Zionists and them Jews

You’ve heard the joke about the Jewish man in prewar Germany who preferred to read the Nazi rag Der Sturmer over the Yiddish papers his friends read—“‘If I read your paper, what do I see? Jews deported, Jews assaulted, Jews insulted, Jewish property confiscated. But I read Der Sturmer, and there’s finally some good news. It seems that we Jews own and control the whole world!“

Well, here’s another Jewish joke that is funny despite the painful past it hints at:

A prominent scientist is being summoned to his institute’s party secretary.

“Comrade professor”, says the secretary gravely, “the Party has started a new anti-Zionist campaign. Our institute was ordered to purge all residual Zionist influences among intellectuals and scientists. So, you’re fired.”

The professor is shocked. “But I am a loyal party member!”’ he protests. “I have never been a Zionist!”

The party secretary knits his eyebrows very tight. “Comrade professor, do not try to deceive the party!” he says. “We checked. You have a Zionist grandmother.”

I poached that straight from Jeffrey Goldberg’s blog. A reader had sent it in to help explain the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments about how he was really referring to those scheming Zionists when he said “them Jews” were keeping him from President Obama.