Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihopb.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihopb!berman From: berman@ihopb.UUCP (Rational Chutzpah) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish,net.religion Subject: Vus Vus explained Message-ID: <660@ihopb.UUCP> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 16:00:59 EST Article-I.D.: ihopb.660 Posted: Thu Jan 17 16:00:59 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 03:21:48 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 30 Xref: watmath net.religion.jewish:1289 net.religion:5307 >Will someone please tell me what a Vus-vus is ????? > Dave Bloom ============================================= "Vus-Vus" is a derogatory term used by Sephardic Jews (Jews from non-European origin) such As Martillo against Askenazi Jews (Jews of European origin) such as Rubin. The etymology is from the Yiddish (language of European Jewry) word "vus" (similar to the German word "vas") meaning "what?" It is based on the conception that Askenazi Jews go around asking a lot of questions, and mocks them for this. In Israeli society, there is a severe cultural barrier between the Askenazi and the Sephardic Jews. By and large the Sephardic are at the bottom of the economic pile. The political implications are contradictory. On one hand you find the most rascist anti-Muslim elements among the Sephardic (such as Martillo). On the other hand there are progressive strains of people at the bottom fighting for economic justice. And just possibly, because the Sephadic Jews generally come from Arabic cultures (Morrocco, Iraq, etc.), there is a strain of understanding the plight of the Palestineans among some Sephadic Jews that may someday be the key to a just solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Andy Berman ---------------------------------------------------------------