Come Quote by Nathan Englander
“As someone who spent a lot of years living in Jerusalem, one of the great perks is that when you come back, and you get into these Israel arguments in your American-Jewish clan, you can really just silence them by saying, 'I lived there.' So we used it like a bludgeon.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “Jewish Identity and Israel”, 2020
Living in Jerusalem gives authority to silence diaspora debates, used as a rhetorical weapon.
In simple terms: Experience used to dominate discussions.
Key Takeaway
Use lived experience responsibly.
Themes
culture
identity
politics
family dynamics
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
social commentary
personal narrative
When to use this quote
- family gatherings
- community forums
- public debates
Key Concepts
diaspora
authority
dialogue
Questions to Reflect On
- When is personal experience a helpful argument?
- How can you foster inclusive conversation?
A Different Perspective
May alienate others and shut dialogue.
![“I bury my mind in my book, the Bible. Every morning it's the first thing that I do. I've been doing it for years and years. So I want to come back here [to Israel] to see the places that I read about every day. It's very important to my faith to feed [my] spirit in Israel.” quote by Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/160/bobby-mcferrin-12039_bible_i-bury-my-mind-in-my-book-the-bible-ever_1432505.jpg)
