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Line 2: [[File:Jew holding Coins, 2012.JPG\|thumb\|Jewish figurine with coin]] '''Jew with a coin''' ({{lang-pl\|Żyd z pieniążkiem}}), "Little Jews" ({{lang-pl\|Żydki}}),<ref name="haaretz20141120">[https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-why-are-the-poles-amassing-jewish-figurines-1.5331736 Why Are the Poles Amassing Jewish Figurines?], Haaretz, Benny Mer, 20 November 2014</ref> or '''Lucky Jew''', are images and figurines of Jews holding coins ~~that since 2000 are common throughout [[Poland]]~~.~~<ref~~ ~~name="haaretz20141120"/><ref~~The ~~name~~practice{{clarify\|date=~~"JTA20180818"/> The~~May ~~imagery~~2019}} is widely considered to be offensive or [[antisemitic]].<ref>[https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/qbnewm/hey-poland-whats-up-with-those-lucky-jew-statues Hey Poland, What's Up with Those Lucky Jew Statues?], Vice, Ilana Belfer, 10 October 2013</ref><ref name="Cala">[http://ispan.waw.pl/journals/index.php/slh/article/download/slh.2015.010/1596 Cała, Alina. "„Pamiątka, Zabawka, Talizman/Souvenir, Talisman, Toy”(wystawa w Muzeum Etnograficznym w Krakowie, 2013 rok, kuratorka: Erica Lehrer)." Studia Litteraria et Historica 3-4 (2015): 265-271.]</ref> == History == Research by [[Erica Lehrer]], who curated the ''Souvenir, Talisman, Toy'' exhibit at the [[Ethnographic Museum of Kraków]], shows that while figurines of Jews existed in the past in Poland the contemporary figurines connecting traditionally dressed Jews with coins is recent. Prior to World War II, Jewish figures were present in Christmas and Easter rituals and in particular in the Emaus Easter market fair in Krakow. During the [[History of Poland (1945–1989)\|communist era in Poland]] figures of Jews at work as well as suffering in the [[Holocaust]] were available for sale in the {{ill\|Cepelia \|pl\|Cepelia}} ethnic art stores. <ref name="haaretz20141120"/> According to {{ill\|Bożena Umińska-Keff\|pl\|Bożena Umińska-Keff}}, while Jews were connected to money in the past in Poland, the rise of the coin imagery in post-communist Poland is not coincidental as Jews have become associated with success in the West.<ref name="haaretz20141120"/> In 2017 [[Rafał Pankowski]], co-founder of the ''Never Again'' anti-racism organization, condemned the sale in the [[Parliament of Poland]] of "lucky Jew" figurines as "deeply rooted in negative stereotypes". Following Pankowski's condemnation, the figurines were removed from sale from the parliament 's souvenir shop.<ref>[https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/polish-parliament-gift-shop-removes-jewish-figurines Polish parliament gift shop removes Jewish figurines from sale], The Art Newspaper, 15 December 2017</ref><ref name="JTA20180818">[https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-lucky-jew-imagery-is-so-popular-in-poland/ Why ‘Lucky Jew’ imagery is so popular in Poland], Times of Israel (JTA reprint), 18 August 2018</ref> == Ethnographic analysis == According to historian and sociologist [[Alina Cała]], three point of reference stand out in the figurines. The first is reminiscent of figurines in the traditional Emaus Easter fair, the second is [[black magic]], whereas the third is the traditional [[Antisemitic canard#Usury and profiteering\|antisemitic caricature of Jewish moneylender]] which was exploited in Nazi and Polish iconography. However, whereas classical moneylender tropes often presented assimilated Jews the current Polish figurines present Jews in traditional Orthodox dress.<ref name="Cala"/> According to Polish anthropologist [[Joanna Tokarska-Bakir]], the figurines fill a role similar to the a series of other [[Household deity\|domestic demons]] - in this case protecting Polish homes that were "purified of Jews". According to Tokarska-Bakir, the placement of the figurines in the hall to the left of the doorway is the same as the placement of old Slav ancestors. Tokarska-Bakir that given that Polish society has enriched itself as a result of the "disappearance" of the Jews, the custom is [[grotesque]] - a demonism transformed into a triviality. Turning to [[Sigmund Freud]]'s [[Totem and Taboo]], Tokarska-Bakir contrasts the Polish custom with [[Totem\|totemic religion]] which is the product of guilty sons attempting to atone for the founding murder of legendary horde leaders. Cast in this manner, Tokarska-Bakir considers the grotesque practice as less irrational - the protection of the home by the Jew who was expelled from the home being a twisted sign of moral initiation.<ref ~~name="Tokarska-Bakir"~~>[http://wyborcza.pl/1,75410,11172689,Zyd_z_pieniazkiem_podbija_Polske.html A Jew with a coin conquers Poland (Polish)], Joanna Tokarska-Bakir, 18 February 18 2012</ref> According to literature researcher {{ill\|Bożena Umińska-Keff\|pl\|Bożena Umińska-Keff}}~~, the stereotyping of Jews in Poland is widespread, particularly so in the church. Umińska-Keff sees in~~ the imagery and superstitions surrounding the figurines all the basic elements of antisemitism, and sees the figurines as part of a wider tradition of antisemitic images in Poland (Jewish wizards, Jews making blood from children, [[Judensau]], [[Żydokomuna]], etc.). Umińska-Keff ties the current figurines to the dispossession of the Jews by the Germans and Poles during the Holocaust.<ref>[https://www.rp.pl/artykul/877193-Zyd-o-imieniu-Zyd.html A Jew named Jewish (Polish)], Bożena Umińska-Keff, 19 May 2012</ref> According to [[Haaretz]], murdered Jews were a source of enrichment for Poles who charged high prices for hiding Jews and plundered Jewish property., as detailed in the book ''Klucze i Kasa''. According to Haaretz, The association of Jews with money may have risen from this process, and may be the cause behind the existence of the figurines in Poland.<ref name="haaretz20141120"/> According to [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]] director for international relations Dr. Shimon Samuels, superstition lies behind the figurines. According to Samuels these are used as good luck charms by football fans who then blame the Jewish figurines if their team loses. Samuels likens the figurines to a [[phantom limb]], as while only 20,000 Jews reside in modern Poland, the stereotypical Jewish figurines serve as an item that may be "scratched".<ref name="JC20141204">[https://www.thejc.com/news/world/poland-s-mantelpiece-jews-1.62534 Poland's mantelpiece Jews], The JC, 4 December 2014</ref> According to Erica Lehrer, who created an exhibition of Jewish figurines, most Poles do not consider the images to be antisemitic but rather a longing to the past coupled with a desire to receive some of the Jews' purported power. Lehrer says the figurines embody stereotypes on Jews, however they aren't clearly antisemitic but rather ambiguous.<ref name="TOI20141229"/> However, professor of philosophy [[Stanisław Krajewski]] stated in the catalog of Lehrer's exhibition that he resented "how the negative statement made by these figures is smuggled under the veil of something positive".<ref name="TOI20141229"/> ~~== Customs and superstitions ==~~ The figurines, which are popular in Poland, are often given as gifts.<ref name="JTA20180818"/> Some owners of the figurines flip them over on Friday night<ref name="JTA20180818"/> or Saturdays,<ref name="TOI20141229">[https://www.timesofisrael.com/lucky-jews-abound-in-warsaw-where-real-ones-are-scarce/ Real Jews are scarce in Warsaw, but ‘lucky Jew’ figurines are everywhere], Times of Israel, 29 December 2014</ref> so that the money may fall upon the family living in the house.<ref name="JTA20180818"/><ref name="TOI20141229"/> At homes the figurines are placed in the hallway to the left of the door. <ref name="Tokarska-Bakir"/> In addition, the figurines are placed in offices and in shops next to cash registers.<ref name="TOI20141229"/> == References ==