because even if there are millions of strangers who want me dead for something I can’t change, as long as there’s one person who wants me alive, I plan to go on living. I’m spiteful like that.

[morton-kosher-salt]

To the Jews in my phone,

Things are really difficult right now. It sucks. How are you holding up? Are you okay?

Please remember, you are worthy of love and acceptance. And if you think no one cares about you, think again. I care about you. And I plan to stick around for a long time, because surviving, even through spite, is a victory.

It’s hard right now, I’m sorry. But I’m checking in on you.

[morton-kosher-salt]

Back in high school I remember being in a class called 'Facing History and Ourselves'. It was essentially a mélange of history and social studies with a focus on racism.

The class was an average size for the school, maybe 20 to 25 students. It was also a fairly good mix of ethnicities and races. I was however, the only Jew in the class. For that class we had to do a presentation on some racism related historical event or movement, so I chose the Holocaust (I had prior knowledge and access to first hand accounts). There were students in this high school class who told me they had not really known what the Holocaust was, just that it was something bad. Almost none of them had ever heard of kristallnacht. It shocked them that I couldn't tell them when I learned about it because I can't recall a time I didn't know. There was a Holocaust memorial on my Preschool/Kindergarten campus. We were told what it represented.

Tangent aside, I was the only Jew in this class, and it was common knowledge that I was Jewish. One day the teacher showed us a film. I can't remember the exact title or premise but it was about a white supremacist group and the man who ran it (I don't remember if it was about the KKK and David Duke, it was many years ago). What I do remember is being a depressed teenager with rock-bottom self esteem and sitting in this dark classroom watching a man smile and laugh as he proudly said that "No, Jews aren't rats. They're lower than that. They're bacteria. They're stupid and ugly and the world would be better off without them".

That was the point in the video I realized I was crying.

The teacher came over and told me to go to the office to sit and take some deep breaths. That I wasn't in trouble but I should go there to sit or read until the class was over. The woman at the office asked if I wanted to help her fold letters and stuff envelopes for a while to take my mind off of it, which did help. A few minutes before the end of class they told me to go back to the classroom so I could pick up my bag and books for my next class. When I entered the classroom everyone looked over (as one does when someone enters a classroom mid class). The video was over and they might have all been writing a reflection on it, I honestly don't remember.

What I do remember is the two or three Black students in the class all got up and walked over. They asked if I was okay. The girl put her hand on the back of my shoulder and rubbed slightly. I don't remember what I answered. But remember realizing, "Oh. They understand. They know what it's like. They know what it's like to hated for something you can't change. To be stripped of rights and killed within living memory." No one else got up. No one else asked.

After October 7th, after fire bombings, shootings, stabbings, and arsons, no one has ever asked "Hey, are you okay?" No friend, online or in person, Jewish or gentile, has ever asked me. And it gets harder every time. Another little bit of weight gets added to my heart and no one has ever stood up and said "Hey, that looks heavy. Let me help you with that." And they don't have to. It's not their job. It's not a kindness I'm expecting. But sometimes when it get's really heavy, I feel a phantom hand rubbing the back of my shoulder. I don't remember her name, but over a decade later she carries just a little bit of that burden.

Because kindness transcends time and space.

[morton-kosher-salt]

Beetroot Challah

Everyone was saying they wanted challah so I realized I had to make one. We've been trying to incorporate more fresh beets into our diet (for health reasons) so the choice was obvious.

Challah counts as dinner as long as you eat it with whipped goat cheese and garlic confit, right? (yes I also make both the sides)

I'm sorry the lighting in my kitchen is horrible.

In case anyone else here is the same time of person I am and wants to see the in progress photos those are below.

All the ingredients for the challah (minus the sesame seeds)

My round child waking up from his nice long nap in the fridge (cold ferment) to break out of his cocoon and become snakes

I had a bit of extra dough that I pinched off of one of the braids because it was too long, so of course I did the obvious thing which is to make a tiny challah (it was smaller than my palm). I did not know a tiny challah could hold so much joy and whimsy within it.

Don’t talk to him or his son ever again.

For anyone interested you can find the recipe I followed HERE.

Also I promise you if people end up interacting with this post I will end up posting too many recipes. If I find out I can post recipes and food photos and people enjoy them I will not be able to be stopped. You have been warned.

[bluejaymarin]

THIS IS SO KEWL >.< can you make some authentic Levantine food though? like oxycodone bread made from the small portions of flour that israel allowed into Palestine? ^w^

[morton-kosher-salt]

What a weird and uncomfortable thing to say.

But I make Levantine food as well. I’ve only posted a single recipe and it happened to be challah. But I have cooked:

Baba ghanoush

Falafel

Labneh – one of my all time favorites

Stuffed vine leaves

Kofta

Knafeh

Hummus – I make a mean hummus. I use the recipe I was taught by the women in a Druze village I visited in Israel. The showed me how to make hummus and stuffed vine leaves and then we ate lunch together and they told me about their life and culture.

But you know what? You’re right. I should make an effort to focus all Jewish cuisine. So…

Sephardic Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Ethiopian Jews

What are your favorite dishes? What foods are important to you? What are the stories and traditions behind those foods? Comment with them and I’ll try out some recipes and post them!

Anyone can mention a Jewish food they enjoy though, even if you aren’t Jewish yourself, if you’ve tried a dish and want to mention it go ahead. Any Jewish food is welcome, Ashkenazi included, however I will be spotlighting other dishes first if possible.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I related so much to your post about no longer being a leftist. I'm in the same place. Literally none of my views have changed. The left changed. Or at least I finally saw what was there all along. The antisemitism is loud and obvious, but as someone who isn't Jewish, what really got me was the rape denial if not the outright justification for it. I think I fooled myself into thinking their antisemitism was based on ignorance and not malice. Same with misogyny. Yes, it existed, but these are good people! They don't truly mean it! I made mistakes and unpacked my cultural conditioning, so obviously all these people need is someone to point out how they're hurting people. I was just so naive. So, so naive.

But, to end this message on a happier note, now a solid 2/3 of my friends (both online and IRL) are Jewish, and I joke that I've become the Token GoyFriend. All of us brought together by mainstream politics getting taken over by antisemitic conspiracy theories. Lol.

That’s the difference between you and them. Your morals aren't contingent on what’s in vogue.

And I want to thank you. I’ve seen people say “I want to help but it’s not my place to speak up”. As sad as it is, your speaking voice will carry much further than our cries. When it seems like the whole world is against us, Goyish allies feel like water in the desert. Just seeing one person like you makes me feel like I can breathe a little easier.

I’m glad you’ve found some good friends. May you be invited to every Hanukkah, every Seder, every wedding and every Bnei Mitzvah! May you be gifted more challah and hamentachen and babka than you can eat!

The tag for non-Jewish ally-ship will henceforth be GoyFriend.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I used to consider myself a leftist. I no longer do.

"What made you change?"

Nothing. I still hold the same beliefs, the same values, the same morals. I'm still the same person I was when I attended Pride, when I volunteered, when I was loudly fighting racism, sexism, and inequality. 

But at some point you found a dusty old sign in your grandfather's attic. You gave it a lick of paint and proudly placed it on the front door.

"NO ZIONISTS ALLOWED"

it reads. "Don't worry" you told me. "We like you. We just mean the racists, the fascists, the evil ones. We don't mean you. You're one of the good ones."

But the thing is, I'm not stupid. And you didn't do a very good job. The paint has already begun to peel, and the original words are peeking through.

"NO JEWS ALLOWED"

[morton-kosher-salt]

Beetroot Challah

Everyone was saying they wanted challah so I realized I had to make one. We've been trying to incorporate more fresh beets into our diet (for health reasons) so the choice was obvious.

Challah counts as dinner as long as you eat it with whipped goat cheese and garlic confit, right? (yes I also make both the sides)

I'm sorry the lighting in my kitchen is horrible.

In case anyone else here is the same time of person I am and wants to see the in progress photos those are below.

All the ingredients for the challah (minus the sesame seeds)

My round child waking up from his nice long nap in the fridge (cold ferment) to break out of his cocoon and become snakes

I had a bit of extra dough that I pinched off of one of the braids because it was too long, so of course I did the obvious thing which is to make a tiny challah (it was smaller than my palm). I did not know a tiny challah could hold so much joy and whimsy within it.

Don’t talk to him or his son ever again.

For anyone interested you can find the recipe I followed HERE.

Also I promise you if people end up interacting with this post I will end up posting too many recipes. If I find out I can post recipes and food photos and people enjoy them I will not be able to be stopped. You have been warned.

[morton-kosher-salt]

There is moment in the bread baking process, where you must learn to let go. You must say goodbye to the loaf that is, and send it into the flames of rebirth. For I do not know who the loaf I will meet in 25-30 minutes at 175c will be. But I can only hope it will be half as beautiful as loaf I send into that fiery maw.

[morton-kosher-salt]

Favorite holiday and why?

The answer for that depends on a few things.

If you'd asked me as a child, I would have said Hanukkah hands down. Not because of the presents (although let's be fair I loved the presents) but everyone singing Hanerot Halalu as the we lit, and then watching the flames as the song went was a magical experience then and now.

If you'd asked me when I was grown up and lived in a large Jewish community I would have said Purrim. Because, come on, it's fun and an excuse to bake hamentashen!

If you ask me now, as an adult who lives where there is no Jewish community, I'd say passover, but specifically the seder. I have so many fond memories of coming together with extended family and it warms my heart (but also makes me feel lonely). But especially the feeling of celebrating my escape from Egypt and the connection to our people who lived thousands of years ago. Unfortunately when you live were there aren't many Jews, some holidays feel different. Sitting on my couch with a grogger just doesn't hit quite the same way.

[iliothermia]

Never forget the time I accidentally burnt my challah and left it in the woods and someone posted a pic on twitter and hundreds of thousands of people saw it. And then someone linked me it and said "this reminded me of you" and I had to tell them it was me

[morton-kosher-salt]

Beautiful braiding, and you get to invent an urban legend to boot!

Also for anyone who doesn't follow Rachamim he's a fantastic artist who posts a lot of trans and Jewish art and your homework is to go take a look and follow him if you want.

Also if you want your mind blown, he draws with a mouse.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I’ve been wanting to make an image for Passover for over two years now and I keep forgetting and/or getting to busy. I keep saying ‘I’ll do it next year’, but you know what? Tomorrow is uncertain. I choose to experience joy now.

Happy Passover 5787!

Now you guys can save this and have it ready for next year. It’s like dumb image meal prep.

[morton-kosher-salt]

Shot...

...and chaser

I'll see myself out.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I’ve been wanting to make an image for Passover for over two years now and I keep forgetting and/or getting to busy. I keep saying ‘I’ll do it next year’, but you know what? Tomorrow is uncertain. I choose to experience joy now.

Happy Passover 5787!

Now you guys can save this and have it ready for next year. It’s like dumb image meal prep.

[morton-kosher-salt]

I think so many of us have so much of our social circles tied up in places like tumblr that we forget that a lot of people just, don't act the way people here do. And it can be both incredibly illuminating and freeing to interact with people who are not so terminally online.

I keep thinking about an interaction I had with my therapist earlier this year. For context, my therapist isn't old, but she's past middle age. She is also Jewish.

I was explaining to her the feeling of hurt and betrayal that's somewhat unique to leftist antisemitism. That you expect this from neo nazis, but not the people you've spent years fighting them with. That's it's coming from the same people that just a few years ago were all saying how they would have hidden Jews.

"Wait go back. Hidden Jews?"

"Yeah, as in 'If I had been alive during the Holocaust, I would have saved Jews by hiding them.'"

And her response, without missing a beat-

"What a weird and uncomfortable thing to say."

And I was about to explain when it hit me. She was absolutely right. Why broadcast to the world that you are willing to stand atop the corpses of 6 million Jews as long as they make a good soapbox? We are more than fodder for your messiah complex.

What a weird and uncomfortable thing to say.

[morton-kosher-salt]

After thinking about it for months I've finally decided to make a side blog so that I can talk about Jewish stuff without losing all the followers I've painstakingly gained over the years.

And I hate that.

I hate that we live in a world were I have to make a side blog to feel safe while talking about who I am.

Anyway first post of the new blog! Bread and salt as a blogwarming gift!

[morton-kosher-salt]

[morton-kosher-salt]

It's okay guys I figured it out 👍

[tzelofachad]

How do u do it on mobile?

[morton-kosher-salt]

@tzelofachad like this!

First you add a photo and tap this guy.

Then you tap on this fella.

Then you dunk the whole post in water.