Jew with a coin: Difference between revisions

Scholars offer differing interpretations on the nature and origin of the motif. While the images draw upon traditional [[Antisemitic canard#Usury and profiteering|antisemitic caricature of Jewish moneylender]],<ref name="Cala"/><ref>[https://www.academia.edu/39121018/Lucky_Jews Luck Jews?] Pictures + Essay by Erica Lehrer in [[Jewish Museum London]]'s 2019 ''Jews, Money, Myth'' exhibition catalog</ref> opinions vary on the nature of this motif ranging from harmless folklore or nostalgia, promoting Polish-Jewish dialogue, to offensive or antisemitic.<ref name="Vice20131010">[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="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><ref name="haaretz20141120"/><ref name="LehrerUSHMM"/> The practicefigures isnaren't widely popular in Poland, with only 1619% of surveyed Poles carrying out the practice and 19%surveyed possesing such item<ref>„Żyd z pieniążkiem” jako praktyka polskiej kultury wernakularnej. Wstępny raport z badań, „Kultura Współczesna” 2015, nr 3. Pawel Dobrosielski </ref>

According to a 2015 survey in Poland, 65% of respondents identify the figurines and 18% of respondents had such a figurine at home; Recognition of the symbol does not vary with respondent age, indicating that the practice started recently.<ref name="Tartakowsky">[https://laviedesidees.fr/IMG/pdf/20170110_tartakowskyjuifargent.pdf Tartakowsky, Ewa. ''Le Juif à la pièce d’argent.'' (French) La vie des idées (2017).]<br/> [https://booksandideas.net/The-Jew-with-the-Silver-Coin.html The Jew with the Gold Coin (English translation), Ewa Tartakowsky translated by Arianne Dorval, 24 April 2017]</ref> Another survey from that year suggested that about 18% of the surveyed own a related product. About 50% of the surveyed correctly identified the motif with financial success; others pointed more generally to it being a 'lucky symbol', or just to it being a folk decoration.<ref name=dobr/>However the practice is very limited in Poland and doesn't have wide popularity with only 19% of Poles surveyed possesing such item and 16% confirming to use it<ref>„Żyd z pieniążkiem” jako praktyka polskiej kultury wernakularnej. Wstępny raport z badań, „Kultura Współczesna” 2015, nr 3. Pawel Dobrosielski </ref>