Jewish Mumsnetter Section

[Asthebellcurves]

I was asked by Mumsnet to start a post here to request a Jewish Mumsnetter section. This request comes out of a thread where Jewish people were discussing ethnic and religious identities that was then co-opted by others refusing to provide space for those conversations. Thus illustrating the need for a distinct Jewish space on here. Of course, Jewish conversation and contribution is valuable across mumsnet, but a neat space for Jewish perspectives to be protected and valued is a great addition - just as Black, South Asian, Welsh, Irish and Scottish mumsnetters have and benefit from.

”When it comes to starting new boards, we're pretty much guided by what our users want. The Black Mumsnetters, SE Asian MNers, Craicnet, etc came about because users started threads requesting their own space. We'll certainly give consideration to a Jewish Mumsnetters section if there is demand. You're quite welcome to start a thread in Site Stuff to ask if others feel the same.”

I know many of us have felt very hurt by the moderation of Mumsnet this week, as anti semitic posters have been allowed to run wild while many factual comments that are supportive of the Jewish community have been deleted. I hope this may serve as an opportunity for Mumsnet to build much needed bridges.

I am Jewish and I would really welcome this.

I would also like to thank those who have offered support, kindness and empathy, and to beg everyone not to be drawn into the racist, disingenuous posts that have already begun to appear, and will no doubt be more of, as they can't resist the urge to taunt and bully us.

I would very much welcome a space for Jewish mumsnetters

It seems like a no-brainer to me. Given all the other groups that have their own spaces.

I would also really welcome it being a board, like the Sex topic, where only those who have been members for a certain time can post.

Yes please

Not Jewish but 100% support this

Not Jewish but support this if it's needed, it's a shame that people feel unsafe in the wider spaces of mumsnet, in real life this is how ghettos start and communities separate.

I'm usually an advocate of integration over separation but I'm disappointed by the antagonism Jewish people have had to deal with in this country.

Mumsnet is a microcosm of society isn't it, the feminists are having a chat in one corner, black mumsnetters in another etc I'd like to think we can visit these chats in good faith but I do feel like I've wandered into Royston Vasey sometimes.

Stay safe.

This sounds like a great idea, as it will protect mumsnetters from anti-Semitic attacks that tend to spike at times of conflict from new users joining with the sole interest of harassing Jewish women.

Are there other suggestions for how it could be set up? This is the time to share them.

I'm not Jewish, just adding my voice and support.

I was hopelessly naive and ignorant. I thought antisemitism (mostly) died with Hitler and was only kept alive by neo-nazis, various terrorists groups and similar fanatics. Jesus how stupid. But now my eyes are well and truly opened.

Reading all the 'but but but... Israel' over the past week, BBC's 'hamas militants', countless of ridiculous posts here on MN full of thinly-veiled glee over the atrocities (always accompanied by 'no one is justifying hamas here, BUUUUUT), etc.

And then I realized, that all these 'BUUUUUTs' are being said just because the victims in all this are Jewish people. Just that.

And this is a website where an overwhelming majority of users are middle-class, educated, middle-aged women from UK. Not some remote corner of dark net for aryan brotherhood.

Disgraceful.

Unfortunately, In real life, every single Jewish school and synagogue has security outside it. This has been true all my life.

In the past week, the security guards have started wearing bulletproof vests (incidentally these are Jewish members of the community who take it in turns to volunteer).

It would be amazing if it wasn't needed. But it is.

I'm not Jewish but I support this, I've read some very upsetting posts over the last week that have convinced me of a need for this.

@quantumbutterfly it would be an issue if people only ever posted on their 'special' boards. But what actually happens is people go to special topic boards when they want to discuss specific things with specific people, but still use the other boards for other things. Everyone loves a good parking thread after all.

tbh I'm somewhat bewildered as to why people in the UK are anti-semetic. But then I'm bewildered by 'gingerism' as well. It just seems so ill founded and pointless.

I'm not Jewish myself but I do very much support this. However don't be surprised when people pop on and give their unsolicited opinions anyway. It happens on Craicnet all the time, even when discussing some very sensitive topics. Not a bother when the talk is of traybakes or something though!

Some of the anti Jewish sentiment on here has left me reeling.

Two thousand years of antisemitism baked into European history.

@BlurredEdges Sorry yes, I know why wrt history, I just struggle to comprehend that people are so dim and narrow minded as to think that way. The jewish population in the UK just seems so harmless.

Another who is not Jewish but thinks this is necessary.

And I agree with BlurredEdges about limiting new posters.

I support you op. I genuinely hope you get less hostility and questioning than when the same request was made for black MN section.

If you come on here to question - just read the reasons. The answer is probably there. Unless you're being deliberately obtuse.

Thank you, I think we're pretty harmless too!

I've seen the hostility the Black MNetters faced both before and since the setting up of the board. Just shows why it was needed really. Same applies here

I’m not Jewish but I fully support this too.

Adding my support x

I'm not Jewish but fully support this. The blatant antisemitism on MN has been abhorrent and shameful; and this on a site where we are supposed to be supportive of each other.

I’m not Jewish but completely support this. The Black Mumsnet board has been helpful for me but there have been issues with hostility and out right racist posts amongst other things

I support this

I want to approach people in good faith and hope that they would do the same, so we can learn from each other but of course there are issues I get impassioned about and I have to rein myself in.

I've been having some interesting debates with my teenagers in the last couple of days, we find it hard to find common ground, their experiences inform them very differently from mine.

100% support this.