Comments on: If I were Rothschild http://israelity.com/2006/10/10/if-i-were-rothschild/ Life beyond the conflict Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:20:47 +0000 hourly 1 By: Rankin Mike http://israelity.com/2006/10/10/if-i-were-rothschild/comment-page-1/#comment-117239 Rankin Mike Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:07:31 +0000 http://www.israelity.com/?p=1263#comment-117239 "If I were a Rothschild" is the name of a short story in Shalom Alecheim's book 'Tevye's Daughters' - upon which the Fiddler on the Roof was based. The shtetl hero, Tevye, recounts his financial woes, but ultimately reflects money itself is far from the key to happiness. "Money, I tell you, is nothing but a temptation, a piece of lust, one of the greatest lusts. It is something that everyone wants and nobody has." “If I were a Rothschild” is the name of a short story in Shalom Alecheim’s book ‘Tevye’s Daughters’ – upon which the Fiddler on the Roof was based.

The shtetl hero, Tevye, recounts his financial woes, but ultimately reflects money itself is far from the key to happiness.

“Money, I tell you, is nothing but a temptation, a piece of lust, one of the greatest lusts. It is something that everyone wants and nobody has.”

]]> By: Nominally Challenged http://israelity.com/2006/10/10/if-i-were-rothschild/comment-page-1/#comment-116927 Nominally Challenged Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:24:24 +0000 http://www.israelity.com/?p=1263#comment-116927 Actually, the Hebrew translation of "If I were a Rich Man" (the song title, that is), is "Lu hayiti Rothschild", although the line "if I were a wealthy man" is translated as "lu hayiti ish ashir", primarily due to issues of scansion, I would guess. I believe that the Yiddish version also refers to "Rothschild". Actually, the Hebrew translation of “If I were a Rich Man” (the song title, that is), is “Lu hayiti Rothschild”, although the line “if I were a wealthy man” is translated as “lu hayiti ish ashir”, primarily due to issues of scansion, I would guess. I believe that the Yiddish version also refers to “Rothschild”.

]]> By: David http://israelity.com/2006/10/10/if-i-were-rothschild/comment-page-1/#comment-116816 David Wed, 11 Oct 2006 01:30:59 +0000 http://www.israelity.com/?p=1263#comment-116816 Actually the "new" Jews are nothing of the sort. They are in fact the "old" Jews. How? For example - King Solomon or King David. What about Joshua and Gideon and, not forgetting Deborah. These were proud Jews who fought and won and defeated their enemies. There were those who fought and did not give up - such as on Masada and people like the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto. The shetl was a new and brief Jew, not at all the "old" Jew. Actually the “new” Jews are nothing of the sort. They are in fact the “old” Jews. How?

For example – King Solomon or King David. What about Joshua and Gideon and, not forgetting Deborah.

These were proud Jews who fought and won and defeated their enemies.

There were those who fought and did not give up – such as on Masada and people like the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto.

The shetl was a new and brief Jew, not at all the “old” Jew.

]]> By: David All http://israelity.com/2006/10/10/if-i-were-rothschild/comment-page-1/#comment-116776 David All Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:56:49 +0000 http://www.israelity.com/?p=1263#comment-116776 In America from the 1890s to the 1970s, "as rich as Rockefeller" would have been the standard phrase for saying a person was as rich as possible. Nowadays I suppose it would be Bill Gates who would be standard for a wealthy person. Believe that American Jews do all the things that Israeli Jews are described as doing in your post, except that part about carrying M-16s! (And would not that be Uzis that Israelis carry?) That image of Israeli or New Jews as a tough bunch who you better not get on the wrong side of is the real difference, in my opinion, between American & Israeli Jews. In America from the 1890s to the 1970s, “as rich as Rockefeller” would have been the standard phrase for saying a person was as rich as possible. Nowadays I suppose it would be Bill Gates who would be standard for a wealthy person.

Believe that American Jews do all the things that Israeli Jews are described as doing in your post, except that part about carrying M-16s! (And would not that be Uzis that Israelis carry?) That image of Israeli or New Jews as a tough bunch who you better not get on the wrong side of is the real difference, in my opinion, between American & Israeli Jews.

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