JustASC

Kim Hendren, the Arkansas State Senator who admitted to referring to Chuck Schumer as “that Jew,” explained that he was “attempting to explain that unlike Sen. Schumer, I believe in traditional values, like we used to see on ‘The Andy Griffith Show.””

I did a little research into the show, and I was shocked at what I found:

The Andy Griffith Show Episode 12: Ellie for Council
Originally Aired on Dec 12, 1960

Ellie runs for office, breaking the Mayberry tradition of what had been an all-male town council, but is forced to withdraw when Andy, worried that she may oppose pay raises for the sheriff’s department, spreads a rumor that her mother is Jewish. Once again, Andy learns a lesson from Opie when he hears his own son leaking Andy’s role to the local newspaper. Realizing the error of his ways, Andy places a stack of anti-Semitic pamphlets in Barney’s desk drawer and calls the FBI.

The Andy Griffith Show Episode 206: Dinner at Eight
Originally Aired on Jan 9, 1967

With Aunt Bee off visiting relatives and Opie away on a Scout trip, Andy is home alone. He is ready to spend a relaxing evening surfing for Internet porn when Goober arrives to keep him company. He insists on making his special “spaghetti recipe,” which turns out to be crystal meth.  Andy gives in, and then is reminded by Goober of an invitation to Howard’s for dinner. Andy goes to see Howard, who did not actually invite Andy at all. Offended, Andy calls Howard a “Jew bastard.” When Aunt Bee finds out, she sternly lectures Andy, reminding him that Howard is not a Jew at all.

The Andy Griffith Show Episode 84: Opie and the Spoiled Kid
Originally Aired on Feb 18, 1963.

Arnold Winkler makes his first appearance as a rotten little kid who tries to teach Opie how to manipulate his parents by throwing well-rehearsed tantrums. When Andy meets the new boy, he whispers to Barney, “What kind of name is Winkler, anyway?” Told Arnold may be a Jew, Andy begins a quiet campaign of harassment, impounding his bike and burning a cross on his parents’ lawn. Opie learns a lesson when he sees Winkler’s “foreign” ways just won’t wash in Mayberry.

TPM reports:

Arkansas state Sen. Kim Hendren, who is currently the only announced Republican candidate for U.S. Senator against Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln in 2010, has apologized for referring to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as “that Jew,” at a county Republican meeting last week.

“I don’t use a teleprompter and occasionally I put my foot in my month,” Hendren told Arkansas blogger Jason Tolbert.

“At the meeting I was attempting to explain that unlike Sen. Schumer, I believe in traditional values, like we used to see on ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’” he explained. “I made the mistake of referring to Sen. Schumer as ‘that Jew’ and I should not have put it that way as this took away from what I was trying to say.”

It gets better. Here’s what he tells the A.P.:

“When I referred to him as Jewish, it wasn’t because I don’t like Jewish people,” he said. He also added: “I shouldn’t have gotten into this Jewish business because it distracts from the issue.”

That’s why? Because it “distracts from the issue”? How about, “I shouldn’t have gotten into this Jewish business because it’s hateful and wrong.”

By the way, every time I look at my paper’s profit and loss statement, I wish I hadn’t gotten into this Jewish business either. BA-DUMP BUMP!

A reader writes:

I am writing a school report on cultural identities and how there are certain untranslatable words (such as schlimazl) that characterizes a nation or a people to a small degree. More specifically, my topic is on ‘Han’, which [is] a Korean concept which denotes a collective feeling of oppression and isolation in the face of overwhelming odds. This is considered to be a central part of the identity of Korean. I believe that Koreans have acquired this mindset due to their history of occupation from China, Japan, etc. However, in comparison to the history Jews have faced, it may seem tepid.

Thus, my question is there a concept similar to ‘Han’ and if so, how central is to the identity of the Jewish people?

What do you think? Is  there a Jewish word or concept “which denotes a collective feeling of oppression and isolation in the face of overwhelming odds”?

Or does the word “Judaism” pretty much cover it?

My column this week:

Yeah, yeah. I did the thrift thing. And you know what it got me? Nosebleeds from sitting in the cheap seats, radiation poisoning from hunkering too close to the Motorola, headaches from whacking my head on the doorframe of our tiny Corolla.

So watch my next move, America. We played by the rules, invested wisely, stayed out of debt, took a “certain pride” in finding a bargain. And where’d it get us after 20 years? Somewhere between 1986 and 1987.

But no more. The Silow-Carrolls are living large. Is that the delivery guy with our Limited Edition Sharp AQUOS large-screen LCD TV? Wheel it right in, and put it next to the massage chair. And yes, this is an Armani jacket, thanks for noticing.

Money magazine has a feature on “The price of faith,” with profiles of  a Jewish, Muslim, and Christian family and the extra costs they incur related to their religious observance.

A few observations:

1. Jewish observance turns out to be more expensive than the other faiths, but as usual in discussions of the “high cost of Jewish living,” it is mostly about the “high cost of Jewish day school education.” Take out the tuition number, and the premium for kosher food, synagogue memberships, and tzedakah doesn’t seem quite so onerous. (On the other hand, the Houston family profiled in the piece note how their need to live within an eruv — in walking distance of an Orthodox synagogue — drove up the price of real estate. Of course, every family has their own non-negotiables when they buy a house –  good public schools, a shorter commute, access to good public transportation.) (more…)

The NJ Libertarian Party announced its candidate for governor: Parsippany resident Kenneth Kaplan. According to his press person, “As far as I know, he is the only Orthodox Jew who has ever been elected to run for governor by any political party in New Jersey” — although his synagogue is Conservative. We’ll find out more.

UPDATE: Bob Wiener interviewed Kaplan for the NJJN; and Kaplan explains he is a member of Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston and a board member of its men’s club.  “I attend services even though I am not shomer Shabbos,” he said. “I have a long history for support of Jewish causes.”

Here’s the bio from the NJLP:

KENNETH R. KAPLAN: BIO and SOME KEY ISSUES

Kenneth Kaplan is President of KenKap Realty Corp., a company he founded after being associated with Edgerton Realty Corp. for 6 years as a broker/salesperson, following a 22 year tenure at Archie Schwartz Company. He also has experience in retail business and law. A graduate of Brandeis University and NYU Law School, he was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1972 and remains a member in good standing. (more…)

By the way, the title of a post below, “Also Cohen,” is the punchline of a great old joke about “passing.” Here’s the version from The Big Book of Jewish Humor:

Four salesmen who met on a train began to play cards. “Let’s introduce ourselves,” said one man. “My name’s Cole.”

“I’m Kent,” said the second salesman.

“Carleton,” said the third.

“Also Cohen,” said the fourth.

Tomorrow marks one year since immigration officials raided the Agriprocessors kosher meat plant  in Iowa.

To mark the occasion, immigrant rights groups in NJ are gathering at the state capital in Trenton. The goal is to bring “national attention to the devastating effects of raids on communities throughout America” (and not on the devastating effects of medieval labor practices — I guess you have to pick your battles).

The presser is scheduled for 2 pm at the State House in Trenton. 

Interestingly, but no surprise to regular readers of the NJJN, the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, which is taking part in the event and sent out a news release about it, is led by Shai Goldstein, the former head of the Anti-Defamation League’s NJ regional office.

Funny how this story cuts. For some Jews it’s a classic shande fer de Goyim — but often their anger is directed at the reporters and officials who have been “harrassing” the Rubashkins, the plant’s Lubavitch owners. Others, like the proponents of ”ethical kashrut,” saw the Agriprocessors scandal as the perfect opportunity to press for a Jewish imperative for the ethical treatment of animals and workers’ rights.

“Cohen” is one of the hottest new first names for baby boys, according to baby-naming expert Pamela Redmond Satran, who runs the nameberry.com Web site.

Writing at The Daily Beast,  Redmond Satran says the name rose from number 650 in 2004 on Social Security’s most popular names list to number 393 last year, when 761 baby boys received the name.

Redmond Satran writes that the inspiration was Seth Cohen, Adam Brody’s character on television’s The O.C., who was typically called just plain “Cohen.”

Some Jewish contributors to her site were put off by the name, which they felt should be reserved only as a last name of Jews descended from the priestly caste of ancient Israel.

“All these hillbillies are sitting around drinking their Mountain Dew and eating their Ho Hos and naming their babies Cohen,” [complains Anne, a New York teacher who is Jewish.] “They’re ignorant that they’re stealing a sacred name from a religion to which they don’t belong, and even if they find out, they don’t care who it offends.”

But one Jewish Cohen gives his blessing to the trend.

“I don’t find it offensive at all,” said writer Benyamin Cohen, the son and brother of Orthodox rabbis and the author of My Jesus Year, [a book about his Christian neighbors]. “If you’re not Jewish, I have no reason to expect you to follow my laws. I’d rather if people name their kid Cohen than if they name it Britney. At least Cohen means something.”

Follow a discussion thread about the name here.

For years now I’ve been using the phrase “We luvem you, Big Papa!” whenever I hear the pope mentioned on the radio. I seemed to remember it being the headline of a Times article written when a previous pope visited the Philippines and spoke to the locals in Tagalog, and it’s just really fun to say.

In honor of Benedict XVI’s visit to Israel, I decided to check my memory against an archive search. And sure enough, I’d gotten it wrong.  This May 13, 1984 piece about Pope John Paul II’s visit to Papua New Guinea explains all:

In Papua New Guinea, where he was greeted by bare-chested dancers and drummers, the Pope offered his blessings in the local languages as well as English. ”Mi laikum yu Pop!” – ”I love you, Pope,” the audience chanted in pidgin English.

I like my version better.