Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The Word "Jew" Is an Insult in English, Says Susan Sommercamp in the Washington Post

Why does the word for a person of my religion sound like a slur? asks Susan Sommercamp in the Washington Post. 

"Polak" of course is the word for my ethnicity and it *is* a slur. 

"Jesus Christ" is the name of my teacher and savior and it is a curse word. 

Funny how these things work. 

FTA: 

My first boss right out of college was terrific — ambitious, warm and open to friendly lunches outside the office.

Then one day in December, the topic turned to her plans for Christmas.

She asked where I would be celebrating the holiday, and I said, “Oh, I don’t celebrate Christmas. I’m a Jew.” She gaped.

I wasn’t expecting her response: “Why would you say something so derogatory about yourself?”

“What?”

She whispered, “You called yourself a Jew. That’s an awful word to use. It’s like saying n—–.”

“No, it’s not. I’m just saying that I’m Jewish.”


“They’re not the same. ‘Jewish’ is fine. ‘Jew’ is not. Really, I’m surprised you just said it out loud at work.”

Read more here

1 comment:

  1. paul jones, charlotte, n.c.June 19, 2016 at 7:35 PM

    Jew, like Gay, is an insult when used as one. Go to any orthodox jewish gathering, jew is used constantly. they use it among themselves. its an insult when hater's use it with an hateful tone. i have many jewish friends who call themselves jews or a jew. different from "f*ckn jew" or "jew him down" or "zhid" in russia

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