I have extensive thoughts on a recent take I read regarding representation of Kitty Pryde's Jewish identity and I'm going to do my best to control myself, but I might have to share them! (respectfully)

However before I say anything else I want to offer myself to @marvel as an *extremely* qualified Jewish identity consultant with very low rates!

Okay I'm gonna do this but let me start by saying that I love WWAC and think this is a good faith analysis that gets some stuff on point that demands deeper discussion and gets other stuff not so right: https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwomenwriteaboutcomics.com%2F2020%2F08%2Fmarauders-11-buries-kate-prydes-jewish-legacy-rts%2F

Broadly speaking, one issue I often have with comics crit through a progressive lens is that it puts creators into a bit of a Catch-22: risk accusations of erasure if you don't highlight particular aspects of a characters identity properly, but risk accusations of going where...

you have no right to go creatively if you try to delve into that identity without it necessarily being your own. That said, Jewish identity is *very* nuanced and complex and even Jewish creators have often approached this stuff from a limited or simplistic standpoint.

So first, I would absolutely agree that Kitty's Jewish identity has been handled rather inconsistently depending on whoever is writing her. But that's also par for the course with every character on a certain level. Claremont and Bendis had a couple good moments but not many!

Here's where I Rachel Knight is wrong: this argument that Jews would recognize Kitty as a typically "Jewish" name is just fundamentally incorrect. I've spent my whole life in many Jewish communities. I know tons of Kates. Never once met a Kitty. Not sure of the basis for this.

More complex is the tattoo thing: yes, tattoos are a violation of classical/traditional Jewish law, but lots of us have them! I have Hebrew tattoos on my bicep, arguably more aligned with a forearm than knuck tats. I also know Conservative and Reform rabbis with tattoos.

So I think the assumption of cultural insensitivity needs to take into account our cultural realities. This piece from MyJewishLearning does a good job of addressing that: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-tattoo-taboo-in-judaism/

Now Knight's discussion Kitty's cremation brings some interesting stuff here. Jewish burial/custom law absolutely is against cremation but some of us *do* do it! (we love breaking our own rules, I'm tempted to plan for it myself)

It would have been valuable to see some Jewish ritual lifted up and represented in this part of the story, but the more I think about it, what's *really* interesting to me is the theological double Jeopardy when resurrection is almost guaranteed, which it was in this case.

I don't think it's so much for Duggan to pursue, but I'd love to actually see even a little bit of grappling with what a Jewish identity means in this new era when mutant identity/nationhood/ritual is now at the forefront. What *does* it still mean to be Jewish in light of this?

Relatedly: Nightcrawler, a devout Catholic, has already mused about starting a mutant religion. So there's arguably is something really significant happening here.

On the whole, I broadly agree with Knight that superhero comics writers tend to handle Jewish identity poorly, which is why I not so jokingly offered myself as a consultant. It actually wouldn't take a ton of effort to improve upon it.

Sorry for clogging your feeds with this. I'm done! Good Shabbos!

Postscript: just want to remind comics folks that it's possible to disagree with particular takes without being absolute assholes about it, even if it's way more fun to do it that way!