The Jewish Swiftie Story
I’ve been a Swiftie since I learned “Teardrops on My Guitar” at my Jewish summer camp in 2007. I remember singing to Love Story & White Horse on the way to my first day of Middle School and attending the Speak Now concert with my mom & sibling. I built sets at stage crew after school listening to Red. The first CD I had in my car when I got my license was 1989, and I went to the Rep Stadium Tour with my sorority sisters. Folklore & Evermore got me through the pandemic (invisible string is my partner & my song) and Midnights quickly became the soundtrack as I worked at my desk at my first job.
I also grew up Jewish, at Dorshei Tzedek, a Reconstructionist congregation outside of Boston, MA. I graduated in December 2020 from Brandeis University, having majored in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies with minors in Sexuality & Queer Studies and History. At Brandeis, I was president of the Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization, a member group of Hillel at Brandeis, and also held several positions for my Jewish sorority, ΣAEΠ. I’ve worked for several other Jewish organizations, including Vanderbilt Hillel, Keshet, Repair the World, the Jewish Community Day School of Boston, Camp Havaya, Eden Village Camp, Kol Tzedek Torah School, BTBJ Religious school, and others.
While my Swiftiness and Jewishness were always in conversation with each other, I hadn’t thought to use it as an educational tool until I attended a workshop with a Hillel colleague, Dalilah, called Torah of Taylor Swift in December 2021. She used classic Jewish text study approach to study Taylor Swift’s lyrics – amazing!
The social media account came two years later, after having created #JewishSwiftie content of my own during that time. I created the account so that folks who want to see this content but are less interested in my broader content could find it in a more streamlined way.
Taylor Swift is NOT Jewish- There was a popular satirical Medium article which circulated in 2016 titled “Nobody talks about the fact that Taylor Swift is Jewish. Here’s why it matters.” This was a response to Nazis claiming Taylor Swift as an “Aryan Gdess” and was not based on her actual faith. Taylor Swift has said multiple times that she is Christian, and that’s been a large factor in her opposition to Republican politicians who claim to advocate for “Christian Values.”
So then... why are we talking about her Torah?
The term “Torah” refers to the 5 books of Moses in the Jewish Torah, but it can also be used to refer to other wisdom. In a more general sense, "Torah" can be used to refer to teachings, instruction, or wisdom. It carries a broader meaning beyond just the literal text and encompasses the broader body of Jewish law, tradition, and learning.
When we, as Jews, learn from Taylor Swift or through her words, we are bringing forth her Torah.
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