Original Message (Pre-Screened)
Category: Religion
Subject: 'Nice' Jewish boys (and girls)?
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I wonder why every time I read about a Jewish person, the sentence always has to contain 'nice.' For instance, on (former History Channel host) Josh Bernstein: he's a 'nice Jewish boy from New York.' Or (Comedy Central's) Sarah Silverman: a 'nice Jewish girl from Connecticut.' You never read 'Josh Holloway (of ABC's 'Lost') is a nice Baptist boy from Georgia.'
Posted:10/16/2007
By:
Sharon , Keystone Heights, FL, United States , Female , Catholic
Mesg ID: d94826d7-7cb5-4114-87ea-b394b79224c6
Responses:4
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Pre-screened Responses
Category: Religion
Subject: "Can't you find a nice Jewish boy?"
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If a Jew dated a Gentile, the mother would say, "Can't you find a nice Jewish boy (or girl)?" This comes from concerns that if Jews intermarry, it will lead to the end of Jewish culture. So every Jewish boy and girl is urged to find a "nice Jewish" mate. The phrase stuck and is used for many other reasons now.
Posted:6/10/2008
By:
Mark , New York, NY, United States , 52 , male , white/Caucasian
Mesg ID: e421bbf0-e80d-4639-869b-2132705d207a
Responses:0
Category: Religion
Subject: Why "nice Jewish boy" happens
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1. It could be tongue in cheek: they may be subtly knocking the stereotype of the Jewish mother so often seen on TV exhorting her son/daughter to find a "nice Jewish girl/boy" to settle down with.

2. Jewish is both an ethnicity and religion. While you don't often hear "nice Baptist boy", you will hear "Nice white boy" or "nice black girl" etc.

3. The people using the phrases are falling into the speaking patterns that so many of us have that we're not even conscious of having.
Posted:12/12/2007
By:
Shelly Strauss Rollison, New Alexandria, PA, United States , 49 , Female , New Age/Metaphysical , White/Caucasian , Bisexual , Minister, writer, activist, CNA, draftsman , 4 Years of College , Lower middle class
Mesg ID: 1e7bb120-74fe-4725-adc0-a432bb01c5fb
Responses:0
Category: Religion
Subject: "Nice" Jewish boys and girls
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It's an in-group joke based on the whole 'why can't you find a nice Jewish girl/boy to marry, bubbie?' Jewish mother stereotype. It's especially ironic in the case of Sarah Silverman, who isn't a 'nice' anything.
Posted:10/18/2007
By:
Ann , Kansas City, MO, United States , 40 , Female , Animist , White/Caucasian , Straight , Executive Assistant , 4 Years of College , Middle class
Mesg ID: 9b77bfb9-85e8-4d95-8f75-333987a1de6a
Responses:0
Unscreened Responses
Category: Religion
Subject: "nice" Jewish people
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In the English language, phrases stick. One might often hear people say "big red balloon" whereas "red big balloon" might not be as popular--the same is true in this case. "Nice Jewish boy/girl" is a phrase that has stuck, usually because of the stereotype of Jewish parents wanting their Jewish children to marry within the Jewish "family." We are not an ethnicity because there are Jews of all ethnicities, but are a people or a nation or a family as well as a religion.

Posted:2/11/2009
By:
Erin J, Skokie, IL, United States , 18 , Female , Jewish , White/Caucasian , Bisexual , Student , High School Diploma , Lower middle class
Mesg ID: 5bfd41f3-2184-492a-ab36-fd0d27fd941b
Responses:0
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