Ok friends, I’ve had it about up to here.
I know there is a thing that fic authors do where they like to make
Bucky Jewish. Why? I’m not sure, but probably it has something to do with his
suffering at the hands of Nazis during WWII, and you know, the Holocaust and victimhood, but I
don’t want to think about it too much because I’d most likely just get mad.
So.. Bucky Barnes grew up Jewish. Fine. But if I read one more fic
where his ma made rugelach on Passover, I’ll scream. No, his ma did
not make rugelach on Passover, because rugelach
are hametz which is forbidden on Passover. His ma would maybe make
sponge cake made with potato starch, or almond cookies, or coconut macaroons,
but not rugelach. And no, he wouldn’t call his grandmother savta.Savta is a modern Hebrew word. Depending on where his family was from in
Europe, and how long they had been in America, he would call his grandmother bubbie,
or oma, or grandma.
You see where I’m going with this.
Please, when you’re writing about Judaism and Jews do a little
research beyond “what’s a Jewish food”, and “what’s a Jewish holiday”, etc. etc.
Think about the life you imagine Bucky having. Where is his family from
originally? How religious is his family? Did they speak Yiddish at home?
Polish? Russian? German? English? Do a little research into the lives of the
various different Jewish communities that lived in the United States during the
20′s and 30′s. Have a Jewish friend read over your fic and ask them if it
matches their own experience and history.
I know that it’s annoying to have to do so much research for what
is a free piece of media you are producing for fans, but there are real people
who lived the types of lives you are trying to depict, and we owe it to them to
at least try to get it right.
Signed,
A Very Tired Jew