Jewdas
Encyclopedia
Jewdas is a radical Jewish diaspora
group based in London
, although many of the founder members trace their roots back to Jewish communities in Iceland
and other Scandinavia
n countries. It has a successful satirical-communal website and stages Jewish events in London and around. In 2008 the group was listed at #67 on "The JC Power 100", the Jewish Chronicle's annual ranking of the 100 most influential British Jews.
It is a secretive organisation based upon anarchistic lines, engaged in political, cultural, and artistic activities, usually with a subversive edge. It lacks an overt manifesto, but is generally seen as being on the far left of Jewish politics. Representatives of the organization use the collective pseudonym "Geoffrey Cohen" in speaking to the media.
Its first event was held at rampART Social Center in London's East End, the traditional home of London's immigrant Jewish community; a free (albeit accepted donation) Purim
party on Saturday, 18 March 2006, which was open to anyone of any ethnic or religious background, was attended by in excess of 600 people and was covered by the national press. Its second main event was a subject of great controversy, being called "The Protocols of the Elders of Hackney
", with a flyer parodying traditional anti-semitic images. Members of the group were arrested, an incident condemned by the Jewish Chronicle in an editorial entitled "In Praise of Jewdas". More recent events have included a "Radical Cosmopolitan Yeshiva
" at the Shunt Lounge, a film festival ("Treifspotting") and a secret Channukah party, which involved recreating the Temple of Jerusalem in Dalston.
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora is the English term used to describe the Galut גלות , or 'exile', of the Jews from the region of the Kingdom of Judah and Roman Iudaea and later emigration from wider Eretz Israel....
group based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, although many of the founder members trace their roots back to Jewish communities in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and other Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries. It has a successful satirical-communal website and stages Jewish events in London and around. In 2008 the group was listed at #67 on "The JC Power 100", the Jewish Chronicle's annual ranking of the 100 most influential British Jews.
It is a secretive organisation based upon anarchistic lines, engaged in political, cultural, and artistic activities, usually with a subversive edge. It lacks an overt manifesto, but is generally seen as being on the far left of Jewish politics. Representatives of the organization use the collective pseudonym "Geoffrey Cohen" in speaking to the media.
Its first event was held at rampART Social Center in London's East End, the traditional home of London's immigrant Jewish community; a free (albeit accepted donation) Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
party on Saturday, 18 March 2006, which was open to anyone of any ethnic or religious background, was attended by in excess of 600 people and was covered by the national press. Its second main event was a subject of great controversy, being called "The Protocols of the Elders of Hackney
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fraudulent, antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for achieving global domination. It was first published in Russia in 1903, translated into multiple languages, and disseminated internationally in the early part of the twentieth century...
", with a flyer parodying traditional anti-semitic images. Members of the group were arrested, an incident condemned by the Jewish Chronicle in an editorial entitled "In Praise of Jewdas". More recent events have included a "Radical Cosmopolitan Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
" at the Shunt Lounge, a film festival ("Treifspotting") and a secret Channukah party, which involved recreating the Temple of Jerusalem in Dalston.