Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
. You mean to say that people use the words "Jew" and "Jewish" as derogatory slurs, because being a Jew is bad? I...Don't...understand... Does....Not...Compute.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
It's almost like there's a culture of anti-semitism prevalent in the world. Hmm.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
when someone says your being Jewish it means you're being insanely tight with your money. I cant say when exactly but it probably came about during the depression/WWII, this is because of the fact that the catholic church and many other religious organizations said you cant use money to make money (banks and such). so when the depression hit the banks wouldn't loan money out, and most bankers were jewish. so people got angry and would say stuff like "those jews wouldn't give me my money" and stuff like that.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
when someone says your being Jewish it means you're being insanely tight with your money. I cant say when exactly but it probably came about during the depression/WWII, this is because of the fact that the catholic church and many other religious organizations said you cant use money to make money (banks and such). so when the depression hit the banks wouldn't loan money out, and most bankers were jewish. so people got angry and would say stuff like "those jews wouldn't give me my money" and stuff like that.
Well, the notion of Jewish banking / Jews and money is older than that. Tl;dr version afaik is it was a sin in Christian Europe to charge usury/interest, and I think it was also not allowed for Jews to charge it to other Jews, but as they were the minority this allowed Jewish banks to prosper.
I observed people using "Jew" and "Jewish" as a slur in high school, and I was appalled. It's sickening. The Holocaust wasn't even that long ago (in terms of human history- there are living people who were there, after all).
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
It was more of people trying to look funny by pretending to be racist (it came from South Park, so you know that's what is is) and then some kids think they're cool for taking the joke further etc. etc. it's not a huge deal really and it's pretty much dying out, or at least it should when you finish 7th grade and realize that you were a huge douchebag and that you should stop.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
I have never every encountered this. I didn't even know this was a thing until you said it. o_o
Anyways... Anti-semitism is very old. There is stuff from the middle ages accusing jews of poisoning wells and such. It might come from christianity, where some people might have gotten the odd idea that since it was jewish people who crucified jesus, all jews are bad or something (despite jesus and all the disciples being jewish themselves. Yeah, I do not get it either.).
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
when someone says your being Jewish it means you're being insanely tight with your money. I cant say when exactly but it probably came about during the depression/WWII, this is because of the fact that the catholic church and many other religious organizations said you cant use money to make money (banks and such). so when the depression hit the banks wouldn't loan money out, and most bankers were jewish. so people got angry and would say stuff like "those jews wouldn't give me my money" and stuff like that.
Well, the notion of Jewish banking / Jews and money is older than that. Tl;dr version afaik is it was a sin in Christian Europe to charge usury/interest, and I think it was also not allowed for Jews to charge it to other Jews, but as they were the minority this allowed Jewish banks to prosper.
That is part of the story, but by no means all of it.
The Jewish community was incredibly well educated compared to their christian counterparts in Europe during the dark ages. Among the latter, pretty much only the priesthood were literate, and even those usually learned only enough Latin to read one particular book. As a result, Jewish merchants ended up building a reputation as extremely fair and reliable businessmen, both in terms of banking and otherwise.
The Antisemitism came later. The Catholic church was building up political and economic influence. Before long, their only serious economic rivals were the Jewish families that most of Europe preferred to do business with. In a move that they would repeat several times following this incident, they began a propaganda campaign that ended in quite a few deaths, accusations of usury were involved, but only a part of the matter. After their rivals were driven away and/or put out of business, the church set up their own banks.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
when someone says your being Jewish it means you're being insanely tight with your money. I cant say when exactly but it probably came about during the depression/WWII, this is because of the fact that the catholic church and many other religious organizations said you cant use money to make money (banks and such). so when the depression hit the banks wouldn't loan money out, and most bankers were jewish. so people got angry and would say stuff like "those jews wouldn't give me my money" and stuff like that.
They use it though in topics that do not even relate to money. Trust me it must mean something else besides that.
Professor James: Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?
. You mean to say that people use the words "Jew" and "Jewish" as derogatory slurs, because being a Jew is bad? I...Don't...understand... Does....Not...Compute.
Yeah I think it is use it in a somewhat derogatory fashion.
when someone says your being Jewish it means you're being insanely tight with your money. I cant say when exactly but it probably came about during the depression/WWII, this is because of the fact that the catholic church and many other religious organizations said you cant use money to make money (banks and such). so when the depression hit the banks wouldn't loan money out, and most bankers were jewish. so people got angry and would say stuff like "those jews wouldn't give me my money" and stuff like that.
Well, the notion of Jewish banking / Jews and money is older than that. Tl;dr version afaik is it was a sin in Christian Europe to charge usury/interest, and I think it was also not allowed for Jews to charge it to other Jews, but as they were the minority this allowed Jewish banks to prosper.
That is part of the story, but by no means all of it.
The Jewish community was incredibly well educated compared to their christian counterparts in Europe during the dark ages. Among the latter, pretty much only the priesthood were literate, and even those usually learned only enough Latin to read one particular book. As a result, Jewish merchants ended up building a reputation as extremely fair and reliable businessmen, both in terms of banking and otherwise.
The Antisemitism came later. The Catholic church was building up political and economic influence. Before long, their only serious economic rivals were the Jewish families that most of Europe preferred to do business with. In a move that they would repeat several times following this incident, they began a propaganda campaign that ended in quite a few deaths, accusations of usury were involved, but only a part of the matter. After their rivals were driven away and/or put out of business, the church set up their own banks.
. Also knowing family members that live in other trading ports you can deal with is a great advantage. Paris, Venice, Genoa... Your last bit threw me off. Can you refer to the years and give an example to your claims, please?
"Jewish" as something of a swearword was being bandied around in schools long before South Park (I'm showing my age here).
I'm pretty sure it's just ignorant adolescent faux-edginess. Around the age range you mentioned (10-16) kids realise that "Jew" is not just the name for yet another type of religious person, but it's a loaded term with history and politics behind it. Jews died in the Holocaust (which, as Christopher Hitchens pointed out, is portrayed in Western history books as The Worst Thing Ever), which gives the word "Jew" huge gravitas as a result. And kids love throwing around Big and Important words, especially in an ironic or irreverant fashion.
I hear that sometimes, but only from my friends who are actually Jewish. So I don't hear it being used as a derogatory term with hostile intent, just jokingly.
anti-semitism is almost as old as Judaism. It's just ingrained in some people at this point. Usually by parents who don't realize they're communicating that prejudice.
It's just like how people call things gay to mean a negative. I am Jewish and never experience the "Jew" term until South Park got popular, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Mainly cause it is my friends who say it and it is not meant as a insult.
More or less any minority group will get used as an insult by those not in it. "Jew" is just more popular for this than most, it has some nice relevant cultural stereotypes to go with it, especially in regards to money.
TheIronRuler: You mean to say that people use the words "Jew" and "Jewish" as derogatory slurs, because being a Jew is bad? I...Don't...understand... Does....Not...Compute.
Depends on the demographic, but here in the Netherlands 'Jew' or 'cancer Jew' seem the most used swear words for Moroccan youths.
Then again, Moroccans are about the most problematic group immigrants around here, and the majority of their kids grow up to fail.
With the added distinction that those are mostly Berbers from the mountains, and that in Morocco itself, they looked down upon like backwardly rednecks.
Girl I worked with used the term as a slur and hurt my feelings badly (I am of a Jewish background). I messed up and ended up marrying her, g-d help me.
EDIT: On the plus side, she makes more money than me and shares, and her OCD makes her a great house clearner :-)
Gorfias: Girl I worked with used the term as a slur and hurt my feelings badly (I am of a Jewish background). I messed up and ended up marrying her, g-d help me.
EDIT: On the plus side, she makes more money than me and shares, and her OCD makes her a great house clearner :-)
I used to live in a rural area in a couple different provinces. Saying someone was a Jew or "jewed you" for being cheap/dishonest was rather common. It never sat well with me but I kept my mouth shut because everyone said it. In both of those areas there wasn't a Jew to be seen so it was all just old racist crap no one had stood up to challenge.
My mother said it about someone in my presence not long after I converted. I ripped her head off and pointed out she just called me dishonest. I pointed out Jewish law has more rules about being honest than rules about how you relate to god. I think I traumatized her but it was a last straw thing lol. People say racist crap without thinking, they just repeat it. They don't really think enough to know what they are saying much of the time.
Gorfias: Girl I worked with used the term as a slur and hurt my feelings badly (I am of a Jewish background). I messed up and ended up marrying her, g-d help me.
EDIT: On the plus side, she makes more money than me and shares, and her OCD makes her a great house clearner :-)
It's just misplaced pretensions of teenage edginess. The same reason you hear kids say things like, "Oh, I got killed on my trig final," or "That is so gay," or "Our team got positively raped in Battlefield 3 last night."
Gorfias: Girl I worked with used the term as a slur and hurt my feelings badly (I am of a Jewish background). I messed up and ended up marrying her, g-d help me.
EDIT: On the plus side, she makes more money than me and shares, and her OCD makes her a great house clearner :-)
huh, what exactly did she say?
She verbed Jew with "jewed" to describe a successful hard financial negotiation. To her, it was a harmless term often used in her social circles that did not include any Jews. When she realized that, whatever her intent, her term was ignorant and hurtful to me, she appologized profusly and in 27 years, has not done it again.
I used to live in a rural area in a couple different provinces. Saying someone was a Jew or "jewed you" for being cheap/dishonest was rather common. ... My mother said it about someone in my presence not long after I converted. I ripped her head off and pointed out she just called me dishonest. I pointed out Jewish law has more rules about being honest than rules about how you relate to god. I think I traumatized her but it was a last straw thing lol. People say racist crap without thinking, they just repeat it. They don't really think enough to know what they are saying much of the time.
Exactly! Meeting the wife's extended family was a trip. The first thing I can think of my future father in law saying to me, before he said anything else was, "Why the f' do we (the USA) have to support Israel!?!?! Nice to meet him too! Then we went out to Ohio for a family wedding, where I was warmly met and well treated like a very nice, welcome, space alien. It was more amusing than hurtful and something of an enlightening experience for all. (Did you know that some kids really do grow up and start their own farms? I thought food just appeared in grocery stores!)
Judaism seems to be a popular topic among humans of the ages between 10-16. What I mean is that for some reason, people of this demographic use jew almost like the same way people use gay. My question is why? Where did this come from? Was it south park? I hear people accusing others of being a Jew or Jewish. What exactly does it mean? When did it start? What is it that someone does besides judaism related things that makes them jewish?