"My wife who is non-Jewish regrets it all the time that I can say these terrible things about fellow Jews and she can't"
- Joseph Epstein
About this Quote
This quote by Joseph Epstein talks to the concept of Jewish identity and the power of language. It suggests that, as a Jewish person, Epstein has the capability to reveal his thoughts and feelings about fellow Jews in a manner that his non-Jewish partner can not. This indicates that there is a certain level of understanding and connection that features being Jewish, and that this connection is something that non-Jews can not access. Epstein's spouse may feel a sense of remorse that she can not share in this experience, and Epstein's quote talks to the power of language and identity in the Jewish community. It also talks to the idea of inclusion and exclusion, and how language can be utilized to produce a sense of belonging or to leave out certain individuals from a group. Eventually, this quote speaks with the value of language and identity in the Jewish neighborhood, and how these 2 things can form the method people connect with each other.
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