This Twitter Account Perfectly Captures Jewish Boy Problems
Scroll through the parody Twitter account JewishBoy Problems, and you’ll be met with the following hot button topics. Excessive hairiness, digestive problems, concerned mothers and JSwipe – basically a collection of the most relatable topics for Jewish men (and, let’s be real, Jewish women, alike).
The creator of the account, who remains anonymous in interviews to maintain his Twitter’s parody persona, started JewishBoy Problems back in 2010, from his college dorm room. It now has 27,900 followers.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be funny to write about something I know? And that’s being Jewish,” he said in a phone interview. “I started to go through my social media feed from people I knew from Hebrew school, high school and college and aggregated everything I was seeing.”
The term JewishBoy Problems was pulled from his own college friend group’s lexicon.
“I went to school in upstate New York where it was usually cold, wet and snowy. One night, I told my friend I really didn’t feel like going out because I knew if we went to a bar I would lose my North Face jacket there with everyone else’s,” he recalled. “And my friend was like, that’s Jew boy problems.”
The account isn’t just about the boys, though. Every week, there’s a tradition called #TextsFromMomTuesday, a call-to-action for Twitter users to submit the most ridiculous texts they get from their Jewish mothers. Unsurprisingly, food, matchmaking, inclement weather and Seder plans are at the very top of the list.
We pulled together some of the very best JewishBoy Problems. Enjoy, and don’t forget to call your mother.
We all know someone who “peaked” during sleepaway camp.
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) April 5, 2017
Taking solace in knowing my Hebrew School bully has early-onset male-pattern baldness at age 26. #JewishBoyProblems
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) April 1, 2017
Honestly “Jewish and UPENN” was all I needed to hear.
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) March 19, 2017
@JewBoyProblems my mother who doesnt even live in nyc is trying to convince me that it isnt snowing #textsfrommomtuesday pic.twitter.com/jyV5bovgIR
— Adam (@AdamXBlk) March 14, 2017
My Hebrew School crush is currently dating a man with a receding hairline. Meanwhile, I find hair in a new place each day.
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) March 9, 2017
I might be the only 20-something Jew in NYC who doesn’t see a therapist.
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) February 27, 2017
My weekly cleaning routine involves Swiffering up errant body hair.
— JewishBoy Problems (@JewBoyProblems) February 20, 2017
@JewBoyProblems #textfrommomtuesday mom’s thoughts on Adele. pic.twitter.com/1tIDbawv7U
— Andi London (@arl727) February 14, 2017
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!