very nice story

Aw, how sweet! As a true born Jew I've been looking for something like this in fanfiction, but this was the only Jewish story I could find. SO sweet! I love the idea of Snape being Snapovitz, that's hilarious...great job!

Oh, and HAPPY HANNUKAH!

~Sandy~

Incredible story! It really made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, especially because it's the first night of Hannukah. I've spent the last hour trying to find a few decent fictions with a Jewish side, because I am sick of all the Christmas ones.

I can so relate to Anthony. I remember bringing lunch during
Passover, with only a few Jews in the grade, most of whom didn't even care. It made me more determined in my faith, as it does in most of us. I love fictions where I can actually apply my Judiasm to the story-there are so few Jews/Jewish fictions on this site, so I treasure those that are, especially well-written, eloquent ones, such as this.

Outstanding...I think you really broke the invisible regarding religion, especially Judaism, in Harry Potter fan fiction,and in fanfiction in general. The way Anthony has become more religiously conscious from being around Gentiles is so real, so true, so the way any of us would act. I, as an Orthodox Jew, tend to feel stronger about religion when I am around non-religious people. And the way everyone's ignorance hurt him was also very powerful, plenty of people hurt other's feelings simply by ignorance. And the way he feels Channukah is overshadowed by Christmas really touched me-I live in Israel, and it wounds me deeply that there are Christmas decorations throughout the streets of Jerusalem over Channukah. Not that I have anything against Christians, but I feel it should be more balanced, not just in Israel but throughout the world. As well, Snape's ideas on the emptiness of religion-they are powerful ideas, with perhaps some slight degree of truth to them, but he must believe-otherwise why does he go to all the of keeping the mitzvot, of staying a Jew, albeit in hiding?
I also liked how you included Israel, and the idea of a magical/muggle kibbutz. the idea of uniting two opposing parties through the feeling of community and selfness-not quite selfness, more like operating as a whole, complete unity-is intriguing, perhaps it could be used to achieve peace between Jews and Muslims, for example...just an idea.
You managed to ask some complex theological questions in not a large amount of words-yet their impact is phenomenal.
Shabbat Shalom,
Alli

wowee!
Do you know of any Jewish Harry Potter fanfiction?
Seriously, this one is very good. I'm new to fanfiction, as you can see

Wow. Snape Jewish. That's kind of fun (if disturbing because now Snape joining the death eaters had even more to rebel against and loathe about himself - at least I'm assuming that most of magical England would be indifferent or anti-semitic). Anthony Goldstein was definitely rigid with his classmates but it was wonderful reading about a Jewish student. I liked Snape's contention that it takes more than blindly following tradition.

This is very interesting indeed. I have been toying with the idea of writing an Anthony Goldstein-Terry Boot, Jewish-Christian angst at pagan Hogwarts sort of story, and I did some searches by way of research. Do you know that you are, as far as I can discover, the ONLY writer who has tackled this issue yet? Your story includes some excellent touches, such as the Muggle-magical kibbutz and the notion that living at Hogwarts without fellow Jews has made Anthony more religously conscious, and perhaps more religious, than he otherwise would have been.

I'm a bit puzzled by Snape in this story-- I can imagine his being Jewish, perhaps even going so far as to light a hanukkiah, but I'm surprised that he would bother to say the bracha if he thought as slightingly of religious practice as he seems to here.

Anyway, a thought-provoking piece, and I'll be interested if you write anything else along these lines . . .

Why change the very english name Snape to Snapowitz when there is a perfectly legitimate canon alternative? Snape COULD be half jewish: Prince could well be the anglicized form of Prinz which is a common enough surname among German Jews and Jews of Eastern Europe. Go, Half Blood Prince!

This is my favorite piece of fanfiction that I've read in a long time. I especially liked the image of Snape celebrating Hanukkah all alone in his office before heading out to do more spywork with the Death Eaters...and the fact that Snape remains his usual, cold self even after Anthony shows up, instead of welcoming him into a nice, cheery celebration. =)

hm strange. i didnt really imagine the people at hogwarts having religions. i thought maybe theyd be pagan, like worshipping greek gods or something. but this was interesting.

I enjoyed this story, I am not jewish, in fact I am catholic but I grew up learning about all religions and I think your story is touching. As I am catholic I am not really sure what it is like to be jewish and not celebrate christmas, but it is a shame that for some jewish children, Hanukkah can not bring the same kind of joy christmas gives to christian children. I think that if we were all more tolerant of all religions this wouldn't happen.

Hm...Interesting story. Snape's lecture about "it" meaning nothing and comparing "it" to a tree seems a little abrupt for a transition and an analogy that just doesn't fit. Otherwise, it was a pleasure to read something so well written. I'm not particularly sympathetic, however, with the casual hostility and contempt Goldstein shows. He reminds me of a boss at an earlier job who insisted that his employees not wish each other Merry Christmas. That always seemed a little much to me, given that we were supposed to respect his holidays and he refused to respect anyone else's (Islam, Christian, you name it). I finally quit the week he scheduled a mandatory meeting for Easter Sunday. Tolerance is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, and I don't know that your Anthony's contempt is any more attractive or acceptable than Luna's totally clueless and insulting actions. Perhaps I like happy endings too much, but I would have preferred to see some character growth here.

Yes, there's nothing like being surrounded by people celebrating Christmas to remind one that one is a Jew. Reminds me of a poem by Bracha Goetz, "A Hellenist Left Standing" (Our Lives, edited by Sarah Shapiro,published by Targum Press):
"...The twenty-fifth makes her remember,
Because it's Kislev - not December..." about a girl who joins her boyfriend's family for Xmas Midnight Mass but can't bring herself to kneel.

BTW, Anthony could have improvised a menorah very easily, for example candles can be pushed into a row of half-potatoes or even have their ends melted onto a plate to stand in a row. (That's what we did in our motel room the first night after one of our autistic kids burnt the house down six years ago.) As long as they're all on the same level except the shammes, which is always higher or lower than the rest, it's a menorah.

Hey! I enjoyed this story actually its the first story i've ever ran in to that talks about Judaism,this is actually my sencond year of celebrating Hanukkah.

I completely agree with the story despite that i go 2 a Jewish school etc. but i have to say that I had a similar thought process as u must have when i read "anthony goldstein"'s name. I also agree that Judaism should totally be represented in the HP books.
Have a Happy Hannukah!
~*NYCGAL*~