Minority Religion Impression

[Euphemia]

First off I am posting this on behalf of my mother. She and my father are having an um, debate. My father is not a reenactor, but my mother, my two youngest sisters and of course, myself are. We also happen to be Southern and Jewish. My mother has done a lot of research on Jewish people during this time period in the South and would like for us to do an impression that incorporates our religion. My father thinks if we do anything openly "Jewish" that it could be potentially dangerous. He envisions some redneck bigot flipping a farby filter cigarette into our tent. My mother on the other hand thinks most reenactors have better then average educations and tend to be open minded. She has noted there are Christian services at most events and there don't seem to be any problems.

I am asking for opinions and thoughts anyone would like to share. If it makes any difference we tend to mainly attend events in the "west". Is my father right in thinking we should remain "hidden period Jews"? Or is my mother right in thinking that most reenactors are more enlightened and would appreciate an impression of a minority that is under represented, at least in our area?

Thanks.

[John1862]

Interesting...but I am not so sure how one could convey the fact that they are Jewish without overly "flaunting" it. Also take into consideration U.S Grant's General Orders No.11, being:

GENERAL ORDERS No. 11.
HDQRS. 13TH A. C., DEPT. OF THE TENN.,
Holly Springs, December 17, 1862.

The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the department within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.
Post commanders will see that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters.
No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application for trade permits.

By order of Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant:
JNO. A. RAWLINS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Vol. 17, Part II, p. 424.

The orders were issued due to the fact that Grant led a campaign against a "black market" in Southern Cotton, and believed that Jews were behind it.

The order was revoked in January of '63, so depending on what time the event is that may effect your whereabouts during that [short] period. Again, I really don't see how one can portray someone of Jewish heritage subtly, but still manage to make it known. Seeing as Jews were not heartily embraced during the period (along with Irish Catholics), it will be tough.

Again, Grant seems to have been somewhat of an Anti-Semite... and this may have been felt by others during the period as well.

La Grange, Tenn.,
November 9, 1862
Major-General Hurlbut, Jackson, Tenn.:Refuse all permits to come south of Jackson for the present. The Israelites especially should be kept out.
U.S. Grant
Major-General

La Grange, November 10, 1862
General Webster, Jackson, Tenn.:Give orders to all the conductors on the road that no Jews are to be permitted to travel on the railroad southward from any point. They may go north and be encouraged in it; but they are such an intolerable nuisance that the department must be purged of them.
U.S. Grant
Major-General

None of the above is intended as racist statements, I just don't recall running into something that will help you in a positive light.

[NoahBriggs]

Good you should post this. For a particular event I actually kicked around the idea of being a character who was Jewish. Most likely Reform Judiasm, and I thought I might try someone who was an "assimilationist" (ie, he did not hide his Judiac heritage, but by the same token did not actively announce it, either.) It's easy for me since my wife is a non-practicing Reform Jew, and I am a non-practicing Episcopalian.

Your best bet in my opinion is to examine Reform vs. Orthodox and when it happened. Then try reading up on the attitudes towards Judiasm in whatever area will be represented at the event you are attending. Also read up on whatever anti-Judiasm there might have been at that location. Then see if you can find out if the bigotry was common, or unusual. Most often the blatant bigotry and the sneers and whatnot were the stuff that got in the papers. If you get stuck, then shoot the breeze with your rabbi. he may have some ideas to help you along.

Another immediate reference to come to mind would be American Jewry and the Civil War by Bertram Korn. if you can stay awake through the numeric stats he shovels at you in the first chapter, then you should be able to read the rest of it.

Will there be clueless bigots at events? Yup. Were there clueless bigots back then? Sure were. How to deal with them? Knowledge, education, patience and a sense of humor seem to be the best stillettos for now.

[Spinster]

The last time I've seen Jewish services held at an event was at the North-South Alliance's "Dusty Chickamauga"--which, if memory serves was about 1999.

I note your profile location in the "Deep South" and encourage you to spend some time researching various river towns, including Selma, Alabama, where there was a thriving synagogue prior to the war.

Yes, this impression is doable, though your father's safety concerns should be heard--not so much over the issue of religion, but simply of women and daughters traveling alone. You'll find a message from me in your private mail box on this board.

[Sgt_Pepper]

None of the above is intended as racist statements

Judaism is not a race, it is a religion. And, of course, there is only one human race.

[Pvt Schnapps]

http://www.jewish-history.com/civilwar/Default.htm

You can start here, but you'll find many sites with information on the subject. Racial and ethnic stereotypes abounded in our period, but so did a great deal of acceptance. Jews served in the military and civil service on both sides during the war.

An interesting counterpoint to Grant's infamous order is the actual service of Jewish soldiers in his army and the change in the Regulations that, by 1863, opened the chaplaincy from "regularly ordained ministers of some Christian denomination" to "a regularly ordained minister of some religious denomination."

Enjoy finding out more about your heritage and sharing with the rest of us.

[hanktrent]

My mother on the other hand thinks most reenactors have better then average educations and tend to be open minded. She has noted there are Christian services at most events and there don't seem to be any problems.

My experience has been that reenactors are pretty much the same as the population at large, with pockets ranging from the most bigoted to the most open-minded, with the majority somewhere in between.

I'm not sure about the last sentence quoted above. Christianity, especially Protestant Christianity, seems to be the dominant religion in this country, so I'd expect more problems to occur from Christians bullying atheists and those of other faiths, rather than other religions or atheists attacking Christians for holding services.

One source of confusion and/or problems at events, though, can be a situation where you have people who are socializing as their modern selves, people who are socializing as part of their period portrayal, and people who are using reenacting as an excuse to display their real modern prejudices that they have to keep hidden otherwise. Depending on the event, one type of interaction may dominate, but I've seen them all happening at once too, among people who don't have a clue where the other is coming from.

So there are times you don't know whether to think, "Wow, that was a really good portrayal of a period bigot. I'd like to get to know that reenactor better and learn from them," or "Wow, what a bigot! I'm not reenacting around them anymore."

What I try to do is discuss anything ahead of time, and find out what specific period words or attitudes would really bother someone, and then work around it during the event. But sometimes I get into a situation on the fly, and just have to guess. Or reenactors with real prejudices, of course, just don't care if they offend.

The bottom line, though, is that I think reenacting will turn out to be like any other group endeavor. If by chance you don't get along well with one group or type of event, there are others where you will get along, so keep looking.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Euphemia]

So there are times you don't know whether to think, "Wow, that was a really good portrayal of a period bigot. I'd like to get to know that reenactor better and learn from them," or "Wow, what a bigot! I'm not reenacting around them anymore."

I know I shouldn't laugh about this, but this had me rolling on the floor. I never thought about someone using their impression to hide there bigotry behind and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference! You make a very valid point here. I don't think I'd like to pre-plan with anybody to have a bigotry exchange.

While it is true that majority in this country at least profess to being Christian, I wouldn't just assume that Christian services at events are forever insulated from controversy. I've learned in my short life that no matter who you are somebody somewhere is going to hate you for it. Even the Girl Scouts have seen controversy about religion.

I never thought until reading your post about exactly what period bigotry terms would have been. I can't believe this but now it's on my list of things to research. I guess in history you have to take the good and the bad. Thanks for your input.

[sbl]

"While it is true that majority in this country at least profess to being Christian, I wouldn't just assume that Christian services at events are forever insulated from controversy. I've learned in my short life that no matter who you are somebody somewhere is going to hate you for it. Even the Girl Scouts have seen controversy about religion."

At a Saylors Creek back in the 80s a Confederate church group invited we Northerners over to a Sunday church service.."Right under the cross."

"What time do you light that cross up?" was a reply somewhere in the back...probably a New Yorker.

[Euphemia]

I appreciate everyone's input into this. I guess I should have been a little more speicfic about what my mother had in mind. We weren't planning to put signs on us saying "Jew!" and on the back saying "Ask us about Moses!" lol

Seriously, what she had in mind was try to recreate what Jewish people during the period might have done if they found themselves traveling on the sabbath. As most of you all probably know our sabbath starts sundown Friday and ends sundown Saturday. There are a lot of opportunities for observing the Sabbath at events. We have the lighting of Sabbath candles and associated prayers on Friday night, Saturday morning worship, Havadalah service that concludes it on Saturday night. Anyway you get the point. Jews during the time would have tried to seek out other Jews to celebrate the Sabbath with and to worship with. Certainly any non Jews would have been welcomed to observe. This what we were thinking about recreating.

Also, it does seem like it would be really easy to hide the fact that you are Jewish, but it doesn't always work that way. I was recently reading a period diary and the writer mentioned last names that were commonly Jewish. Sometimes all it takes is introducing yourself and hear the question "Are you Jewish?" Also when people ask you if you are going to church services and you say "No, I am Jewish" that's the big hint. I can imagine how you would have stood out even more during that time period when you and your family were the only ones in the community not going to church on Sunday. Many Jewish peddlers at this time suffered the guilt of going to Sunday services so they would more fit in with the people in the community they were trying to do business with.

Also, how obviously "Jewish" they were would depend on how observant they were. Even today the more observant Jews stand out in there surrounding communities. I have no doubt in the 1860s that it was hard for other people in the community to miss them.

Yes, we are well aware of general order #11--can I say we are not a big fan of General Grant. We will be keeping it in mind according to the time we are reenacting. If an event is during a time when we'd been kicked out by Grant, we will be doing the impression hidden Jews. As a side note, my mother tells my father that she has to spend all bills with Grant's picture on them as quickly as possible as a modern protest against that order. lol

Another immediate reference to come to mind would be American Jewry and the Civil War by Bertram Korn. if you can stay awake through the numeric stats he shovels at you in the first chapter, then you should be able to read the rest of it.

My mother realized she already had this book in her collection, but has never read it. Until your post she had forgotten all about it. Time to go dig through the tomes!

Thanks again for all the input, it has actually been most helpful.