That thing, yes. Well, actually it was on a critique of that thing, but as I explained on the paper, you can’t criticise a critique without speaking of the thing being criticised in the critique… man, my 12th-grade language teacher would’a loved giving us that sentence to parse!
The word “Jew” never struck me as off until I heard it used to describe an area. In Chicago, there is Greektown and Chinatown and no one ever thinks twice about the phraseology. One night a co-worker of mine said she was going to Jewtown after work. I’m sure she didn’t mean it in a negative way (she is in no way an anti-Semite) but it really made me cringe (I didn’t even know there was such an area in Chicago). Now I refer to people as Jewish rather than a Jew when the need arises because it struck me as so wrong.
Reminds me of a punk I knew once who was in a fraternity at university. I once asked him, “What frat are you in?”
He responded indignantly, “It’s not a frat, it’s a fraternity! Would you call your *country *a cunt?” :rolleyes:
As for the OP, I figure it’s alright to say ‘Jew’… so long as you are using it as a verb.
HOLY SHIT!!! I KID! I KID!!! :eek::eek::eek:
On edit: Oh… I see I’ve already been beaten to the punchbowl by Skald in post #29.
I ran this one past a good friend of mine who is Jewish, and that’s exactly how he and his family use the terms. Granted a sample of one is certainly not conclusive, but in his usage, “Jewish,” means a person born into Judaism through Inheritance, and, “A Jew,” means one who follows the practices of the faith.
This is a AP headline today “Blacks urge more efforts to improve census count.”
Yikes. Couldn’t they have said “Black Voters” instead? I wouldn’t have written “Jews,” either. OTOH, I find the use of “urge” to be a bit grating, too, so there’s lots to dislike.
I don’t see a problem with the use of either “blacks” or “Jews” as nouns.
Are you either (or both)?
Most people seem to be bending over backwards only to fall into self-made pits of political correctness.
There is nothing wrong with the word Jew when used respectfully. It is a noun. That’s all. What people add to that is their problems. But Jews I have known have no problem with being so defined, to the point of using the word to describe themselves. And any term can be used disrespectfully.
On the contrary, the verbal squirming to avoid using the term ‘Jew’ is the equivalent of calling black people ‘coloured’, as was the fashion when I was a kid. Blacks have proudly reclaimed that word for themselves, and more luck to them for doing so!
Jewish is an adjective that can qualify far more than a person. It is thus much broader in meaning, and when applied to an individual is generally a clear indication of trying to avoid the term ‘Jew’. It is someone immolating the integrity of ‘Jew’ in the pit of Political Correctness.
Because of anti-semitism, people walk into the trap of being unnecessarily hypersensitive and end up unintentionally reinforcing anti-semitism by a kind of negative anti-semitism; a surrendering of what is right and appropriate to the spurious solicitude of PC. I think of Basil Fawlty and the ‘don’t mention to war’ sketch.
Another point, ‘Jew’ is not a reduction of ‘Jewish’ as seems to be suggested. They are each words in their own right - a noun and its adjective.
And a final point: it is always better to meet any form of bias head-on and challenge it. I therefore vigorously defy attempts to distort the honoured and honorable term Jew, and I call shame on those who see anything wrong with the term.
Honi soit qui mal y pense!
What’s the singular noun for a person from Japan?
Ah, but which is more difficult: To Jew a Gypsy or gyp a Jew?
A Japanese. I vote we adopt Japon instead, as in Briton. I think the Japanese word for a Japanese person is Nihonji but since there are plenty of Japanese speakers on the board I’m sure one will be along to correct me soon.
I have a friend from Panama who insists she is “black” and hates being called African-American because she feels she has nothing in common with US ancestors of African slaves.
I know there are many people who have converted to Judaism versus people whose ancestors might have immigrated from Russia or Romania, etc. where they came from a large history of Jewish culture. Perhaps there could be a difference made in cultural heritage? Maybe you might feel you are “a Jew” if your ancestors were all Jewish? Whereas an ex-Protestant who recently converted to Judaism might feel more comfortable saying they are “Jewish”? Just a thought.
Also, maybe there is some residual animosity from the old days when people would use “Jew” as a verb - people would call anyone a “Jew”, regardless of their religion, if they thought they were being cheated in a monetary way. Maybe back then it was more important to distinguish you were “Jewish” in terms of religious beliefs?
I know when I was living in NYC in the early 80’s you never called someone “a Jew” without getting flack. You would say they were “Jewish”. I got in the habit of saying that back then and have to admit, hearing someone say “Bob is a Jew” makes me cringe a bit, although I guess it is just from years of avoiding saying it.
“Jew” is the appropriate noun to use for someone who is a Jew. See, I just did it! If someone chooses (as many certainly do) to use the word “Jew” as a pejorative, I think it says more about that person than about Jews.
I do think it carries a stronger connotation of ethnicity than does the word “Jewish.” As a convert to Judaism, of Irish extraction, I’ve never felt the word “Jew” quite fits me. The fact that I practice Buddhism probably doesn’t help, either, although quite a number of born Jews to the same. But I am as apt to call my wife and children “Jews” as I am to call them “Jewish.” To me it’s essentially a neutral word, with positive overtones.
I see that my position is the exact opposite of the one taken by FallenAngel.
Either way, I’ll forgive you, for you know not what you do. 
Seriously, this is only the second time I’ve heard about this controversy, and the first time I overheard someone talking about it I thought she was confused. Both “a Jew” and “Jewish” sound perfectly fine to me, although “Jew” as an adjective–“Jew school”, “Jew boy”–is like fingernails on a blackboard.
There is a current local case where a local college instructor used precisely this term in a class. She later explained that she had been using it all her life and in class for decades. I guess she was surprised when someone Jewish confronted her after class.
She is going to be even more surprised when her career takes a hit due to the intractability of it being a learning experience for her and the number of people and organizations that are now involved to help her reach that point when she could have simply recognized her error in private at once, but chose to be stubborn instead.
Hence “Jew as a verb” in the local population was the discussion topic at synagogue this past week.
I expect some additional backlash from the local population once this hits the local press, which it probably will. It will be interesting no doubt.
All ages find such humor. I am of the previous generation to you, and we learned about stereotyping as a bad thing, because it leads to discrimination, both overt and covert. Perhaps your generation didn’t learn that?
Huh?
Pretty sure the world, including Jews and Jewish people, are not going to forget (or “erase” the pejoratives and atrocities tossed about from ancient times up until this very minute. To forget is to condone.
I’m not so sure. Was “Jap” ever the official term for someone from Japan in the same way as “Jew” was, bearing in mind we have things like the Bible which uses the word “Jew” all the way through it? Wasn’t “Jap” always more a slang term that eventually became offensive due to it’s usage around WW2?
If the reason for not saying “a Jew” is due to anti-semitism then surely we should also not use “Jewish”? I cannot be the only person who has heard someone being stingy with money being referred to as “being Jewish”?
I’ve never heard that, no. That’s not a thing. People don’t say that.
Um, you mean like me…? 
You have the right to your opinions, but I strongly disagree – think of the word “liberal” or “conservative.” Whichever one you are, wouldn’t you rather be able to call yourself that, with pride, rather than accept that the other side has poisoned it forever, and you have to look for a new descriptive?
This isn’t about forgetting, this is about reclaiming what is ours.
Nihonjin
The plural is the same.
In some circumstances, “nihon no kata” might work better.
Oh?
Did you mean Americans with some Japanese heritage?