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Essay about Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews

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Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews Though it seems like a stereotype, all teenagers, at some point, choose to rebel against authority figures or conform with their friends. Part of growing up means becoming the person God intends you to be and finding out how to survive, or be independent, on your own. Conformity and rebellion, two issues that each human being has experienced, have great effects not only on the conformist and rebel, but on the people around them as well. In “Conversion of the Jews,” Ozzie rebels against the religious complacency that he sees in his Hebrew school, and his friend, Itzie, projects an example of religious complacency and conformity. Ozzie, a …show more content…

When Ozzie is on the roof, his own form of rebellion affects his mother and the rabbi greatly. His mother feels ashamed and confused. The rabbi feels more worried about how Ozzie’s actions make the church look. Yakov Blotnik, the janitor, categorizes all events into two pools: “things were either good-for-the-Jews or no-good-for-the-Jews” (1107). An old man who has memorized all his prayers and forgotten about God, he sees Ozzie’s demonstration as not so bad; however, Yakov knows that “the boy had to come down immediately, before anybody saw” (1107).
Calling the fire department did the deliberate opposite of what
Yakov and Rabbi Binder wanted. It drew more attention to the rebellious boy. This boy’s rebellion affected many people. It upset his mother, embarrassed his religious figure, confused an old! man, and caused his peers to, yet again, conform to something they know nothing about. Ozzie’s mother sees his display as martyrdom. When they hear her say “don’t be a martyr,” they start a cheer of their own. Ozzie hears them from the rooftop,
“’Be a Martin, be a Martin,’ and all the voices joined in singing for Martindom, whatever it was” (1110).

Ozzie desires answers to his questions. Without spiritual questioning, one’s religious beliefs hold no importance.
Ozzie’s faith has no backbone. He does not realize his Judaism comes from his mother and that he

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