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Unsure what to make of this?



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amother
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Post Wed, Feb 15 2017, 1:23 pm
Besides my work in my job, I am also involved in a variety of volunteer work in my local community. I work part time, and I don't have children. About two months ago I was set up to visit a lady who is housebound one afternoon a week. She is not Jewish but she knows I am Jewish as I told her in casual conversation (the conversation went towards religion, I can't remember the details). Her response was "oh are you?"
Yesterday, I went to visit and she was talking to me and she got into a conversation about working life and her experiences in work when she was working. In the middle of this she started making comments such as "I worked with a lot of Jewish people and they thought they knew everything because of their qualifications when really they did not have the experience". She later said "Jews are very enterprising" (and more about the people she worked with). "They work hard, play hard".
I am interested in what you would have made of these comments?
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 15 2017, 2:45 pm
Ignore the comments.

Maybe she is trying to find common ground for conversation. Maybe she is socially inept. Maybe she is trying to pick an argument.

If she becomes truly offensive, ask for another volunteer to take your place.
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 15 2017, 2:52 pm
She's obviously baiting you. I would say nothing but give her a good, hard look right in the eye as if to say "I know what you're doing and I won't take the bait." If she keeps it up I would ask to be reassigned. You're a volunteer, you can afford to wait for a client who doesn't make barbed comments.
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dimyona




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 15 2017, 4:41 pm
I had a colleague like that. In some cultures, they don't see stereotyping as offensive, and she kept on harping on my being Jewish, usually in a complimentary way.

I was startled the first time she did it, but learned to smile and ignore. She really never meant any harm, and we're good friends.
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brkn




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 15 2017, 6:48 pm
I work with an older woman who also makes comments about her experiences with the Jewish community. It's clear to me from her tone of voice and the types of comments she makes that it's not meant maliciously. She's trying to be friendly and just doesn't realize that her comments are a bit "off."

For this woman you met, it could go either way. She obviously believes a lot of stereotypes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she dislikes Jews or anything. Personally I would ignore the comments unless she said anything worse.

You shouldn't feel bad if you don't want to ignore the comments though. It's 100% OK to not want to work with someone who's rude to you!
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