Why do I look Jewish only if I have a "Jewish" last name?

Question

This is kind of a funny story. I work in a setting w/ a lot of Jewish people, maybe 25%. I like & respect them. But I get asked an awful lot if I am Jewish. Or better yet, I just get asked how my Hannukah or Seder or Shabbat was (like I am so obviously Jewish they needn't even question it). Often, when I say" no" or "not at all", they say "Oh, well, you look it." (Jewish people would ask & say this 99% of time) or "Are you sure? You look it."

Ok, so I got married 1.5 years ag. I would say I used to get asked once a month.
So far (1.5 years), not once.

My new last name is very waspy sounding, English ,etc.

So the thing is, why do I "look" Jewish only w/ the "Jewish" last name (which was actually Austrian).

I think maybe sometimes people say you "look it" just because they feel a little foolish when they are wrong, and want to justify it. no?

Thanks & remember I love the Jewish people I work w/ I just find it amusing & odd!

Answer 1

Well, Jews sometimes have defining characteristics. Maybe you fit into one of them. You might have a Jewish bloodline and not know about it.

Answer 2

What exactly defines someone as looking jewish or a jewish last name?

It mostly goes back to the German refugees circa WWII. The Germanic Yittish is stereotypically the "Look and sound" of American Jews. Most of this refugee community had specific traits that people often call mistakenly Jewish. To name a few off the cuff of these identy traits that people often associate with Jews would be ravendark hair, usually straight, light/fair complextion and large or prominent/distinct noses. In my head this doesn't scream Jewish...this screams French royalty. But no matter

the name's that people like to say are jewish are again Yittish in nature and can be traced back to the germanic areas, like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein. All those places where Hitler was active in ousting the Jewish community. last names like Rosenbaum, or Kranz, Mann or Hertzenshiff, words like that, where if you broke them apart they are unmistakenly German and if you looked them up in geneology sites you might discover those names were prominent in the Jewish community of their sireing.

As far as you being labeled a jew in your work place by other Jews, I would take that as a complement. :P Obviously you have some traits that your coworkers could identify with and made them comfortable enough to initiate conversation.

Answer 3

Maybe all of the people you worked with just got the message, so they don't ask anymore.

Answer 4

You look human. Isn't this what really counts?

"Jewish" designates a belief, not a beingness, nor an ethnic group.

Answer 5

I wish I understood the question.