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Jewish World Review June 9, 1999 / 25 Sivan, 5759
ON A RECENT WEEKDAY AFTERNOON, I ran out to get a haircut and on the
way back, tempted by a Chicago-style tease of good weather, I stopped in
front of the Daley Center. I found a bench near the fountain and allotted
myself a few minutes to sit in the warm sun before venturing back to the
office.
Next to me was a young couple, newly married it seemed, as the
woman was enthusiastically trying to take a picture of her wedding finger
next to her husband's. She was having difficulty maneuvering the camera so
that she could capture both her hand and her spouse's, all with the fountain
in the background. Her husband was sighing, in an affectionate
"this-must-be-a-woman-thing" type of way.
I knew that my religion had been turned into a verb, a derisive one
at that, but had never before heard someone use it. The dictionary, while
cautioning that usage of this verb is offensive, lists the definition as "to
cheat, to swindle." To be jewed, then, is to be cheated, and this woman felt
cheated by her employer.
We spoke for a few more minutes, during which time I ached to tell
her I was Jewish, for no good reason, really, because it's doubtful she would
link that to her parlance. As luck would have it, she began to tell me about
her church, and she invited me to come worship with her. Here's my chance, I thought:
"That's OK, everyone can come to our church," she responded.
I thanked her and went on my way. The odd thing is that her
invitation to church didn't bother me all that much. Much more disturbing
was her choice of verbs, and I was surprisingly happy that I had worked my
religion into the conversation. Surely, enough positive experiences with
Jews would sensitize her, or anyone for that matter. It is much harder for
someone who has positive feelings about Jews to say they've been jewed
when they feel swindled.
What struck me about this encounter was that the stereotype has
become so engrained in society that we don't even realize we're using it.
This woman from Kansas City, I'm willing to wager, has no negative
feelings towards Jews, but the connotation of the verb "to be jewed"
happened to accurately express her feelings.The real issue here is not
one of public relations, where Jews should act morally and honestly in order
to ameliorate our public perception.
So perhaps it's not a crazy
thought that the next time my friend from Kansas City feels cheated by
someone, she'll think about the Jewish woman who took her picture at the
Daley Center and will refrain from using an offensive
Ambassadors for Judaism
By Brigitte Dayan
As it clearly is a "woman's thing," I volunteered to take the picture,
after which we launched into friendly chit-chat. In the course of the
conversation, she told me that she had moved from Kansas City and had
been forced to change jobs. Although she had worked in an administrative
capacity before, she now found herself working for the government in a
blue-collar job, a step down both professionally and for her morale. Her new
job, she complained, didn't offer nearly as many benefits as her previous
one. "I've never been so jewed in my life," she said, laughing.
"Oh, I'm Jewish," I told her. "I go to a synagogue."
The biggest casualty of such parlance is Judaism itself. There is a
dissonance between the mentality implied by the stereotype and the
beautiful, vibrant way of life that comprises Judaism. To live the reality of
Judaism, in its myriad of expressions, is not only the best way to counter
such stereotypes --- it is the most authentic.
JWR contributor Brigitte Dayan is managing editor of the
JUF News, a monthly published by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Contact the author or the magazine by either clicking here, or calling (312) 444-2853.
