INTERVIEW
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Her Own Private Zionism | |
| How a Korean-Irish secular Jew became a firefighter in Israel | ||
 by jessidc, July 31, 2007
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TAGS:
4'11" Fury: Not actually Edwards' grandmother, but how cute are those horses on her hat?THE AXIS OF CABBAGE
I’m a Korean-Irish Jew. My mom was born in North Korea and adopted at eight months by a Reform Jewish family. She was converted, went to Hebrew school, had a Bat Mitzvah and rebelled at 12 against everything, including Judaism. She didn’t raise me Jewish.
My grandmother was the one who was always pushing it. She gave me the history, taught me what Shabbat was. When I was 13, I accidentally started dating a Jewish guy. My grandmother was ready to marry us off the next day. He wanted to be a doctor. I ended up breaking up with him because, you know, I was 13, and she didn’t talk to me for two months. I call her the 4-foot-11 Yiddish Fury.
Eternal flame: Edwards as a rookie (the black hat means she's in training) BANGKOK'S THATAWAY
I originally came to Israel on Birthright—this was in 2004. I was a poor college student looking for something to do for winter break. Late one night I went onto Google and typed “free travel.” Birthright came up, so I applied. My grandmother was delighted to pay the deposit and next thing I knew I was on a plane to Israel. I was looking at Thailand originally. I’d never heard of Birthright.
I started dating one of the soldiers while I was there. (Birthright may be responsible for helping half of the IDF get laid.) It was really nice because I extended the trip and got to stay with his family. He was killed in the Netanya mall bombing in 2005. Just a few days ago, the IDF arrested the driver who took the suicide bomber to the mall. It’s still painful to read this stuff, but it doesn’t make me love Israel any less.
I’m not at all worried about war or terrorism. I feel safer here than I do alone on the streets in New York City. Even when the rockets landed in Kiryat Shmona two months ago, you don’t realize it. People wrote me frantic emails, and I wrote back: “I just got back from the bar, what are you talking about?” Israelis don’t live in fear at all.
One of the guys: Edwards with her Stroudsburg, PA "brothers"BROS BEFORE HOSE
In the States, I was in a rut. I originally went to school to be a marine biologist, and then I went premed. I transferred schools and ran out of money. Then I found the fire department and fell in love. I was a firefighter in the States for four years, in the Poconos. There weren’t that many Jews in my area, and the one that I did find turned out to be gay and left me for my landlord, who lived upstairs.
The fire academy training lasted eight months. I still find it kind of challenging being a woman in a male-dominated field. A woman coming into a fire department is looking for a boyfriend or husband—or so goes the conventional wisdom. And I’m only 5’6”, I’m blonde, I’m not an Amazon. I had to prove myself.
I ended up graduating close to the top of my class. The guys in the States were like my family. Here, I’m working in the Kfar Saba station and I’m still feeling it out. Everybody’s really nice but I have to start all over again. Israel tends to be kind of chauvinistic sometimes. Although there are five female firefighters here, I’m the only paid one. The biggest professional difference between here and the States is the way firefighters in Israel respond when a call comes through. In the States, it’s immediate. It’s much more lax in Israel.
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire: Edwards is the one on the leftANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Every Israeli always asks, “Why did you move here?” They’re either happy, or they think you’re really confused, or they think you’re dumb.
Why did I move here? On the first day of my Birthright Trip, we went to the Wailing Wall. I didn’t know the protocol for approaching the Wall, but they told me to write a note and slip it into the cracks, so I wrote something about a close relative who had died. I went up and just started crying. It’s a very profound experience even if you’re not religious. This little old lady standing next to me grabbed my hand and whispered, “It’ll be okay.” That’s when I realized this was really going to mean something to me.
* * *
ALSO IN JEWCY
Not everyone finds the Holy Land so hospitable: Jeff Koyen explores why Israelis are pricks. In fact, fewer and fewer young American Jews think Zionism is relevant to their lives, says David Shneer, and maybe that's not the end of the world. (Stefan Kanfer disagrees.) Religious conservative David Klinghoffer thinks God would be OK with this development. But how can everyone ignore a country where the people, as Miriam Libicki ably documents, are so incredibly hot?
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Nutshell? Korean, Irish, female firefighter/EMT, dual citizenship Israeli/American, blonde girl. Who am I really? I can be the best friend you ever had, that girl who's random in life, the one who is always smiling, idealistic traveler, loves More... |
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Anonymous
Non-Jewish Zionist
So this Korean-Irish, with no Jewish or semitic blood at all gets to migrate to Israel, while Palestinians who are the true semites, get driven out of their homes to make way for these carpet-baggers. How does Jessica Edwards feel about this?
Anonymous
I loved the statement that
Birthright may be responsible for getting half of the IDF laid.
That was pretty much my experience too.
Annie
Anonymous
What homes
same old crap. You have 6 arab countries attack Israel, you get your ass kicked and ever since then you whine "victim" On the other hand, I wonder what would have happened had Israel ever really lost a war? It would make the carnage in Iraq and Sudan look like a tea party.
Jews have way more right and legitimacy to Israel than any Palestinians.
Anonymous
dude, the jewish gramma in
dude, the jewish gramma in the pic is wearing a cross! I'm no religious fanatic, but, rilly doe, what gives?
jessidc
In answer to your question...
You are right Mr. Anonymous...I don't have true Jewish blood in me, but the love I feel for this country and how I choose to support it are Jewish through and through. Just because I wasn't born to a blood Jewish mother, doesn't mean that all of my growing up and my grandparents who are German/Russian Jews, makes me any less than anyone else who would convert or what have you. I was born Jewish and have remained so my whole life. I have known nothing else and I don't want to. I'm proud of my heritage and no one will tell me otherwise.
I don't agree with anyone, (this includes Palestinians and Arab Israelis - whichever you would like to call them) getting kicked out/forced out/pushed out of their homes. I believe that everyone has the right to live their lives, in the homeland of their choice, and that everyone has the basic right to life and their own thought processes. I do not claim to be a true Zionist, I don't claim to be the best Jewish person at all, and I especially don't claim to be this special person who moved here just to make a political statement. I moved here because I feel in love with how I feel when I'm here, and the amazing people (Jewish and non) that I meet on a daily basis, and the opportunity to do my career (which is my life) in a place where it means so much more.
So if you would like to get into a political argument, feel free to voice your opinion, but don't expect me to join with you. However, I would join a conversation if you have genuine questions for me and not inflammatory ones. Trust me darlin', I deal with enough actual fire on a daily basis, to let your comments like that get to me. :)
Gregory C.
Jessica, a
Jessica, a really interesting article. Your closing note about your first trip the Western Wall really sums up so much the feeling of Israel...And despite the opinions of "Anonymous," identities like "Korean-Irish Jew" make Israel such a unique place. And I think there is a rule that the smaller the grandmother, the stronger the personality.
richards1052
She's Jewish according to halacha
"So this Korean-Irish, with no Jewish or semitic blood at all gets to migrate to Israel"
I've got news for you...though she may not have Semitic blood (whatever that means) her mother converted to Judaism so that would make Edwards Jewish according to halacha. Therefore she has as much right to make aliya & become Israeli as any other Jew in the world.
As for the oppression of Palestinians, that's another issue, but one on which I might have some agreement with you.
Richard Silverstein
Tikun Olam (blog)
jessidc
the smaller the grandmother...
My grandmother would whole heartedly agree with you. She's got a lot of chutzpah in her for sure. :)
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I don't know who you are - but I'm ready to save you at any given moment. ~ motto I live by.
Edlin5
that cross
Nice story and she has every right to be there helping to make the country a better place. Kol Hakavod....but the cross on the Grandmom's next is a bit puzzling to this grandma responding to her story.
Another great vote for Birthright.
Linda
Anonymous
thats not her grandmother
read the caption....
jessidc
It's NOT my grandmother :)
I love the person who cleared it up for me...that is NOT my grandmother in the picture :)
I don't know who you are - but I'm ready to save you at any given moment. ~ motto I live by.
Anonymous
Good article
An enjoyable and informative read.
Its too bad there are so many stupid comments such as the first one which try and ruin it.
Anonymous
Israel is right
we did not steal any land it was won by the war of independence.The arab armies attacked us and lost
CWW
Great piece
Thank you Jessi for the informative, interesting, and well written piece.
I can't wait to go to Israel again.
Eliyahu
Thank You!
"we did not steal any land it was won by the war of independence.The arab armies attacked us and lost"
This is true, wish more people would realize this. Anyway..
Thank You Ms. Jessica, for your service and dedication to a worthy profession!
Alan Marshall
who's your daddy?
I really enjoyed your article and I wish you the best! I have 3 wonderful kids
and being a good father means everything to me. You did not mention
anything about your father. Did he have a positive role in your early (or later)
life?
ChevyNazi
Jews are still quite touchy...
about crucifixes. I guess to some Jews its not much different than a swastika.
naftali
Yo Chevy
It just seems like you're not seeing the ball today. I've read several of your comments and you're not quite getting the point, but missing by just a tad. Generally, we can tell the difference between a crucifix and a swastika. And we don't equate the two. People can believe different things, it's okay with us. Shooting rockets into our towns to kill Jews, another story. Wearing jewelry, wearing a symbol of another religion. Not a problem.
You've just got to know how to accessorize.
ChevyNazi
naftali
Did you know the swastika is still used by many Native Americans. It evidently means eternal life. What a pity the Nazis had to get a hold of the symbol and pervert it.
Now as far as what I said about the comparison between the crucifix and swastika, I should have more or less said that a FEW Jewish people don't see any difference.
My deepest apologies if I offended anyone.
geminijinx
Strength
Thank you for writing your story. I know that before I went to Israel for the first time (2000), I just thought of it as another country - nothing more, nothing less. But as soon as I got there, I realised that there was something special there. I think it's amazing how that something can affect you and bring out emotions you never knew you had.
To all those who make a deal about how a "Korean-Irish Jew" can move to Israel etc - I don't think it matters what your background is as long as you feel a connection. You feel that connection and it shows. Good luck with everything :)
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