A Civil World. Off-topic discussions on a variety of topics. > Time For a Coffee Break!

I Have a Question For Our Jewish Readers

(1/17) > >>

Clara Bow:
As I've read along on this site I've heard the term "Askenazi" (I hope I spelled that right, please correct me if I didn't) Jews, as well as "Shepardic" Jews. What do these distinctions mean? I know about the breakdown between Orthodoxy vs Reform, etc, but these terms were new to me.
Also, and this may be a dumb question, but is it all right to call someone who is Jewish a Jew? Or is it better to say "Jewish person"? I am not talking about using the term as a slur, I'm talking about in polite conversation. For example "Katie can't eat ham because she is a Jew" or "Katie can't eat ham because she is Jewish". Which do you find more polite? My dad and I have been debating this forever. I say that "Jewish or Jewish person" is better and he says there's nothing wrong with "Jew".

aloe:
Good questions.  I am a Christian convert.  I was raised in a Jewish family that practiced Reform Judaism.  I consider myself 'ethnically Jewish' though I changed my faith.

'Ashkenazi' refers to Jews whose ancestors lived in places such as Germany, Poland, and Russia.  Some of them mixed with native Europeans.  This history is reflected in the appearance of some of them, myself included (I have pale blonde hair, blue eyes, very white skin and a short, snubbed nose)

'Sephardic' refers to Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain and Portugal.

I think 'Jewish person' is a more polite term than 'Jew,' although 'Jew' is OK.
Hard to explain exactly why, but "Mike is Jewish" sounds better than "Mike is a Jew," especially to other Jews.

So, you and your father are both right, with my opinion leaning more your way.

Clara Bow:
And Semitic Jews are from the Middle East, right?
My discomfort with saying Jew vs Jewish comes from having watched documentaries about Nazis wherein you hear them spitting the term "Jew" out as though it's something ugly to say. As a result I adopted "Jewish" or "Jewish person" as my term for those who practice Judaism. I realize that I may be being a little hypersensitive, but there you go. I'd rather look a little crazy than hateful.

aloe:
You are right.  The use of "Jude" and "Juden" by the Nazis has a lot to do with it.
The word "Jew" can and has been spit out in a pejorative way, so it's true that your sensitive use of "Jewish" is best IMO.

'Semitic' is a term that is a source of confusion to many.  Although "anti-Semitic" refers to being "anti-Jewish," the term "Semitic" is used correctly when it refers to any of the peoples from the Middle East, including Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, etc.

Clara Bow:
Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page