Is saying "Jew" is racist?

Post Reply New Topic

It depends on how you use the term.

I am still not sure on whether Judaism is a race or religion. I have heard both, but I had traditionally been inclined to think that it's a religion, because people can convert to it, or convert from Judaism to another religion. One can change their religion, but they cannot change their race.

In either case, it's something that they identify with a great deal.

click if u dare! i will hurt your eyes

I used to feel the same way. I grew up in an area where there are no Jewish people at all, but I went to a college that's around 30% Jewish. An acquaintance of mine is an Orthodox Jew, and I finally asked her if she was offended by people who used the word "Jew" as a descriptor. She said that she wasn't, and even thought it was silly that I might think so.

I think that I felt it was a rude way of describing people because it's also used as a verb in a very offensive and bigoted fashion.

I still avoid using the phrase "the Jews" because I think it implies that one feels that Jews are a monolithic group. The same goes for other "the (ethnicity)" phrases, e.g. "the Mexicans". It sounds like something my grandparents might say.

Tim_Tex, Jewish is both a religious and an ethnic identifier. One can be an ethnic Jew without practicing the religion of Judaism, if that makes sense. It is a central part of identity, and that's why I think describing someone as "a Jew" rather than "a Jewish person" is okay.

I wouldn't think it's racist unless used in a dubious context. In any case,isn't being Jewish more of a religion than a race ? In the 8th Century a race called the Khazars from the Caucusus mountains converted en masse to Judaism.They moved through Russia and Europe and many people who today consider themselves Jewish will ultimately be descended from the Khazars as well as different races from around the world.
As an example of something being used in a dubious context I can use my own nationality,Scottish.It's been known in some European countries for advertising campaigns to have slogans like "Our products are so cheap that even a Scot would buy them" .This plays up to a stereotypical notion that Scots are thrifty,if not mean ! I don't find it offensive,just bemusing that people can fall for stereotypes and I imagine Jewish people sometimes feel the same.

I think saying Jew instead of Jewish has gotten to be more polite. My dad is Jewish and I grew up with many Jews. As a kid I remember we didn't say "Jew" we said "Jewish" when we were being polite. Saying Jew wasn't really a racial slur but it seemed more like slang. Nowadays that doesn't seem to be the case at all. Jew is completely acceptable as a descriptor. Maybe it's because Jerry Seinfeld popularized it.

My ex husband shocked me by saying "don't try to Jew me." I'd never heard that before. It means to bargain and plays on the stereotype of Jews being good business people and good at bargaining (my Dad is the worst at finding a bargain!). It's usually used to insinuate that the person drove too hard of a bargain and took advantage of the seller.

So, I'd say: As a noun it's fine. As a verb it's insulting.

Only if you point.