Useful Jew
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The term useful Jew was used in various historical contexts, typically describing a Jewish person useful in implementing an official policy, sometimes by oppressing other Jews.
- In 1744, Frederick II of Prussia introduced the practice of limiting Jewish population to a small number of the most wealthy families, known as protected Jews. The first-born son in such families inherited this privilege, other children were considered useless by the authorities and had an alternative to "either abstain from marriage or leave" (quoting Simon Dubnow). See also Court Jew, Schutz-Jude and Shtadlan.
- After the establishment of the Pale of Settlement in Imperial Russia, only useful Jews (Russian: полезные евреи), such as wealthy first guild merchants (Russian: купцы первой гильдии), persons who received higher education, cantonists after serving in the army the full term (25 years), or registered prostitutes, as well as some other categories, were allowed to live outside the Pale.
- During the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe, the Jews who helped implement the Final Solution, such as members of Judenrat, were considered useful Jews (German: Wertvolle Juden: "valuable Jews"). They, and sometimes members of their families as well, were immune from deportation for extermination so long as they served the Nazis' purposes.
- In the Soviet Union, Jewish members of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public were colloquially known as useful Jews or pocket Jews, implying their corruption by high positions in the state hierarchy.
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