'Is It Okay To Say Jew? Yes!' — German Dictionary Changes 'Jew' Definition After Uproar

Jewish groups and individuals in Germany stressed that being called Jews was not discriminatory, in contrast to what was implied in the Duden dictionary's definition.

New Delhi: The Duden dictionary in Germany has changed its definition of Jew — or ‘Jude’ in German — after its recent update in the online edition caused an uproar among the Jewish community in the country.

In an explanation added to its online edition recently, the leading dictionary had defined Jew as a term that could mean “discriminatory”. “...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,” the dictionary said in the explanation that led to an outcry, according to the report. 

Taking to social media and other platforms, Jewish groups and many individuals stressed that being called Jews was not discriminatory.

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

As quoted in the AP report, Joseph Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said 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.” 

Jew Definition Updated

Responding to the criticism, the publisher of Duden dictionary once again updated the definition of Jew earlier this week, this time to reflect the 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 dictionary’s website now reads, the AP report said. “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 favor of its use.”

It has been eight decades since the Holocaust, but the sensitivities connected to it persist even now. During the Third Reich, the Nazis of Germany murdered 6 million European Jews. By the end of World War II, Germany was left with just 15,000 Jews, down from nearly  6 lakh, according to recorded history. The number grew after the Soviet Union broke up, and Jews from Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics immigrated to Germany.