Jews and tattoos
The spread of Jewish-themed tattoos have some rabbis in a quandary, reports the Kansas City Star:
Increasing numbers of younger Jews are embracing tattoos, which have shed many of their negative stereotypes — they no longer are considered the purview of bikers, convicts and drunken servicemen — and have found a foothold in the under-30 set. They have gone from being outlaw symbols to fashion statements. Young Jews, like young non-Jews, are doing what younger generations have done since the beginning of time: ignore their parents."The fact that I'm from California and my parents are 2,000 miles away made it a little easier," Teichner admitted of her decision to get her first tattoo, an olive-branch wreath that incorporates the Star of David. That led to her second tattoo, which she got in June. It combines her name in Hebrew with the date of her bat mitzvah and a tribute to her late grandparents.
"My parents didn't like it at first, and my fiancé still doesn't like it," she said. "But to me, that tattoo is really important because it has a lot of symbolism."
Teichner is far from alone in getting Jewish-themed tattoos. And that poses a quandary for some rabbis, who have spent much of their lives facing anti-Semitism. While opposing tattoos on principle, they're buoyed by the young Jews' fervor in flaunting their heritage.
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I was told years ago that placing tatoos on the human body is against traditional Jewish law. My daughter had a tatoo placed above her belt line on her back which was her name in Hebrew...Shira Gila. Then later, she had a tatoo placed on the upper left side of her chest, over her heart, which included the names of her husband and her twin daughters...Jacob, Autumn, & Emma. I initially objected to the practice, but now understand her reasons for the tatoos.
Tatoos and cremation = two actions that Jews should not inflict upon themselves , if for no other reason that those were practices that the Nazis forced on their brethren in the Shoah.To do such things voluntarily, is giving the murderers validation and our contemporary revisionists/antisemites excuse for the argument that extremination of the Jewish people never took place-
Human beings have enormous potential to excel in life. Symbolism, in particular, the sacred geometry of Judaism, numbers, birth-dates, when marked through Jewish-themed tattoos, they get dishonored and disrespected by native sometimes, unintentionally in terms of visiting wash-room, menstrual cycles, not-cleaner body.
Non-Jewish tattoos are also useless. Because, if the faces of all human beings are different, then why there is any need to become more distinguishable through tattoos. If someone wants to be distinguishable, he/she should better perform good deeds.
Those, who tattoo themselves, are actually born with inferiority complex based on underlying desire to be getting more prominent.
Tattooing should be discouraged on all levels.
My knuckle ink, I’m famous! Incidentally, one cannot be born with an inferiority complex that would lead to tattooing unless one believes that inferiority complexes that lead to tattooing are genetic. If that’s the case it’s quite ridiculous to condemn them because it would be an inherent trait. We humans have decorated ourselves, with tattoos, ornaments, hairstyles, piercings and countless other body modifications (ahem, a certain covenant comes to mind), since long before we Jews were even a people. And we humans will continue to decorate ourselves long after we Jews, like all peoples who have come before us, are curious artifacts of a future archeology. I wear peace and justice on my knuckles because it’s what I believe in and strive for. I wear it in Hebrew because I’m a Jew.
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Schmuel
10/06/08 11:56 AM
From the periods of Post Nazi politics screamed the negativity of the tattoo and other markings thereof. In Special Operations Military Service, tattoo is banned too. No distinguishing marks. Yet, after I read that story, I feel, as a KOEN Tribe, maybe we need to move ahead in views. Sure, why not be a Tribe with a Tribal Marking. But as a Tribal Marking, now, this is signifying something. After all, We are Different then. Baruch HaShem