Hermione: Jewish?

[Joywitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 6596

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, heidi <heidi.h.tandy.c92 at a...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> Amanda Lewanski wrote:
> 
> > Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer wrote:
> >
> > > Scott wrote:
> > >
> > > > Also I was thinking of writing a Holiday themed fanfiction 
that would
> > > > have Hermione as being Jewish.  Does anyone see any 
problems,(e.g.
> > > > explicit details that show she isn't Jewish) in the books 
that I may
> > > > have overlooked???
> > >
> > > The only thing I can think of is that she does exchange 
Christmas gifts
> > > with Harry & Ron each year and seems to participate in the 
Christmas
> > > festivities (she wishes them a Merry Christmas in CoS as I 
recall).
> > > This doesn't necessarily mean she isn't Jewish -- but .... just 
a random
> > > thought.
> >
> > A question--how would her being Jewish really impact a story if 
she's not
> > very observant? If it doesn't affect her lifestyle? Because I 
can't see from
> > the books any such impact on what she does, so would it really 
make any
> > difference?
> >
> 
> Exactly - I get Xmas gifts for my Christan friends, and wish them 
Merry
> Christmas (since I live in the states and we don't do that "Happy 
Xmas" thing)
> and my best friend, who is catholic, usually gives me gifts during 
Xmas, even if
> Chanukah is weeks & weeks before (of course, this year, that's 
irrelevant
> because they're at teh same time) - and I love the lights and trees 
&
> decorations associated with Xmas, and if there had been a Yule Ball 
when I was
> in school, I probably would've (hoped to have) gone, and not cared 
what it was
> called.


Good point.  It is hard to imagine how religion would fit into an HP 
story, especially as a vague cultural heritage of an obviously non-
observant person.  I think that most people in the US, no matter what 
their heritage or belief, celebrate Christmas largely as a cultural 
rather than religious holiday.  My grandmother used to send cards to 
everyone she knew (even the butcher); she would send Hanukah cards to 
her Jewish friends and relatives and Christmas cards to everyone 
else.  Of course Grandma celebrated anything at all -- even holidays 
like Groundhogs Day and Washingtons Birthday.

Oh and names dont really matter.  Theres nothing Jewish about my name 
(especially the witch part) but my ancestry is decidely Jewish.  So, 
someone with a name like Hermione could certainly be Jewish.  Not 
from a religious family, though.

--Joywitch