Jewish lawyer stereotype

The Jewish lawyer stereotype is a common stereotype of Jews, which depicts Jews and Jewish lawyers as clever, greedy, exploitative, dishonest, and as engaging in moral turpitude and excessive legalism. The stock character of the Jewish lawyer appears frequently in popular culture. According to Jonathan Pearl and Judith Pearl, the large number of Jewish lawyers in real life is reflected in television.

Contents

Stereotype

The concept of the Jewish lawyer is a common stereotype of Jews,[1][2][3] which depicts Jews and Jewish lawyers as clever, greedy, exploitative, dishonest, and as engaging in moral turpitude and excessive legalism.[1][4] According to Michael Asimow and Shannon Mader, the stereotype dates back to Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Hebrew Bible.[1] Ted Merwin writes that in the United States the stereotype became popular in the mid-to-late 20th century when Jews started entering the legal profession.[5]

Popular culture

The stock character of the Jewish lawyer appears frequently in popular culture.[1][6][7]

Jay Michaelson writes in The Forward that the character of Maurice Levy, in the drama series The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff, is stereotypical, with a "New York accent and the quintessential pale skin, brown hair and Ashkenazic nose of the typical American Jew". [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Asimow, Michael; Mader, Shannon (2004). Law and Popular Culture: A Course Book. Peter Lang Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 978-0820458151.
  2. ^ Irons, Peter H. (1993). The New Deal Lawyers. Princeton University Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0691000824.
  3. ^ Feingold, Henry L. (2002). Zion in America: The Jewish Experience from Colonial Times to the Present. Dover Publications. p. 262. ISBN 978-0486422367.
  4. ^ a b Michaelson, Jay. "A Jew and a Lawyer Are Sitting in a Bar...". The Forward. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2010. Archived by WebCite on 10 November 2010.
  5. ^ Merwin, Ted (2006). In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0813538099.
  6. ^ Pearl, Jonathan; Pearl, Judith (1999) .The Chosen Image: Television's Portrayal of Jewish Themes and Characters. McFarland & Company. p. 97. ISBN 978-0786405220.
  7. ^ Sanua, Victor D. (1983). Fields of Offerings: Studies in Honor of Raphael Patai. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 159.
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