Aspects of Jewish power in the United States $b : volume IV of the International Jew, the world's foremost problem : being a reprint of a fourth selection from articles appearing in the Dearborn IndependentFord, Henry
General
Aspects of Jewish power in the United States $b : volume IV of the International Jew, the world's foremost problem : being a reprint of a fourth selection from articles appearing in the Dearborn Independent
Ford, Henry
Antisemitic literature; Jews -- United States; United States -- Ethnic relations
The millinery business, which is one of the principal Jewish grafts off
American women, shows the liking of the Jews for names which do not
name, but which stand as impressive insignia—“Lucile,” “Mme. Grande,”
and the like. Reuben Abraham Cohen is a perfectly good name, and a good
citizen could make it immensely respected in his neighborhood, but
Reuben thinks that the first round in the battle of minds should be his,
and he does not scruple at a little deceit to obtain it, so he painted
on the window of his store, R. A. Le Cán, which, when set off with a
borrowed coat of arms, looks sufficiently Frenchified for even observant
boobs among the Gentiles. Similarly a Mr. Barondesky may blossom out as
Barondes or La Baron.
Commonly Mr. Abraham becomes Miller. Why Miller should have been picked
on for Judaization is not clear, but the Millers of the white race may
yet be compelled to adopt some method of indicating that their name is
not Jewish. It is conceivable that a Yiddish and an American form of the
same name may some time be deemed necessary. Aarons becomes Arnold—there
are a number of Jewish Arnolds. Aarons became Allingham. One Cohen
became Druce, another Cohen became Freeman. Still another Cohen became a
Montagu; a fourth Cohen became a Rothbury and a fifth Cohen became a
Cooke.
The Cohens have an excuse, however. In one ghetto there are so many
Cohens that some distinction must be observed. There is Cohen the rag
gatherer, and Cohen the schacet (ritual meat killer), and Cohen the
rising lawyer, as well as Cohen the physician. To make the matter more
difficult their first names (otherwise their “Christian” names) are
Louis. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the young lawyer
should become Attorney Cohane (which does all the better if thereby
certain Irish clients are attracted), and that the young doctor should
become Doctor Kahn, or Kohn. These are some of the many forms that the
priestly name of Cohen takes.
The same may be said with reference to Kaplan, a very common name.
Charlie Chaplin’s name was, in all probability, Caplan, or Kaplan. At
any rate, this is what the Jews believe about their great “star.”
Non-Jews have read of Charlie as a “poor English boy.”
There is the Rev. Stephen S. Wise, for another example. He booms his way
across the country from one platform to the other, a wonder in his way,
that such pomposity of sound should convey such paucity of sense. He is
an actor, the less effective because he essays a part in which sincerity
is requisite. This Rabbi, whose vocal exercise exhausts his other
powers, was born in Hungary, his family name being Weisz. Sometimes this
name is Germanized to Weiss. When S. S. Weisz became S. S. Wise, we do
not know. If he had merely Americanized his Hungarian name it would have
given him the name of White. Apparently “Wise” looked better. Truly it
is better to be white than to be wise, but Dr. Stephen S. is a fresh
point in the query of “what’s in a name?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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