Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reveals Jewish ancestry at Hanukkah celebration

[oberliner]

Hanukkah celebrates the miracle that oil thought to be enough for only one day burned instead for eight. So the Jewish festival of lights is also, in a way, a celebration of surprise.

A temple in Queens got a small dose of surprise on Sunday — the final night of Hanukkah — when Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat with a knack for dramatic flourish, told those gathered to light the menorah that her ancestors were Jewish.

“One of the things that we discovered about ourselves is that a very, very long time ago, generations and generations ago, my family consisted of Sephardic Jews,” Ocasio-Cortez said. These are Jews who settled in the Middle East, North Africa and southern Europe after the Jewish diaspora. They were expelled from Spain in 1492.

The announcement drew delight at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center. Someone in the audience at the event, organized by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, made a remark, which can’t be heard in a video of the congresswoman-elect’s brief speech, but which seemed to embrace her as a fellow Jew. She replied, “He’s like, ‘I told you! I knew it! I sensed it!’”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/12/10/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-reveals-jewish-ancestry-hanukkah-celebration/

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Very heart-warming story... what a surprise indeed! Thanks for sharing.

[oberliner]

3. You're welcome

It was definitely heart-warming!

[jillan]

2. Latina and Jewish. That explains her passion.

And I just love her passion.

[oberliner]

4. There is something about her that has resonated with a lot of folks

I love her passion and her refusal to back down on the issues that are important to her.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

6. Yes, that passion is what sets AOC apart... she is truly special!!

[jillan]

7. It's so refreshing to see! But

I have to say that I have been shocked the way people on the left are attacking her.
I can't understand. She's an unapologetic progressive & exactly the voice we need
in congress right now.

[Hortensis]

8. I'm newly unhappy because that climate group was supposed

to be demonstrating IN SENATOR MCCONNELL'S OFFICE, Jillan. I've been very encouraged since she arrived in DC, but...did they fall on their heads and get lost or something?

As for Jewish genes, my husband's Jewish and I tend to think that's a nice thing for her, and to help her connect with the Jewish people in her district. As a Democratic congresswoman-elect, it's important that she is able to reassure them that she is not antisemitic so they'll vote for her in less than 2 years now.

They're concerned because the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Ocasio-Cortez is a member, support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which is also a focus of a bunch of antisemitic groups in various nations. Previously Ocasio's been silent on that, but sharing her genetic heritage with her constituents is hopefully a first step.

[jillan]

9. I too was surprised that they protested in Pelosi's office but

I guess AOC & Nancy sat down and had a long talk during that time & they bonded.
AOC now supports Pelosi for speaker & Pelosi now knows AOC is going to be outspoken - so even if it started out being awkward, Nancy showed that she can be the leader for everyone.

About the anti-Israel movement, I am Jewish and it's hard. I do not approve of what is going on in Israel at all.
That's a discussion for another thread

[Hortensis]

10. Same with you about that last, and I'm sure there are

differing opinions among Ocasio's constituents. They just need reassurance that she does not share today's rising left-wing antisemitism.

Speaking of extremists, today 44 ex- senators, who clearly believe it could happen here, and may be, wrote the Republicans in the senate and asked them to protect democracy in this critical time. An extraordinary letter!

Ocasio's response was to retweet someone's hit about past history with lobbyists. I'm left suspecting she truly does not realize what is happening at all.

[jillan]

12. Was her retweet about lobbyists in response to that letter from the 44 Senators?

I'm confused what one thing has to do with the other.

She has been doing an amazing job exposing all the lobbyists that have been on the Hill during orientation, as are others of the freshman class.

I can't imagine that would have been in response to that letter, but rather a tweet about a whole different - very different- subject.

[George II]

15. What's lost in the shuffle of all that was that Pelosi had already told Cortez....

....a week before the first sit in that she was going to recreate that committee once Democrats took over the House in January, so Cortez knew that even before the first sit in. So that one AND the one yesterday was unnecessary unless some needed the headlines.

Also lost in the shuffle was how that committee came about in the first place before the republicans disbanded it. It was created back in 2007 by none other than Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi!

[Baitball Blogger]

5. My roots are also Jewish. But my ancestors were more tied to country than religion.

Settling in Spain, they were given an opportunity to convert to Christianity or face deportation or possibly, death. They converted.

I think that this family history might be embedded in my genes because I always find myself praying to God, rather than Jesus. Though I also believe that Jesus died on the cross for us.

[nolabear]

11. So Warren is excoriated and she's celebrated?

Mind you, I’d celebrate both. But it’s interesting.

[jillan]

13. Give it time. I'm certain the trump cultists will be hurling

anti-semitic attacks against AOC any moment now.

[oberliner]

14. I think both are happening to both

[JudyM]

16. K&R