by Rabbi Hanoch Hecht
Last week I was walking in Manhattan getting from one meeting to the next, when I hear a voice slanting the words “dirty Jew” at me.
As I turn around to see who had said them, I was slightly surprised to see a young boy, Caucasian of about 11 or 12 years of age. What’s even more astonishing is that his mother was standing right behind him, apparently not caring about what her son was saying, nor rebuking him in any way or even apologizing to me on his behalf.
Living in the 21st century, where it is all about equality and tolerance, about acceptance and love for a fellow human being, no matter what their age, race, religion, background or anything else that might make them different from you, has me mistakenly thinking that the world is improving.
The fact that this mother let her son say what he said, and did not reprimand him, makes me wonder what this new generation is being taught. When an 11-year old boy has no clue about tolerance and respect for one another, and thinks that calling someone “dirty Jew” is acceptable or even cool, then I think it is safe to say that we are in big trouble.
Anti-Semitism alone isn’t the only problem, albeit being quite a significant one.
In truth, and simply put, it is the lack of acceptance of another human being for whatever reason. These reasons are unjustified and irrelevant. No matter what our differences may or may not be, and at the risk of sounding too idealistic, we can and must overlook them for the sake of living in peace.
Being a 6th-generation American, my family has had the pleasure and honor of living in this blessed country for the past 130 years. I sincerely look forward to continue to reside in this great nation, happily and peacefully.
Therefore it is the job of parents everywhere to educate their children to become accepting and respecting individuals.
We must teach our youth how to love and care for a fellow human being, for the country they live in and the planet they live on. We must instruct our future leaders and world inhabitants how to live in harmony among themselves. It is the only way to survive.
— Rabbi Hanoch Hecht is the Spiritual leader of the Rhinebeck Jewish Center and director of Chabad Dutchess in New York
if shvartze has a bad connotation who gave it the bad conotation?
Who gave ‘negrow’ the bad connotation?
Yes it is!!!
“shvartze” is NOT a derogatory term
You should know. Sounds to me that you were raised in a jungle with animals. Another self hating Jew is all that we need! Also when one directs the derogatory term at an actual person, itis much worse than using it to refer to someone.
The brain is wrinkled and no one dares to emphasize that! It may sounds like I’m joking, but I really like the way your mind walks through the paths of your own brain, especially the second part of the comment
i live on union street and a black boy said to me hi hittler and i was so frightened at the time i did not say any thing ,i should of said you would have been dead befor me.
I live in Melbourne, Australia
every shabbos i walk about an hour to help make a minyan with a few other Bochurim. We walk down a Highway called Nepean Highway. We get at least 5 shouts from passing cars etc.
its common here
nothing new.
That’s the way
People who are trying to justify using the term “Shvartze” and “Goy” as merely descriptive are fooling themselves. People use those terms in a derogatory manner. What if the Jew’s suit was stained or wrinkled. Would it then be ok to call him a “dirty Jew” because that’s merely descriptive. We must consider the effect our words have on the people who hear them. I would also add that for the same reasons it is bad to call someone a “dirty jew” it is entirely inappropriate to go up to a woman on the street and call her a s**t… Read more »
and what about when we say a “goy” this and a “goy” that’
we are doing the same thing.. why is it ok for us to disrespect others?.. our children learn the same from us? new?
but when somone says shevarze he does not mean it in a bad way ,its just how he was brought up to speak like that, which is wrong and should be changed!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Call a black person a black person. Call a Jew a Jew. Only call a black person a schvartze if your entire conversation is in Yiddish.
2. The Hechts were on the Mayflower and crossed the Delaware with George Washington and Chanina.
that boy must of heard his parents speak such dirty language
after all the centuries of anti-semitism i wouldve expected from you a better response in the 21st century
no one actualy calls out in the street “shvartze” so there is absolutely NO comparison! but if anyone would…
a rabbi leader frum chabadnik “I sincerely look forward to continue to reside in this great nation, happily and peacefully.
” is he not looking for moshiach anymore???
stop pick-up and leave when it happens… next time, you’re the one to blame. it’s because you didn’t say nothing this time!
this is very VERY VERY scary, when is moshiach gonna come?!
I read a story somewhere about a tzadik who gave the anti semite money…
I think that it was to thank him for calling him jewish or something…
anyone remember?
I find Crown Heights to be the most rude, intolerant and racist area I have ever been exposed to. From the young straight up a lack of common sense manners is lacking that rivals only animals in a jungle.
you should come to manchester- u consider urself lucky if thats all u get!
this happens every other day to me in london.
“Shvartze” what they like to be call in US, mean black people. In most country if you call them “shvartze” it’s derogatory, but if you call them N**** it’s o.k. Nowhere in the world you wil see such thing like African-French, african-hispanic or african-russian etc, etc. you cannt compare this 2 thing. if some body tell it on me I will return it with short questions “why you say that?” very often goim kids saying that without understanding what they saying.
azkir al hatzion
Don’t know about you, but I’m going to Israel with Moshiach!!!
Leave it to the non-observant Jews to fight the anti-antisemitism. It is always like that. Those on the fringe circle of a society are the most sensitive to insults hurled over the fence into the circle. Those on the inner circle are increasingly involved in positive activities (Torah uMitzvoiss) as they approach the center of the social group, and are focused inwards. My personal experience was with a non-observant Jew who accused me of being rude. I accused him of being a bigot. He said how could it be, I’m Jewish. I said if you weren’t, and you didn’t have… Read more »
It is an old Hecht myth that the are 4th 5th 6th generation Americans. Shea Hecht I, was born in America (his older brother not). Hersh Meylech (Herman, Shea I’s father) came in 1885 approximately. That would make the author the 4th generation American. However, Hersh Meylech brought his elderly father later. So 6 generations in America, but not 6th generation American.
hes 6th generation American not 16
Growing up 35-40 years ago in Crown Heights, the word “Shvartze” was not considered a derogatory term. It was simply a word to refer to a black person, possibly your neighbor. When did it get so blown out of it’s meaning. The other day I was in Banana Republic and a nice young lady helped me…who just so happened to be Black. After continuing shopping on my own and then heading to the cash register…the person behind the counter asked who helped me with my purchases. I looked around for the young lady and did not see her and wanted… Read more »
I was walking on President St once and a young girl, maybe six or seven, yelled at me “Hitler”. It wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this happening from kids in Crown Heights.
I don’t like to admit it but I have heard the ‘N’ word more than once in our community.
Yes I agree this must stop, but the only people we can control is ourselves, and we should teach our own community tolerance before preaching to others.
Man, you sound paranoid.
1. Prove it!
2. Find someone to accept it as it should be accepted!
P. S. It is terrible experience of the human intolerance and maliciousness.
terrible
they should have manners, but they’re just jealous.
i sincerely hope you responded. although antisemitism is never our fault the only way to combat it is to stand up to it show them we are not afraid let them know that they will be called out on there antisemitism.
if YOU don’t say or do anything whats stopping him from doing the same to the next Jew and when he gets away with that maybe he adds a little push the next time……….
STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR PEOPLE
Big deal. I get it all the time.
‘Shvartza/Snag’ is like calling someone ‘Jew’- descriptory. Dirty Jew is like saying dirty shvartza or dirty snag- unacceptable.
This is the teaching of muslims to this world, pure hatred of others. absolutly no tolerance.
I BET YOU GUYS DO TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
American jews live in such a bubble, this happens every minute in europe
Neither “shvartza”, nor “snag”, have a negative connotation like ” dirty Jew”.
How can you even compare the two?
Yes we live in the 2010, and yes the comment the 11 year old said touches a nerve by all of us. Be aware of your surrondings because there are many more out there.
Every day that passes by hopefully is a day closer to Moshiach which we all need desperately.
Be safe and careful.
I
“shvratza” mean black, “snag”is short for misnnagad a name they gave then selves, etc. both are not the same as saything “dirty”
thats kinda creepy
but it doesnt mean the kids bad
it means it was the only way he was taught
The church’s destructive role in encouraging Hispanic workers to badmouth Sholom Mordechai was highlighted by the testimony of Ana McCarthy, a Panamanian-Jewish native who is a Spanish language translator now living in Illinois. Outside the presence of the jury, McCarthy said she traveled to Postville in August 2008 after encountering a shortage of kosher meat in Chicago and hearing about the ICE raid. She described waiting at St. Bridget Church for a meeting with a community leader and being startled to overhear someone in authority telling former Agriprocessors employees that they could get U-visas to remain in the country. All… Read more »
I hope that the kid and his parents and anyone that taught him to spk like that has dropped dead! Sickoes!
You are saying that based on one incident that happened to you, you feel that you are mistaken about the world improving?
Correct me if I’m misunderstanding, but this sounds pathetic, I believe that the world is improving and still believe so even though I have experienced a anti-semitic comment.
The same logic that labels all Jews because of the behavior of one Jew, is the same logic that is being used here.
With all do respect Rabbi, please explain yourself.
so your are right ,and besides al pi teva its over the way the statistics has it in the very very near future there will be more muslams in the hall free world will be such a big maggiority, that they wont evan need to call anyone clean or dirty jew,UMESAIYEMIM BETEIV
So your one occurrence that happened once-in-so-long-it’s-worth-writing-about is proof positive that the world is not improving? Makes sense.
BS”D
shvatza kid reached out and tapped me on the shoulder.
I was so surprised/shocked
totally invaded my personal boundary big time
yes,
and he was with his mother
he was a young teen
but
i let him have it *
and i am glad i did.
*screamed at him …..
usually who would waste their breath
somehow, i felt it was the right thing in this case.
ok so i read the article yes i get the point
but im intrested to know if he did anything about ? or kept on walking?i understand it was a small kid but his mother was there too, in certain situtions we must not b quit about these things ethier
hi, Did you say anything to mother or where you just quiet and accepted it? To the people in this website you tell us and to her not? Are you afraid of the boy or the mother?
When will Lubavitchers stop using the appellation “schvartzes?” it completely saddens me when otherwise wonderful kinderlach repeat that word they’ve heard from mammah and tateh. Genuch shoin.
Most Lubavitchers refer to African Americans as “schvartzes.” I say most, not all. But it’s terribly pervasive throughout the community. What is most sad is when I hear otherwise perfectly well-mannered kinderlach say “schvartzes.” genuch shain grinch shain.
I highly doubt that
4th generation is more like it.
I agree with you 100%. It doesn’t matter if you are Jewish or not, white or black…all that matters is that you should raise your children to be descent human beings!!!
im getting scared!!!!!!!!!!!!
It happens alot here in Australia. What’s new about being cursed for being a Jew?
rabbi hecht had to take a picture of the mother and child and fill a hate crime report.
Rabbi Hecht, the same would apply to “shvratza”, “snag”, etc
This boy has heard his parents say such things.