CHRIST KILLER!

Once more, with Feeling

Published on May 22, 2006 By Moderateman In Religion

I grew up with Sicilians, I was the only non-Italian there in our little gang of around 300 kids.

There was a time when the Italians had there own turf. may generations grew up there. Between 112th street to 125th street, from the east river to Pleasant ave, to 1st ave, to 2nd ave, to 3rd ave, A solid wall of Italians.

I was very small for my age, at 13 I was 4ft 10 inches tall and weighed in at around 90 pounds.

I had eaten in their homes, they has eaten in mine, all the families looked out for the children of any other family,

We were surrounded on one side by blacks on the other by puerto ricans, Full blown wars were not unusual. Everyone watched everyone Else's backs, this was life as I knew it.

Then the day after my 13th Birthday and My bar mitzvah, I was over at Sals house talking, Sal lived with his mother and father 5 siblings, and not one but two grandmothers.

I got along well with Mrs. Dispenza, Sals maternal grandmother, I was always treated like family when I was there.

Mrs Dispenza loved to see kids eat, I can still hear her voice "manja, manja" On this day I was wearing my mezuzah, a gift from my father on my Bar Mitzvah day, the day before.

Mrs Dispenza saw it hanging on my neck and asked in her very faltering English, What is that you are wearing< I told her what it was, she said "you Jew?" I said yes of course, Suddenly my world fell apart, Her face changed and she spit right in my face, calling me Christ Killer She told me "get out! get outta my house" Never come back, as I left running from the room I heard her once again, Christ killer" dizgratziada {sp?}

This was my very first experience with racism, bigotry, what ever you want to call it. I was crushed I ran home crying, My sister Rose was there She was alarmed when she saw the condition I was in, and asked me what happened?

I told her the whole sordid story, I added "saying I never killed anyone" Why did she do that? MY sister explained as well as she could, I did not understand any of it. That day my world changed, The Italian Kids I grew up with could no longer play with me.

I was alone, alone in a war zone. This was the first of many times I had problems for no other reason than I am a Jew."

Comments (Page 1)

Dr Guy

on May 22, 2006

Not all attitudes have changed, but I hope most of them have. I never heard that term until recent years, and I have seen no reason to ever use it either.

Tova7

on May 22, 2006

Dang MM..I am so sorry that happened to you.

((((MM)))))

That was painful for me to read, I can't imagine how it hurt you as a child.

I am sure she is long dead now, and regrets the error of her thinking.

Moderateman

on May 22, 2006

#1 by Dr. Guy
Monday, May 22, 2006

Not all attitudes have changed,

now that's the truth and damned scary.

Moderateman

on May 22, 2006

2 by Tova7
Monday, May 22, 2006

That was painful for me to read, I can't imagine how it hurt you as a child.

I was crushed, 2 years later I was 6ft 3 and went around 170, That was one of a few incidents that help create the monster that I WAS.

Thanx for hug tove {{{tova}}}}

Believe it or not as I started typing this I grew angry .

Tova7

on May 22, 2006

Believe it or not as I started typing this I grew angry

I can understand that anger...I was angry too and wanted to say something about your sister going over there and spitting in HER face....but then I remembered, you aren't Catholic, and you weren't Italian. That would be suicide.

There isn't anything that makes one a fighter in life faster than someone putting a boot on their neck.

I get the fight or die mentality MM...I've lived it...and while I was not in physical jeopardy of the kind you describe (well most of the time)...I know what it is to be so held down you have to fight or your soul will perish.

I'm just so glad you grew past the anger and into the loving husband and man you are today.

Anger itself is a kinda boot to the neck, when it controls us.

Moderateman

on May 22, 2006

#5 by Tova7
Monday, May 22, 2006

Anger itself is a kinda boot to the neck, when it controls us

I lived for years in a constant state of perpetual RAGE.

...I was angry too and wanted to say something about your sister going over there and spitting in HER face....but then I remembered, you aren't Catholic, and you weren't Italian. That would be suicide.

YES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, BESIDES ROSIE WAS IN HER 20'S AND MRS Dispenza looked to be around 400 years old, she was a withered little crone. I miss what we had before that day.

Tova7

on May 22, 2006

I miss what we had before that day.

I believe at the root of all anger is hurt....you say you raged for years...sounds like you were hurting for years and rage was your outlet.

Glad you are feeling less angry.

Anger is a wicked bitch. She seems to help you out at first, giving you the energy and momentum to escape...then once safe she starts eating out your guts.

Moderateman

on May 22, 2006

#7 by Tova7
Monday, May 22, 2006

believe at the root of all anger is hurt....you say you raged for years...sounds like you were hurting for years and rage was your outlet.

Glad you are feeling less angry.

Less angry for sure. I was told this about rage it's really good and very appropriate " RAGE IS like a poison YOU!DRINK hoping the other person will die"

Tova7

on May 22, 2006

Very apt.

MasonM

on May 22, 2006

I've never understood this attitude among some so-called "Christians", especially some of the more devout Catholics. I've always considered being Christian as being at least a little Jewish (sorry if you find that offensive) as the Christian religion is a direct decendent of the Jewish. After all, Jesus was a Jew.

I've always believed that Jews and Christians to be brothers of a sort, just ones that at one point went down different paths in history. No two groups could have so much in common.

Besides, the whole point of the Christian belief is that Christ died so that we could be redeemed which was the plan of God, therefore the Jews of the day were acting according to His plan, so how can one hold any malace towards them? The whole thing is plainly stupid, and that woman was obviously dead wrong.

I can understand the hurt it must have inflicted.

Moderateman

on May 22, 2006

10 by MasonM
Monday, May 22, 2006

I have never understood it either!

Nope I do NOT feel dissed, not at all.

KFC Kickin For Christ

on May 22, 2006

I'm also very sorry to hear of this incident and know many just like you fared this way. My Uncle Harry was a Jew (now deceased) and he told the same story. When I told this recently to my new Catholic friend she said she never heard such things. Her thinking is the Catholics are the ones bashed.

I believe a true Christian loves the Jews because, as said before, Jesus their Lord came from this people group. We as Christians are grafted into the Jewish Abrahamic tree and are as adopted. It's supposed to be a good thing. Paul wrote that the whole mystery is that Jew and Gentile would be joint heirs in the Kingdom of God.

Things like what you described are done in the name of ignorance. If those Catholics only read their own bible they would see very plainly these words in Acts 4:26-28:

The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against your holy child Jesus whom you have annointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, to do whatsoever your hand and your counsel determined before to be done.

In other words....both Jews and Gentiles are guilty and had a hand in the death of Christ but ultimately it was predetermined to happen anyway. Christ said his life was not taken from him. He gave it willingly. It even says when he was on the cross that HE GAVE up his spirit. The deed matched his earlier words.

I hope this helps.

Moderateman

on May 23, 2006

Reply By: KFC (Kickin For Christ)Posted: Monday, May 22, 2006

you explaination are very nice. I have long been over that incident, almost 47 years ago this happened.

Adventure-Dude

on May 23, 2006

People can be quite cruel. I know there is nothing I can say nor do to make this go away. What happened, happened. Even as much as it does break my heart I cannot take it away.

Thanks for opening up and sharing.

Shalom Aleichem MM.

kingbee

on May 23, 2006

as 'the passion of the christ' clearly shows us, it was romans (possibly assisted by the odd siclian) who scourged,pummeled, struck, assaulted, forced him to drag his cross around, semi-permanently attached him to the crucifix causing his body weight to be excuciatingly suspended, tormenting him by offering bitter gall before finally impaling him with a huge spike.

romans...not jews.

it sure opened my eyes btw. after several years of latin study i fully (and foolishly) expected far, far more from the romans than the kinda lil girlyman floggings depicted in the film

as i recall, it took 3 supposedly skilled legionaires damn near 45 minutes to deal out the kinda flaying n shit a couple detroit vice-squad underachievers coulda easily accomplished in half the time.

hopefully mrs disgusta lived long enuff to see for herself whatta buncha finnochio her forebears were. then again, what did she think all the leather, shorts and those big swords were all about?

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