Jewish Conversations - Odd Man Out
A show on Youtube. Odd Man Out focuses on one thing 6 people have in common (anything from religion to fandom) and one additional person who’s faking their presence.
This particular episode was 6 Jews vs 1 non Jew. The goal is to spot the non Jewish person. If the group does so correctly, they split a monetary prize. If the mole is still part of the group, they win the pot of money.
“Oh, I’m SOOO going to get this right!” I was saying to myself. Obviously, the person would stumble over their words, or not speak too much. Anyway, as I’m watching the episode I noticed one thing immediately as the speaker said it. He talked about being half Jewish - with a Jewish mother and a Christian father. I thought no Jewish person would call themselves half Jewish if their mother was a Jew.
This made me think of ways I navigate some Jewish spaces and how I’m treated. Because of my appearance, I am questioned about my presence sometimes. Not in the obvious way, but in a way I can only describe as loudly subtle.
Back when moved neighborhoods in Brooklyn, I met with a few landlords who wasn’t sure if I was Jewish. The questions the contestants were asking each other in Odd Man Out brought back this jarring memory. It just reminded me that some people have to defend their Jewishness wherever they go, and some have the luck of being the majority.
