Muslims raise funds to repair vandalized Jewish cemetery

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A hundred gravestones were toppled at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, part of a rash of anti-Semitic acts last week.

By Louis Chan
ASAM NEWS

A CROWD SOURCE campaign launched by members of the Muslim/American community on Launch Good to repair a vandalized Jewish/American cemetery has raised $124,000 in two days, surpassing the original goal of $20,000.
More than 100 gravestones were vandalized at the historic Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery in a suburb of St. Louis over the weekend. This happened not long after bomb threats at dozens of Jewish Community Centers in the United States.

“Muslim/Americans stand in solidarity with the Jewish/American community to condemn this horrific act of desecration against the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery,” wrote the organizers on Launch Good. “We also extend our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected and to the Jewish community at large.”

The campaign is being lead by Linda Sarsour of MPower Change and Tarek El-Messidi of CelebrateMercy.

“While these senseless acts have filled us with sorrow, we reflect on the message of unity, tolerance, and mutual protection found in the Constitution of Medina: an historic social contract between the Medinan Jews and the first Muslim community," stated the website. 

"We are also inspired by the example of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who stood up to pay respects for a passing Jewish funeral procession. When questioned on why he stood for a Jewish funeral, he responded, 'Is it not a human soul?'”

“This is really a human issue,” said El-Messidi. “But out of this horrible election cycle, something beautiful has come out of it and [Muslims and Jews have] bonded together to support each other and stand up to this hate. Politics can get in the way of our basic humanity; I hope this breaks through all those walls, no pun intended, to help bring us closer together.” (Views From the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Dec. 25 is a busy day for Chinese restaurants

ASAM NEWS

ONE OF THE BUSIEST DAYS of the year for Chinese restaurants is over.

The reason why so many Jews eat at Chinese restaurants on Christmas may not be what many people think.

The popular belief is that Jews had very little other options because only Chinese restaurants were opened on Christmas.

This ignores the fact that there are plenty of other eateries open Christmas day ranging from Indian to Thai.

Yet many Chinese restaurant owners say the tradition of Jews gathering at their businesses on Christmas can’t be overstated.

“Big is an understatement, said Wilson Tang. the owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York City, told Munchies. “It’s huge—easily one of the busiest days of the year.”

Some go as far as stating the tradition is even stronger today than yesteryear when perhaps there were less options.

“Christmas was a busy day, but not like it is now,” said Michael Solomonov, the award-winning chef who used to run Shun Lee in New York. “Now, Christmas in the New York City market, if you’re an upper-scale Chinese restaurant—it’s almost like you’re having the biggest sale of the year.”

Theories of why this tradition remains so popular are as varied as items on a Chinese menu.

Some say Jews who don’t follow strict kosher diets point out the pork in Chinese food is often hidden, chopped up in small pieces amidst a plate full of equally chopped up vegetables.

Others explain Jews appreciate the family style dining at Chinese restaurants. Smaller, but numerous dishes, are shared at the table. Often those dishes are placed on a lazy susan

“Families that felt they wanted to be American, but weren’t highfalutin, loved it. You didn’t have to have great manners—you could share. And Jews have always like sharing food,” explained Joan Nathan, a Jewish culinary expert.

The tradition, it seems, is purely Jewish American. The custom hasn't expanded to other Jewish communities in other parts of the world, Others believe that it started when Jews moved out into the suburbs and out of their urban neighborhoods where kosher food is readily available.

Still others say Jews and Chinese have bonded over that feeling of “otherness,” that feeling that they are not fully accepted in mainstream America. How and why, may be debatable but it has definitely become a tradition that both Jewish and Chinese/Americans look forward to each year.

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