Geniza for a gentile

[frightened]

I've been reading Matthew Battles' Library: An Unquiet History (yes, I am that nerdy) and it makes me think of the possibilities of the word "geniza" as a tattoo, since he devotes quite a few pages to the one in Cairo. A geniza is the place in a synagogue where books would be stored when they had outlived their usefulness. Eventually they'd be

Comments

[danneeness]

Love the idea, and love even more that you're going to properly research it beforehand to make sure you know all/most of the connotations.

[peregrin8]

What is "305.4 cf 306.7"?

[peregrin8]

(Also I agree with danneeness's comment entirely)

[frightened]

Something I need to research more fully before I do it, to make sure I've got the right numbers ;)

The idea is to have the Dewey Decimal Classification number for feminism cross-referenced with the DDC number for either lesbianism or sexuality in general (not fully decided yet).

Like I say, I'm well nerdy.

[peregrin8]

THAT is awesome.

Do you know heathergalaxy? She is an awesome lesbian feminist librarian (with a library-themed tattoo of her own) and might be happy to help you out!

[dulcinea12]

My question would be, what about the concept of a geniza is more appealing than, say, an archives? (Sorry, archivist/special collections librarian over here) it sounds like what you're describing is much like that, which can exist without particular cultural or religious connotations that you could fear appropriating.

I guess I also think the idea of that particular word as a tattoo sounds a little odd, since it's more of a thing than a memorable or important concept; I wouldn't get "archives" or "rare books library" tattooed on myself. Instead I am considering using important related concepts (ex. respect pour l’ordre primitif) to fill out my sleeve. But that is, of course, your body/your choice, just something that sprang to mind when I saw this post.

[frightened]

I think it's specifically the idea of a book graveyard, and of needing to get rid of books but not wanting to throw them away.

Because I read huge numbers of books, and hoard them (I have quite a few I don't like but can't bring myself to get rid of), and I have a sometimes-scarily-good memory, I'm kind of playing with the idea of my brain as a morgue for dead books (wow, that's... kinda morbid).

And then as someone who's studied history and done research projects, I like the thing Battles talks about, where the Cairo Geniza has become this really important historical source, and where what people throw out tells you as much as what they keep on display, and sometimes is less degraded by use or decimated by change in official opinion.

[dulcinea12]

I see what you're getting at but it seems significantly similar to me, probably because I am intensely familiar with archives as sort of a memory graveyard--I've generally worked in repositories where the collection policy is "everything we have"! We don't throw things away pretty much for the reasons you're describing.

I think, though, a lot of people think of it as you appear to--selective/sanitized institutional memory. But I believe that's generally not the most accurate depiction, considering how smarmy we are about our ability to be objective. :P

[kita0610]

I can't speak for all Jews everywhere, since you know, I'm only one, but it sounds like you're going about this in a completely informed and respectful way. So you know. Rock on. :)

[jinxremoving]

In keeping with the cultural appropriation concern, my own personal rule is "don't get tattooed in languages you can't read". And the exception to my own rule is my Hebrew tattoo, which has deeply significant personal meaning.

And then you've got the thing where it could look disrespectful given one interpretation says Jews shouldn't have tattoos at all (though other people interpret that verse to mean just tattoos in honour of the dead).

I didn't know about that second part. My Hebrew tattoo is in honour of the dead. I'm glad to learn about this alternate viewpoint. Thank you.

[frightened]

The verse goes something like "do not cut your flesh in honour of the dead, or make marks on yourselves: I am the Lord." A quick and shallow Google finds various interpretations, though even the conservative ones who say tattoos are definitely forbidden don't think they should prevent burial in a Jewish cemetery.

And then of course there's the Holocaust, which makes associating Judaism with tattooing kinda distasteful.

And yeah, that's a good rule. My friend Carmen used to amuse herself translating the 'meaningful' Chinese characters on t-shirts and suchlike. You really don't want a native speaker coming up to you and asking why you've got "dead rat" written on your bicep. I've definitely decided that, if I do get it, I'm not going to use the Hebrew script.