What's the deal with the comments about jews and money?

Question

I've been investigating anti semitism issues for a while (none of it makes sense) and the one thing that always makes me think is the one about the money... where does this come from? is it true that they have all the money in the world? did they invent Valentine's Day to make lots of money? do they really control the financial world? is Bill Gates a jew? Are all the arab royalls jews? are Citi Group and GM run by jews?...
it all sounds a bit like folklore to me... i want numbers and facts please... or at least i would like to know where to get some...

Answer 1

1) Education and literacy are highly valued amongst Jews. So many had the skills to do jobs involving record keeping and numbers.
2) Jews have often been prohibited from many professions and from owning land. With limited choices, you do the best that you can.
3) When you never know when the next pogrom might come along, readily portable wealth and skills are vital.
4) Rulers just loved to use Jews as tax collectors etc. That way resentment over high taxes was channeled into anti-Semitism and the poor folk burned their neighbor's house instead of the castle.
5) Going along with what the ruler wanted meant some protection. Until your neighbors burned your house.

Anti-Semitism started with the early Church fathers who were willing to say absolutely anything to get their followers to finally abandon Judaism. They also slagged -each other- off regularly, it was just part of the way they did things. They'd probably be aghast, some of them at least, of what's been done in the subsequent 1800 years with their words.

Answer 2

No they don't have all the money in the world because I have $5 in my pocket. LOL
Actually this whole thing originates from the Middle Ages. In England, at least, the Jews were not allowed to do any work except handle finances. They could borrow and lend for a profit. Because at the time it was considered wrong for Christians to lend for profit, so they had Jews do it for them! The Jews became a source of revenue for the kings, and when the kings became overly indebted to them, they expelled them from the country - thus cancelling out their own debts!
Of course many people became indebted to Jews as a result, and these people could not expell the Jews at their whim.
Debtors usually end up hating their creditors. So the result was the rumour that the Jews had practically all the money in the world, and they were supposedly responsible for everyone's financial difficulties. Hence Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
Totally unreasonable, but that's what it's all about.
Add to that a book that was written at the end of the 1800's, called something like The Zion Protocol, based on foged documents, claiming that the Jews and the Masons were involved in a plot to control all of the governments in the world, and you get a stimulus for the pogroms in Russian controlled territory, and a scapegoat for hitler's Nazis in Germany.

Answer 3

Well I think it starts with some truth in history and then gets blown out of proportion. I certainly grew up in Jamaica hearing that Jews were always good with money and if you wanted to be wealthy, you should get their advice on saving, spending and investing.

According to the Israeli diamond industry website, Israel manufactures 2/3 of the World's "gem quality diamond" - that's a lot of wealth.

In Germany, after WW1, jews were still pretty well off compared to the rest of the strugglingn germans, severely hurt by the loss and especially the financial burden. The Jews came to be resented.

Ironically, some Jews played a part in feeding anti-semtism, check out http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/zionism/zanda.cfm for more info.

Jews are said to own large amounts of shares in many financial organizations, but I have no way of verifying that, it's not like they ask you to describe your ethnicity when you buy stock.

Answer 4

You say you have been investigating anti-Semitism (sic) for a while - and yet you ask ridiculous questions like Is Bill Gates a Jew and Are all the Arab Royalls Jews? Those questions, (and others) belie that you have done very little investigating indeed!

Answer 5

It's just a stereotype that pervades to this day due to the fact that the Jews were bankers, jewelers, merchants, etc. that tended to gain wealth. It was the culture and they were successful which lead to resentment and it spread. Add to that the religious differences and you have a perfect scenario for racist hatred. Jealousy. Period.

Answer 6

This may stem from the fact that in the middle ages, christians were prohibited from lending money by the church. The Jews filled that niche in the economy. And, it is a profitable niche.

Answer 7

the comments about jews and money dont have as much to do with the idea of jews having all the money......but more along the lines that ignorant individuals think that jews try to nickel and dime people just to save a buck.....phrases like "Jew you down" or "Jewed down the price".......its an awful reflection of the idea that Jews are tightwads

i think its just a coincidence that there are a lot of successful Jews.....if you come from a successful family then chances are you strive to be successful also....its a patern that just carries on

Answer 8

Look, why do you even try to think about that? Instead of wasting your time wondering if Bill Gates is a jew, you could buy a brand new PS3, and play it! Think about things before you do them.

Answer 9

That never really made alot of sense to me since I know Jewish people that don't have alot of money. I'm sure some do but so does alot of other people

Answer 10

Jewish men are shrewd buisnessmen and tend to deal with and amongst themselves being harder on those who are not one of thier own. This is probably where most of the ruors begin.