▁has ▁spoken ▁out ▁on ▁many ▁contemporary ▁political ▁issues . ▁In ▁particular , ▁she ▁is ▁a ▁vocal ▁critic ▁of ▁Z ion ism , ▁Isra eli ▁politics , ▁and ▁its ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁Isra eli – Pal est in ian ▁conflict , ▁emphas izing ▁that ▁Israel ▁does ▁not ▁and ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁taken ▁to ▁represent ▁all ▁Jews ▁or ▁Jewish ▁opinion . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Jud ith ▁Butler ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁Ohio , ▁to ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁Hung arian - J ew ish ▁and ▁Russian - J ew ish ▁descent . ▁Most ▁of ▁her ▁mat ernal ▁grand m other ' s ▁family ▁per ished ▁in ▁the ▁Hol oca ust . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁pract icing ▁Reform ▁Jews . ▁Her ▁mother ▁was ▁raised ▁Orth odox , ▁eventually ▁becoming ▁Conserv ative ▁and ▁then ▁Reform , ▁while ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁raised ▁Reform . ▁As ▁a ▁child ▁and ▁te en ager , ▁she ▁attended ▁both ▁Heb rew ▁school ▁and ▁special ▁classes ▁on ▁Jewish ▁eth ics , ▁where ▁she ▁received ▁her ▁" first ▁training ▁in ▁philosophy ". ▁Butler ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁interview ▁with ▁Ha aret z ▁that ▁she ▁began ▁the ▁eth ics ▁classes ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁created ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁pun ishment ▁by ▁her ▁Heb rew ▁school ' s ▁Rab bi ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁" to o ▁talk ative ▁in ▁class ". ▁ ▁Butler ▁also ▁stated ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁" th