Briefs

GERMAN DICTIONARY CHANGES DEFINITION OF ‘JEW’

A German dictionary entry for the word “Jew” has been changed after members of the country’s Jewish community complained that the definition was problematic.

The definition offered by the Duden dictionary, one of the most authoritative German dictionaries, had included a note that the term is sometimes used as a derogatory slur in addition to being the simplest way of referring to Jews. But German Jews pushed back against the inclusion of the use of the word “Jew” as a slur, saying the term is the correct one and should be used without qualification.

“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,” Joseph Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the Associated Press.

The entry was updated Monday, Feb. 14 and included the Central Council of Jews in Germany’s approval of the use of the term.

The word “Jew” has long been considered by some, especially non-Jews, to be derogatory, leading some to instead prefer the adjective “Jewish” to the more succinct or blunt noun, “Jew.” Jewish institutions in previous eras also adopted alternatives to the word “Jew” in their names, preferring terms like “Hebrew” and “Israelite.”

Sarah Bunin Benor, a professor at Hebrew Union College who writes about Jews and language, told JTA in 2020 that people have historically avoided using the word “Jew” to avoid sounding 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 stigmatized group, so they’re concerned about using it because they don’t want to sound offensive,” she said. (JTA)

GUNMAN FIRES SHOTS AT JEWISH CANDIDATE FOR LOUISVILLE MAYOR

A gunman opened fire on a Jewish Democrat who is running for mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.

“My team and I are fortunately all safe,” Craig Greenberg, the candidate, said in a message posted Monday, Feb. 14 on Twitter. “We are all with [Louisville Metro Police] now. I will provide an update as soon as possible. Thank you for the outpouring of support.”

Louisville police chief Erika Shields said Greenberg was the target and that a bullet penetrated his clothing. She said one possibility is that Greenberg was targeted because he is Jewish.

“Mr. Greenberg is Jewish, so there’s that,” she said. “We don’t know if it’s tied to the candidate, is political, or are we dealing with someone who has mental issues, is venomous. We have to really keep an open mind and be diligent in taking care of our community.”

WDRB, another local TV news outlet, quoted a councilman, David James, as saying the gunman fired on Greenberg at his office in the city’s Butchertown Market, a food and retail complex.

Greenberg, an entrepreneur who runs a professional wrestling business, declared for mayor last year.

Louisville police charged Quintez Brown in the shooting.

Brown, 21, has been prominent in the city’s civil rights activism, including Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. He had recently announced a run for the city’s municipal council.

Police said he was charged with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment in his alleged shooting attack in Greenberg’s downtown office. No motive has been reported.

In interviews with local media, associates of Brown suggested he suffered from mental illness, referring to his disappearance last year for two weeks. (JTA)

ANTISEMITIC FLYERS IN CITY OF RECENT SYNAGOGUE HOSTAGE CRISIS

Residents of Colleyville, Texas, the community where a rabbi and three of his congregants were held hostage for 12 hours at the local synagogue last month, woke up on the weekend of Feb. 18 to find antisemitic flyers on their driveways and yards.

The flyers, which were strewn about the town in plastic zip-top bags with pebbles in them to weigh them down, were similar to ones that have been distributed in several cities across the country, according to local reports. They have often been distributed by members of the antisemitic Goyim Defense League group.

The town’s synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, released a statement condemning the flyers and said some members of the synagogue had found the flyers on their properties.

“We understand that the Colleyville Police Department and the FBI are investigating, and their involvement brings comfort. We are hopeful that the individual(s) responsible will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Circulating hate speech cannot be taken lightly,” the synagogue said.

Colleyville police told local news station Fox 7 that the number of flyers was in the hundreds. One flyer stated that “every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish” and another said “Black lives murder white children.”

The “COVID agenda” flyer was most recently seen in San Francisco and in multiple cities in Florida, last month. (JTA)

ADELSON PROTEGE RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN NEVADA

David Brog, who leads the Maccabee Task Force, a group that cultivates pro-Israel students on campus, and a longtime protege of the Adelsons, the Las Vegas-based Republican Jewish kingmaker couple, is running for Congress in Nevada.

The late Sheldon Adelson and his widow Miriam launched the Maccabee Task Force in 2015. Before entering the Adelsons’ orbit, Brog, who is Jewish, helped found Christians United for Israel, a powerhouse pro-Israel evangelical group. Miriam Adelson remains an important Republican influence in the state and nationwide.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal, which Miriam Adelson owns, reported that Brog entered the GOP primary to try to unseat incumbent Democrat Dina Titus.

Titus was seen as being in a safe seat until a recent redistricting. It’s not clear yet whether the district’s new borders will adversely affect the wide margins she has enjoyed until now. (JTA)

ISRAEL TO ALLOW UNVACCINATED TO ENTER BEGINNING MARCH 1

Israel will allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country beginning March 1 as the county’s COVID case numbers continue to decline, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced.

Tourists will still need to produce negative PCR tests before and after their flights, while Israelis will only need to take a test upon landing.

The more lax rules mean that children under the age of five who are ineligible to be vaccinated can now enter the country. Only fully vaccinated tourists have been allowed in since January.

The changes came as Israel’s government also ended its Green Pass program, which allowed only those who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID to enter public venues. The government decided earlier this month not to renew the program when it expires March 1 due to the country’s declining COVID rate.

“This wave is breaking,” Bennett said. “We are seeing a decline in the number of severely ill.” (JTA)

BENNET IS FIRST ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT BAHRAIN

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett landed in Bahrain for meetings with its rulers, the second such trip to a Gulf Arab country since the launch of the Abraham Accords.

Speaking Monday, Feb. 14 before his departure, Bennett framed his visit as a bulwark against increasing uncertainty worldwide, alluding to heightened tensions in the region with Iran and in Europe, with anticipations of a Russian strike against Ukraine.

“I think especially in these tumultuous times it’s important that from this region we send a message of goodwill, of cooperation of standing together against common challenges and of building bridges to the future,” he said.

The visit is Bennett’s second to the region since the launch in 2020 of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and four Arab countries: Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. He visited the UAE in December.

Bahrain and Israel have formalized commercial ties and have launched defense cooperation. As part of Bennett’s visit, Israel said it would station a defense official in Manama. (JTA)