I don't look Jewish and observe

[BlueJay99]

Off hand Jewish jokes / criticism even from people who otherwise seem pretty PC and ok. Just little digs or low key insults popped in to otherwise normal conversation now and again in a way they'd never do if it was about another race or religion.

I've noticed this for years. I'm 30 and my mother's side of the family are Jewish although many are now non religious.

In the last couple of months even my (not very observant) not Jewish DH has noticed and even later said to me 'did you think it was awkward that .... said that'

Anyway, just wanted to write it down somewhere as it's been on my mind a little.

I notice digs at catholics, irish, indians and south east asians, africans, jamaicans. Drunks and those who think they're safe with you reveal their bigotry. It's fascinating to watch it all unravel.

I notice it too op. Particularly comments about money.

There's nothing necessarily anti-semitic about Jewish jokes. There are entire books of Jewish jokes.

However, if you feel it's offensive, you could try summoning your courage, looking the offender in the eye, and coldly but politely saying, "Perhaps you didn't know I'm Jewish." Then you can sit back and enjoy the person's embarrassment. Or if you don't what to speak of yourself, you can just say, "Excuse me, but that sounds rather biased."

A few years ago I was interviewing some people in an industrial town where a US company had bought the main factory in the town and closed it down (in order to cut off competition, it was possibly borderline illegal).

A guy said, out of the blue, “that’s how Jews are”. I was really shocked, and did reply “no, that’s how capitalism works”, but should have said more.

I had never heard anything like that before, because my friends and family would never think like that. Made me realise that it does happen.

I hear this too. It’s not funny jokes- it’s comments about money. I think I do look very Jewish and I think there are other clear indicators that I am Jewish, but I have an anglicised name. The people making comments clearly haven’t even met many Jews but they feel fine making nasty comments.

There's nothing anti Semitic about Jewish jokes?

I mean if it's a Jew telling the jokes about their own experiences etc ok. Not other groups though! And that goes across the board surely.

Round here for years the synagogues have security or don't publish their address online and things like swastikas are spray painted around Jewish areas. In that environment these jokes don't exactly help, do they.

Lighten up. I'm Irish. I pay no attention to Irish jokes. Some make me laugh!!!!

I’m Jewish and in Scotland. Like you I don’t think people think of me as Jewish and my married name is Irish. I never hear anyone mention Jews or Jewishness in any context. Once years ago I worked with a woman who would say oh he’s Jewish or she’s Jewish but it turned out that this woman had Jewish heritage herself and was very curious and proud about this part of her family history.

I occasionally here sectarian jokes where I am but I don’t think anyone gives Jews a second thought ar

Probably friends where you live

My friends here with Irish parents do not appreciate Irish jokes. At all.

And my Jewish friends definitely don't appreciate Jewish jokes and trust me there are plenty. As well as the swastikas etc. Oh and the bomb that I heard and went past the mashed high street the next morning on the way to work...

Hahaha

Depends where you live.

Not friends.

Sorry.

I get what you say. There will always be jokes about Jews and Arabs and Irish Scottish and Welsh, not to mention Black people, Chinese, but never the English :)

Jokes if you are fat, or Lesbian or Gay. Jokes if you have one leg or a glass eye etc etc...

It's if the joke is malicious and intended to hurt. Otherwise a whole industry would be redundant wouldn't it ?

I live fairly rurally and very rarely hear anything derogatory about Jews - one or two incidents across 30 years stick in my mind. DH was utterly appalled a couple of years ago to hear an antisemitic comment ('You just never hear that kind of shit these days!'), and so astounded that he didn't manage a come-back (rare for him).

In fact, last year I was talking about politics with an 18 year old friend of DD and she said she couldn't vote Labour because of the anti-Semitism. Similarly, the Labour candidate got an earful on my doorstep about it, and said, 'I've heard this so much while canvassing, I can only apologise, we have work to do.'

I do know some great Jewish jokes though, told to me by an Orthodox Jewish friend from uni with whom I've kept in touch.

Jewish people telling jokes about Jewish people is not the same as people who aren't Jewish joking about Jews.

You read my posts about how I have been in the vicinity of a pretty large bomb on s Jewish target. And there are swastikas daubed in Jewish areas. And synagogues have had security guards for at least 15 years and some don't publish where they are.

And that my Irish friends never thought Irish jokes were funny...

Same as the jokes about p££kis were never funny...

Answer is. It's fine. Don't be so sensitive.

Really?

As an aside, some years ago my daughter worked in a call centre for a while. She is mixed race. She is a nice friendly girl and people gravitate to her. There were a lot of Asian girls working there and they wrongly assumed she was one of them.
They spent most of their time slagging off non Asian girls , making jokes about them and calling them disgusting names ; saying they deserved to be raped and murdered because of their clothes and lifestyle. I asked her why she didn't say anything to them and she simply said she valued her job and was not there to socialise with them which was fair enough

You will ever stop racist jokes, but it's hurtful when someone tells you one and you or your mother as an example happens to be the subject (unknown to them) of that joke

It's interesting to hear that, I never hear this but thankfully the people I work and socialise with are generally a lovely Bunch. I don't doubt it's happening but I'm pleased it's not entrenched in society where I am (north).

Oh sorry I didn't realise this was s thread for people who say

No harm it's just s joke
White people get racism against them too
Etc etc

I'll get my coat