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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
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>Will someone please tell me what a Vus-vus is ?????
>                   Dave Bloom

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"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

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