Todd lives in New Jersey.

Tattoo Jew

By Andy Abrams

When I was a child the only people I knew with tattoos were Jewish Holocaust survivors. The faded numbers inked on their arms, their immigrant accents, the Yiddish language they spoke together—this left a mark on my identity as indelible as any tattoo. Those numbers were a reminder of a tragedy so painful that many Jewish elders refused to talk about it. Those number tattoos were a symbol of hate, but they were also a testament to survival. “We have always been outsiders and we have often been persecuted, but we have always endured,” said Amber Roniger, “We have to remember that the Holocaust is still a scar on the psyche of Jews all over the world. That’s why my tattoos sometimes get such a negative reaction from other Jewish people.” This powerful dynamic is a central part of my interest in the topic of Jewish people with tattoos. I wanted to understand why there is a growing trend of young Jews getting inked with Jewish tattoos, especially in the context of so many reasons against it. With my best friend, photographer Justin Dawson, we created the idea for the film and book we have spent the last two years researching, writing, filming, and photographing: Tattoo Jew.

Tattoo Jew

To understand why it is so profound for a Jewish person to have tattoos, especially tattoos with Jewish themes, one must first ask what it means to be Jewish. Being Jewish is many things to many people. There are Jews of all ethnic backgrounds, from all parts of the world. There are Jews who are religious and those who are not. If you ask Jewish people what it means to be Jewish you rarely get the same response. It’s like that joke; put two Jews in the same room and you will get three opinions. According to Dylan Weiswasser, who is tattooed with a Star of David on his elbow and has angel wings inked across his back, “Being Jewish is a one-on-one connection between myself and god. To be Jewish is a way of life. It’s a heritage.” Being Jewish is simultaneously a religion and a culture. The only way to understand the complexities of Jews with tattoos is to look at both of these at the same time.

Dylan from Los Angeles

Whether religious or cultural in origin the traditional Jewish belief is simple: Jewish people are not allowed to have tattoos. It is forbidden. It is religiously prohibited in the Torah (Old Testament), where it states in Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not mark your flesh for the dead, I am the Lord.” In Deuteronomy 14:1 it is written “You shall not cut yourselves,” which many rabbis have interpreted to include tattoo needles. There are also numerous religious commentaries that discuss the prohibition against tattoos and piercings. These all agree on the concept that tattoos are bad because humans are created in the image of god. In the Jewish worldview the body is sacred and to alter it with tattoos is unacceptable.

As if the religious prohibition itself were not enough to keep young Jews from getting inked there is a very popular myth that is familiar to most people. It is said that a Jewish person with a tattoo cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery. In fact, this is not true at all, as any person familiar with Jewish law can tell you. Twin siblings Ari and Jesse Bacharach are both tattooed with Jewish themes and both of them are Jewish educators. Jesse pointed out, “Traditional Judaism outlaws tattoos, but the idea of not being buried in a cemetery is a myth.” However, it has been repeated so much that many people believe it to be a fact that they won’t be welcome in a Jewish cemetery with their ink. In response to peoples’ concern over the issue of burial Ari made the point, “I don’t worry about being buried in a Jewish cemetery. I’m more worried about being a good person while I’m alive.”

Tattoo Jew

There is a very profound resistance to tattoos in traditional Judaism, and it adds even more dramatic tension to the decision of a young Jewish person to get tattooed. For a Jewish person to get a Jewish tattoo it is an act that is rooted in conflict. There is the disapproval of family and community, there are the religious prohibitions, and there is the powerful deterrent of the Holocaust as a cultural memory.

Everyone has seen old black and white photographs of pale and emaciated survivors at the concentration camps. The image of numbers tattooed on the arms of Jews is imprinted in the minds of Jews everywhere. The Holocaust conjures familiar images of pain and suffering. People know the stories of death camps and the have seen photographs of trains taking Jews to their slaughter. Not more than sixty years ago the Nazis killed six million Jews. The survivors have told the tales of brutality, cruelty and mass murder. At Auschwitz they stood in the mud, naked under gray skies. Tattoo needles buzzed as they were robbed of their individuality, marked with numbers like they were cattle being branded. They were tattooed with those numbers to make it more efficient for the Nazis to exterminate Jews.

dedicated to covering her entire body with Holocaust themed ink

Because Jews were forcibly marked with numbers the idea of Jewish tattoos often causes controversy in the Jewish community. For many people it is a reminder of a past that is too painful. Many parents of tattooed Jews fear for the safety of their children, feeling that they are at risk by having tattoos that call attention to their Jewish identity. “Jews were forced to wear yellow stars on their clothes or they were inked with numbers and this is something we can never forget.” Said Amber Roniger. Interestingly, all of the people I have interviewed who have tattoos with Jewish themes get those tattoos for similar reasons; each of them wants to wear their Jewishness proudly on their skin. It is a way for them to mark themselves as Jews in an act of pride. According to Orian Livnat, a tattooed Israeli Jew who has lived in the United States for most of his life, “You have to stand up for yourself. This is a way for me to show the world I am not afraid. I’m proud to be Jewish.”

In one dramatic case a woman named Marina Vainshtein has dedicated her entire body to be tattooed with images of the Holocaust. “They were humiliated, treated like animals, and then they were killed—six million Jews dead,” Marina said. She has made it her mission in life to make sure that the world never forgets the atrocity of the Holocaust, a topic about which she feels passionate. “They removed all humanity from them. Jews became a number instead of being a person,” she said. “They degraded them with tattoos, and dehumanized them as individuals.” What she wears on her skin is a memorial to all of the lives that were lost under the fascist regime of the Third Reich. “For me it is a way to reclaim something,” Marina told me, “It is a political act and it is a bold statement to have these tattoos. I want people to remember what happened there. It’s something so important to me that I’ve made my skin a canvas dedicated to remembering the Holocaust.”

Marina from Los Angeles

Marina’s tattoos are not for the faint of heart. Her ink is all done in black and gray and includes an elaborate back piece that features a skeletal angel sitting on a coffin weeping, a train driving to Auschwitz, the open doors to an oven like the ones the Nazis used to burn Jews, a field of gravestones, and a scene of a death camp being liberated. Marina has words in Hebrew across her shoulders that translate in English as “The Earth Hide Not My Blood,” taken from a book of art by Holocaust survivors. On her lower back is a Star of David in flames under which are the words in Hebrew, “Lo Tishkoach,” meaning “Never Forget.” She has a number surrounded by flames tattooed on her forearm. On her stomach there is a synagogue on fire, and an image of a lamp made from human skin. Across Marina’s chest, in English, are the words “Never Again” in stylized script.

The notion that the world should never forget the Holocaust is one of the major themes in Jewish tattoos. In addition, there are other symbols and ideas that are common. Some of the Jewish tattoos I have found include the Star of David, words written in Hebrew or Yiddish script, the Menorah (the candles lit for the Chanukah holiday), the Hamsah (a drawing of a hand with an eye in the center of the palm, commonly used to ward off evil), and the Ten Commandments. In one case there has been a tattoo that shows a sense of humor about the whole taboo: an image of a pig with the word “Kosher” written above it. For anyone not familiar with Jewish dietary laws, this tattoo is ironic and funny because pigs are never kosher.

Orian Heart

To get a Jewish tattoo may not seem like a big deal to most people who are inked. After all, other religious and ethnic groups have commonly used tattoos as a way to express their identity and pride. We all know the popularity in the tattoo world of traditional religious icons like Jesus on the cross or the Virgin of Guadalupe. Using Jewish symbols as tattoos is still in its infancy but there is a growing language of tattoo images that are meaningful to Jewish people getting inked. As this trend continues to grow I predict that there will be some really interesting images and ideas that combine a sense of Jewish identity with some of the more traditional iconography of tattooing.

In fact, there are a few people who are starting to blend traditional tattoo images with concepts from their Jewish identity. All of Orian Livnat’s tattoos use familiar tattoo images and at the same time they relate to his Jewishness. All of the words in his tattoos are done in Hebrew. “On my left arm there is a background of Japanese-style clouds and cherry blossoms interwoven with the image of the world on fire in blue flames, and “Chai” (the Hebrew word “Life”) is written in the center of the world,” Orian told me. On his right arm there is a rose with six drops of blood. “One drop of blood for every million Jews killed in the Holocaust,” he said. Under the rose is a gravestone with a Star of David sitting above a flaming skull and crossbones and the Hebrew word “Zachor” which means “Remember.” Next to the tombstone is a dove designed in the traditional style of a tattooed bluebird; it is stabbed through with a long dagger and a banner next to it reads “Tragedy.” On his elaborate chest piece, with cherubic angels and the words “Ima” and “Aba” (“Mother” and “Father”) written on a banner in Hebrew, there is a Star of David designed like the nautical-style five pointed stars many people have. Orian has found a creative way to join the worlds of traditional Judaism and tattoo culture seamlessly.

Shechina: Amber from new york

Even a symbol as simple as the Star of David can have complex and subtle meaning as a tattoo. For example, one young woman with a blue and yellow Star of David permanently etched on her skin is named Efty. She was born in Israel and is the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors. She strongly identifies as a Jew and is proud of her Israeli heritage. The colors in Efty’s tattoo were no accident. The yellow is a poignant homage to the strength of her grandparents who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and refers directly to the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear as identification. The blue is symbolic of the color in the Israeli flag and represents the freedom her family won and has worked hard to preserve. Efty’s tattoo metaphorically expresses her complex relationship with her family and her Jewishness. “Nobody forced me to get my tattoos,” Efty told me. “My grandparents taught me to appreciate the freedom I have, and that’s what my tattoos mean to me.” Efty’s tattoos demonstrate a response to a long history of persecution; instead of fear she has chosen pride.

While Jewish pride is admirable it can still be dangerous. Anti-Semitism is growing all around the world today. The hatred of Jews is not just a thing of the past, it is happening all around the world today. Mark Pitcavage works for the Anti-Defamation League, a watchdog organization dedicated to confronting bigotry against Jews. He spoke with me about the growing number of anti-Semitic incidents worldwide. He pointed out that there is a growing “insipient ideological anti-Semitism on the rise all around the globe. There are incidents every week such as the bombing of synagogues, physical attacks on Jews, and hate speech.” Pitcavage is encouraged by the growing trend of tattooed Jews because, as he suggested, “When you have a tattoo you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. It has a visceral impact to physically alter your body to reflect an attitude that shows you are proud of your heritage.” At the same time, as someone whose work fights prejudice Pitcavage warned that “having a tattoo automatically opens you up to comment and reaction, and sometimes that can be dangerous in the face of anti-Semitism.”

Some tattooed Jews confront the danger of anti-Semitism head-on with their tattoos and their actions. Alan Teboul, for example, was very involved with the anti-racist skinhead movement when he was younger. His tattoos include a shield with a Star of David and two crossed battle-axes behind it. “My tattoo says to the world that I am proud to be Jewish. It signifies I am not going to take any shit for being Jewish and that I will fight to protect our people,” said Alan. His other tattoos include a crossed out Swastika with the words “No Racism” written above it, and an eagle with an American flag that includes the words “Don’t Tread On Me.” Alan considers himself very patriotic. “I am proud to be an American, and I believe in the idea of freedom for all people,” he says. He cherishes living in a country that respects his rights and is willing to fight to protect his freedom. “Six million of us were exterminated in modern times. We can’t ever forget that,” said Alan. He added, “We always have to remember to fight the spread of hate. We are all God’s people and nobody is better than anybody else.”

Another person who has been on the frontlines of fighting hatred and bigotry is Todd Barman. Todd grew up in a religious family and went to Yeshiva (religious day school). Todd has two Jewish tattoos. One is the word “Emes,” which means “Truth,” written in Hebrew on his right forearm. Another tattoo shows the words “Dam V’Kavod,” which translates as “Blood and Honor,” written in Hebrew under a black spade and laurels. “Blood and Honor,” explained Todd, “was the maxim of the Nazi SS in the second World War. I wanted to turn that phrase on its head, to make it my own and give it a different meaning.” He got the tattoo with a homemade tattoo gun one night after a fight with a racist at a street fair who picked a fight with him because he is Jewish. “He called me a dirty Jew and I decked him,” said Todd. After that he became more involved in the anti-racist movement because, as he said, “I wanted to use my anger as a progressive force.”

Being Jewish is more than remembering the Holocaust or fighting anti-Semitism. It is a set of beliefs and traditions; it is a shared history and culture. Jewishness is a dynamic and active part of a person’s identity. Young Jews today are seeking new ways to connect with their roots; they are looking for a sense of belonging. “I want to connect to something larger than myself, I want to feel like I belong to a community of Jewish people like myself,” said Orian Livnat. My interview subjects all said similar things about the role their tattoos play in their lives to reinforce their connection with Judaism. Amber Roniger has the word “Shechinah” tattooed on her lower back in Hebrew; it literally translates from Hebrew as “God’s divine presence in the physical world,” and is considered by many people to be a word that stands for the feminine form of the divine. As Amber pointed out, “I got the tattoo to remind me of my relationship with god.” While this is not a traditional approach it reflects an adaptation of Jewish spirituality to be modern and more relevant to today’s society.

“There is a very long list of what you should do and what you shouldn’t do. There’s a law for everything when you’re Jewish,” said Dylan Weiswasser. Dylan and his brother Dallas grew up in a religious home. While they understand from experience that there are laws in Judaism for everything from what you eat to how you pray they have integrated their tattoos into their lives as Jews. “I believe in god,” Dallas said, “And I think my tattoos are compatible with my faith. Times are changing and I’m just trying to stay connected with my roots.” Even though tattoos are forbidden under religious law there are many Jewish people who are beginning to make connections between their ink and their spirituality. In some ways it appears that Jewish people are choosing Jewish tattoos as a new form of ritual identification; a new way to embrace and cement their identity and spirituality. While it may not be popular among religious traditionalists, what interview subjects say is that the act of getting their Jewish tattoos are as important to them as any Jewish rituals in their lives. I am not suggesting that tattoos will replace the Bris (the ritual of circumcision) Bar Mitzvah (the rite of passage for when a boy becomes a man at age thirteen), but we will continue to see an evolution of Jewish culture and a growing acceptance of tattoos in the Jewish community. According to Dylan, “My tattoos do not keep me from connecting with god. I pray every day because, if I don’t I feel vexed inside. I say a prayer for protection and I ask the Lord to be my strength and shield as he was with King David. My ink is my covenant with myself and and I think god would approve. Plus, the Star of David on my elbow always reminds me that the world is judging me for being Jewish.”

Tattoos demonstrate an identity that is permanently etched in ink. The interview subjects in Tattoo Jew are finding new ways of expressing their Jewish pride. They are using their tattoos to reinforce their Judaism and are deeply connected to their Jewish roots. While they may see themselves as outsiders in parts of the Jewish community their tattoos express a desire for belonging. It is a statement for a Jewish person to get inked with words and symbols that express their Jewish heritage. This is a profound metaphorical act with deep resonance. These tattoos are dramatic, often purposefully so. They carry the heavy weight of Jewish culture, history, and religion in ways that even tattooed Jews themselves find surprising. This new and growing expression of Jewishness is an act of defiance and pride.

Tattoo Jew is a project that explores a new Jewish identity, written or drawn directly on the body. Looking at seemingly extreme behavior on the margins of Jewish culture can tell us a great deal about being Jewish and about cultural identity in general. This is a study of the complexities of the individual in relation to religious law, the struggle against assimilation, and the desire to maintain a strong Jewish self. Tattoo Jew is a uniquely interesting look at the ways we define who we are and how we choose to express our identity to the world.

For details on the upcoming release dates of the Tattoo Jew film and book check out www.tattoojewmovie.com. For information or questions please send e-mail to andy@tattoojewmovie.com.

TattooJew The movie – Click here for funny video clips