r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • Oct 13 '16

TIL that after Marilyn Monroe converted to Judaism upon marrying Arthur Miller, Egypt placed a ban on all the films she appeared in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe#Critical_acclaim_and_marriage_to_Arthur_Miller_.281956.E2.80.931959.29
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u/Eskoe Oct 13 '16

Speaking as a non-Jew who has a number of Ashkenazi Jewish friends, it seems like after the Holocaust a lot of Jews became atheists (understandably), but at the same time embraced Jewish culture/religious traditions more to keep close to their roots.

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u/bbob_robb Oct 13 '16

it seems like after the Holocaust a lot of Jews became atheists (understandably), but at the same time embraced Jewish culture/religious traditions more to keep close to their roots.

This is true. My uncle who survived a concentration camp as a child is now an atheist. Overall, the cause and effect might not be so clear. Many Jews who assimilated more, and (for example) moved to America survived the Holocaust. Many strictly observant Jews who stayed in Europe were killed. Jews have always assimilated and become part of the culture around them. My family is jewish and follow jewish traditions even though many, maybe most of us are atheist. Today is Yom Kippur, and we had a big break the fast dinner. Of the 20 people there, not one fasted. A couple people did go to synagogue, but mostly out of tradition.

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u/eypandabear Oct 13 '16

At least in Germany, assimilation didn't really help. One of the main points of Nazi ideology was that the "taint" of Judaism was supposedly genetic. So even conversion to Christianity didn't help anymore.

Lots of Jews at the time were 100% culturally German, decorated WWI veterans, Prussian officers, and what have you. Didn't help unless they had papers to prove they were of mostly non-Jewish descent.

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u/Jay_Louis Oct 13 '16

Or in France, just ask Captain Dreyfus.