Jew/Jewish

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 7/3/02 2:33:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
lynnem at COGS.SUSX.AC.UK writes:

>  I'm also interested
>  to know any non-derogatory and self-referential synonyms for 'Jew(ish)'
>  that are currently used.

My father told me that in World War II his "dog-tags" (a form of ID used for
US soldiers) had an "H" for "Hebrew" rather than "J" for "Jewish".

"Hebrew" is still sometimes used to mean Jewish, although not as much now as
in the 19th century.  Note the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (the
lay group to which Reform Jewish congregations in the USA belong), which was
founded around 1875 (I don't have the exact date handy).

I seem to recall that Lederer, in his book "Ensign O'Toole and Me" (early
50's?) referred to O'Toole's "half-Hebrew heart" (O'Toole's mother was
Jewish).  Offhand I can't think of any more recent examples.

This use of "Hebrew" was long ago common in the Reform movement, which in its
earlier days had a good deal of assimilationism.

However, I believe there is a Christian sect called the "Hebrews", which
could confuse things.

Concensus is that the first appearance of Reform Judaism in the US was around
1824 with the "Reformed Society of Israelites" in South Carolina.  As far as
I know, there are no Christians who call themselves "Israelites".

Solomon Schechter, who headed the Jewish Theological Seminary at the
beginning of the 20th Century, liked to refer to "Catholic Israel", which I
think is a misleading translation of a Hebrew phrase meaning "the community
of Israel".

The Making of America database has:

Confirmant's guide to the Mosaic religion. By E. Eppstein.
iv, 55, [1] p. 22cm.
Detroit, Mich.,
F. A. Schober & bro.,
1868.

which manages to be a Jewish catechism without once using the word "Jewish".

You could use "Semite" although that term includes Arabs.  Similarly you
could use "circumcized" although Moslem men are also circumcized.  There is a
major Jewish organization in the US called "B'nai B'rith".  That name can be
translated as "Sons of the Circumcision."

A slang term, little known to Gentiles: "MOT" (acronym for "Member Of the
Tribe")

If you want to be obscure: "Jeshurun".

The phrase "half-Jewish" is rather strange.  How can someone be half a member
of a religion?  Therefore it must be a term for someone of mixed-race,
comparable to "mulatto" or "mestizo".

It bothered me in 1964 that Barry Goldwater was frequently described as
"half-Jewish" yet never as "half-Episcopalian".

I once heard a Hebrew-language prayer for peace in the Mideast that referred
to "the children of Isaac" and "the children of Ishmael".

              - James A. Landau   (Yehoshuah Eliyachu ben Yosef)

P.S.  Warning:  "Messianic Jews" are NOT Jewish.  They are a particularly
obnoxious bunch of Christian missionaries.