Dictionary rewrites ‘Jude’ definition

THE leading dictionary of standard German has changed its definition of “Jew”, or “Jude” in German, after its latest update caused an uproar in the country’s Jewish community – a move reflecting the sensitivities that persist eight decades after the Holocaust.

The Duden dictionary had recently added an explanation to its online edition saying that “occasionally, the term Jew is perceived as discriminatory because of the memory of the National Socialist use of language. In these cases, formulations such as Jewish people, Jewish fellow citizens or people of the Jewish faith are usually chosen”.

This explanation led to an outcry from leading Jewish groups and individuals who stressed that identifying themselves or being called Jews is not discriminatory, in contrast to what Duden’s definition implied.

The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Joseph Schuster, said that for him the word “Jew” is neither a swear word nor discriminatory.

“Even if ‘Jew’ is used pejoratively in schoolyards or only hesitantly by some people, and the Duden editors are certainly well-meaning in pointing out this context, everything should be done to avoid solidifying the term as discriminatory,” said Schuster.

The executive director of the Central Council of Jews, Daniel Botmann, concurred, tweeting, “Is it okay to say Jew? Yes! Please don’t say ‘Jewish fellow citizens’ or ‘people of the Jewish faith’. Just JEWS. Thank you!”

The publisher of Duden reacted to the criticism and updated its definition again last week to reflect the Jewish community’s input.

“Because of their antisemitic use in history and in the present, especially during the Nazi era, the words Jew/Jewess have been debated … for decades,” the entry on the dictionary’s website now says. “At the same time, the words are widely used as a matter of course and are not perceived as problematic. The Central Council of Jews in Germany, which has the term itself in its name, is in favour of its use.”

Sarah Bunin Benor, a professor at Hebrew Union College who writes about Jews and language, said in 2020 that people have historically avoided using the word “Jew” so as not to sound antisemitic, even though the word is not inherently derogatory.

“Many people assume that it’s a slur because they know that Jews are historically a stigmatised group, so they’re concerned about using it because they don’t want to sound offensive,” she said.

TIMES OF ISRAEL, JTA