Jewdas

Jewdas is a radical Jewish diaspora group based in London, although many of the founder members trace their roots back to Jewish communities in Iceland and elsewhere in the Scandinavian Jewish diaspora. It has a satirical-communal website and stages events in London and elsewhere. In 2008 the group achieved fame, being listed #67 on "The JC Power 100", the Jewish Chronicle's annual ranking of the 100 most influential British Jews.[1]

It is a secretive organisation based upon anarchistic lines, engaged in political, cultural, and artistic activities. Representatives of the organization use the collective pseudonym "Geoffrey Cohen" in speaking to the media.[1][2][3]

Its first event was held at rampART Social Center in London's East End, the traditional home of London's immigrant Jewish community; a free (albeit accepted donation) Purim party on Saturday, 18 March 2006, which was open to anyone of any ethnic or religious background, was attended by in excess of 600 people and was covered by the national press. Its second main event was a subject of great controversy, being called "The Protocols of the Elders of Hackney", with a flyer parodying traditional anti-semitic images. Members of the group were arrested, an incident condemned by the Jewish Chronicle in an editorial entitled "In Praise of Jewdas". More recent events have included a "Radical Cosmopolitan Yeshiva" at the Shunt Lounge, a film festival ("Treifspotting"), a secret Channukah party, which involved recreating the Temple of Jerusalem in Dalston, and an antifascist Yom Kippur Ball.

In 2011, Jewdas hosted ¡No Pasaran!, a party commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.[4]

The group became more active again in 2014, especially around the issue of Israel's war with Gaza. This included protesting at pro-Israel events[5] where it has been labeled as "extreme[ly] far-left."[5]

In May 2015, the group brought over thirty people on its inaugural Birthwrong trip to Andalusia, Spain.[6] Advertised as "a trip for anyone who's sick of Israel's stranglehold on Jewish culture and wants to get away on a raucous holiday", the itinerary included: "See Maimonides! Get pissed! Do some Jewish tourism! Spend Shabbat with Andalusian Jews! Shvitz in a hammam! Visit a communist village! Get pissed!"[6][7] Attendees reflected on the trip in articles[8][9] and a short film.[10]

In 2015, the group's football team, Jewdas FC, reached the semi-final of the Proudly East London Football Tournament.[11]

In May 2017, the second Birthwrong trip will visit Marseille, France.[12]

Notes

  1. 1 2 http://www.thejc.com/jc-power-100/the-jc-power-100-numbers-61-70
  2. ↑ http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/09/by_ruth_gledhil.html
  3. ↑ http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774
  4. ↑ "No Pasaran! Remembering the Battle of Cable Street". openDemocracy. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 "UK's Pro-Israel Protests: Jews Turn Against Jews as 1000 Rally in Brighton". Breitbart. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. 1 2 "BirthWrong". BirthWrong 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  7. ↑ "'BirthWrong' in the Cradle of Jewish Culture: Jews gather in southern Spain for tour that aims to repudiate Zionism". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  8. ↑ "Birthwrong: meet the pranksters celebrating the Jewish diaspora". openDemocracy. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  9. ↑ "‘BirthWrong’ in the Cradle of Jewish Culture: Jews gather in southern Spain for tour that aims to repudiate Zionism". Mondoweiss. 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  10. ↑ "Watch Our Video From Last Year’s Birthwrong Trip To Southern Spain". jewdas. 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  11. ↑ "Clapton Ultras". Clapton Ultras.
  12. ↑ "BirthWrong". BirthWrong. Retrieved 2017-04-24.

References

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