A close look at the ads makes it clear that they appeared in The Jewish Standard of London, and there's your context. The "Dutch (Christian) Gentleman" doesn't say in so many words that he will work for Jews, but they are obviously his intended audience. A Christian pleading to Jews for employment does seem amusingly out of character for the time.
It's perhaps not so strange.Despite all the poverty that is the hallmark of Yidden of those times, when you stories from that period, it seems like everyone had non Jews as employees , maids in particular.
I think you're completely mischaracterising it. He's advertising in a Jewish newspaper, to Jewish readers, so readers would naturally assume he was Jewish, and he has to mention that he is not. Having said that he mentions that his last job was at a Jewish firm, so he knows what to expect and how to behave, and therefore Jews shouldn't hesitate to hire him.
I see no reason to suppose that this was his only ad. He may very well have advertised in a general newspaper as well, and that ad, aimed at a general audience, would not mention any of these things.
Hard to appreciate the peleh, humor, irony without the context.
ReplyDeleteDid this ad run in the Times of London or in the 1890s answer to Pravda Ne'eman ?
I don't get it. He doesn't say what the title of the post says he says.
ReplyDeleteA close look at the ads makes it clear that they appeared in The Jewish Standard of London, and there's your context. The "Dutch (Christian) Gentleman" doesn't say in so many words that he will work for Jews, but they are obviously his intended audience. A Christian pleading to Jews for employment does seem amusingly out of character for the time.
ReplyDeleteIt's perhaps not so strange.Despite all the poverty that is the hallmark of Yidden of those times, when you stories from that period, it seems like everyone had non Jews as employees , maids in particular.
ReplyDeleteI think you're completely mischaracterising it. He's advertising in a Jewish newspaper, to Jewish readers, so readers would naturally assume he was Jewish, and he has to mention that he is not. Having said that he mentions that his last job was at a Jewish firm, so he knows what to expect and how to behave, and therefore Jews shouldn't hesitate to hire him.
ReplyDeleteI see no reason to suppose that this was his only ad. He may very well have advertised in a general newspaper as well, and that ad, aimed at a general audience, would not mention any of these things.