A ‘Shanda,’ Not a ‘Shomer’

Leo Rosten, the late Jewish American humorist, offers a most powerful and accurate understanding of Yiddish words used in English; a shandah, “a disgrace, one who brings embarrassment through mere association,” is one such illustration.

Some context. For almost 40 years, I was senior rabbi at Temple Adath Yeshurun in Syracuse, N.Y., one of the largest synagogues outside the New York metropolitan area. For many years, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) served as my senator. I was in his presence numerous times as he reassured the Jewish community that he was not “just” an elected office holder, but he was mishpachah, “family,” and he understood our vulnerabilities and legitimate concerns. I heard his “stump speech” often, his playful rhetoric; “My last name is Schumer, shomer, a ‘guardian.’ I am shomer Yisrael. I am the guardian of Israel.” Read Full Article »