Like many Jews, I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with Judaism. I don’t identify with Israel, I am not comfortable in Temple, I don’t know Hebrew, I find the holidays ritualistic and uncomfortable, I have never been at ease with rabbis. I became a Quaker when I was a teenager, and have, like so many Jews, drifted more towards a secular kind of Buddhist outlook than a conventional Jewish one. Still, I am Jewish, I am proud of that and it means a lot.

I was quite shocked to discover – while lying in bed with Maria browsing on an Ipad with her – that there were Jewish Pirates, I know it’s stereotypical, but I never heard of such a thing. There is even a book out about them called “Jewish Pirates Of The Caribbean,” by Edward Kritzler that describes swashbuckling Jewish Pirates, driven from Spain during the Inquisition, who roamed the Caribbean robbing the ships of the Catholic Empire, seeking money,  help for Jews seeking asylum and revenge on their tormentors, who killed and tortured hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Jews throughout Europe.

I confess to being delighted at this discovery, I don’t remember my grandmother ever talking about pirates when she urged me to be a doctor, lawyer or dentist when I was a child. I like to think I would have made a great pirate, although Maria laughs outright at the idea. Jews generally are delighted to make such discoveries, the Jewish identity is so linked to persecution and dislocation.

I mentioned this on Facebook and this triggered a hilarious outpouring of Jewish and Yiddish wisecracks. I wonder if they Jews on board argued their prey into surrender.  Apparently Christopher Columbus was Jewish – I didn’t know this – and the Jewish pirates played a key role in establishing some of the more raucous ports of the Caribbean, including Port Royal, the setting for the movie “Pirates Of The Caribbean.” I can only imagine the fun Woody Allen or Saturday Night Live might have lampooning a “Jews Of The Caribbean” movie. I’m getting the book. Next week is my birthday, August 9 and Maria and I are heading off to Vermont for a day and my new plan is to get a tattoo of the symbol above, the Star Of David with six inlaid skulls, there is room for it right above my “Maria” tattoo.

I think I will work on my swaggering.