Hello I’m creating a character who has very ethnically jewish features and is considered the most beautiful in her land, how do I avoid being antisemitic with this?
Ethnically Jewish woman considered the most beautiful in the land
Make her me I AM KIDDING okay. I think you’re probably fine already, because this is so far away from any anti-semitic stereotype. I suppose one thing I can say is that don’t uplift her by slamming her fellow Jewish women. Like “they’re all whatever but she’s gorgeous”--or “the reason she’s the prettiest is that the other women are super ugly”--don’t do that. They are all over the looks continuum just like any other group of women, she just happens to be the prettiest.
I think Shira really hit the nail on the head with this one. I love Jewish people being seen, and rendered in literature, as lovely. It happens rarely, and it's just wonderful. I'll reiterate that you should avoid deriding other women (Jewish or otherwise) in order to make your point about your character's attributes, and I would further encourage that you use caution when describing her. There is a tradition of exoticising Jewish women when they are seen as attractive, and leaning too heavily on phenotype to describe her could end up feeling uncomfortable. Get yourself a sensitivity reader (or two) and go for it!