For the past 2,000 years, the word Jew has been a fraught term used pejoratively by antisemites throughout the ages. Sadly, even some Jews today hold the same view: “They’re Jewish” (acceptable) versus “They’re Jews” (unacceptable). In truth, there is nothing pejorative about Jew when used as a noun. The same can’t be said when Jew is used as a verb (“He Jewed her in a business deal”). Ditto for when Jew is used as an adjective (“He’s a Jew lawyer”). But where did the term Jew even come from? Check out the videos linked below to find out.
Quote: “The first appearance of the word ‘Jew’ in the Bible is in Kings II 16:6. Its connotation there is identical to that of ‘men of Yehuda’: ‘and drove the Jews from Eilat.’ Over time, this name replaced the earlier ones, though the meaning remained unchanged. In other words, the term Jew in this period was a person who originated from the Kingdom of Yehuda.”
— Shalom Hartman Institute
Learn more about Henry Abramson. ►
Watch “Where do the words ‘Jew’ and ‘Israel’ come from? (Jewish History Lab) ” [20:37]. ►
Read “How Did the Word ‘Jew’ Become Identified with the Jewish People?” ►
Photo: Mosaic Magazine
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