bootsykowan's Blog

I was taking Conversational Hebrew at Shaare Tefila in White Oaks.  At that time, probably 1976, I was insulted by questions like "Have you been to Israel" yet?  Then when I said "No", the snobbery;)  After I took this class which was based on visiting Tel Aviv, I planned to go to Israel.  After I came back from my trip, I would ask "Have you been to Israel yet?".
   I had this conversation with the attractive teacher of the class.  We are so lucky to have you, an Israeli, teaching us.  She then shocked me.  She said she wasn't allowed to teach in any Jewish Day School.  I asked why.  She said "Don't you notice?  I'm black."  She said Shaare Tefilah was the only place that accepted her at all.  Her regular job was as an interpreter at the State Department.  IIRC, she was Yemenite.
   Now I raised my kids that I didn't care the color of the skin, I wanted Jewish grandkids.  It wasn't until I was already on Medicare that I dared to say this at the Dallas Jewish Community Center to my fellow Medicare Jews.  You should have seen the awful faces on the men. You should see the awful faces on blacks.