One salty Jew

I grew up in a Jewish community and I moved west at age 21 to a community of mostly Dutch folks and no Jews. Dutch folks think Jews are cheap...this is the prevailing consensus among my neighbors. Yesterday I was standing in a local diner and this woman made a remark about the two men loitering at a table for far too long....”oh great, now they’re talking about religion...it’s pastor joe and Rabbi Lou, she says sarcastically. I said “oh is Lou Jewish??!”, I’m always excited to meet other Jews out here because there’s not many of us. She says “no, we just call him Lou the Jew cause he’s cheap”.

That got me thinking to my early days here when my outlaws would say things like “he Jew”d me down” when they were selling their inventory at the local antique store.

Recently a medical practitioner I know , who lives in another area of the country, sold his practice. The practice was in a German Dutch area of Amish folks. The interested buyers were Jewish out of towners. The buyers negotiated, the seller wasn’t thrilled.

It’s truly a clash of culture . As Jews, many of us are good negotiators. In a capitalist country, the price is set when the price a person Is willing to pay meets to price another is willing to accept. In Dutch culture...the price is what the seller says it is. They believe they are fair and honest and hardworking and you should trust that the price they set is fair, any negotiation tactic is an insult to the character of the seller.

Jewish culture decides the true price will be determined by the negotiation process. And personally, I like that process... because I get it and was trained in it. It’s in my DNA. a Jewish seller will often set the price accounting for the fact that a buyer will negotiate. If not, they’ll tell you and they won’t accept a lower offer. So hone your skills!

I’ve come to realize not everyone has the gift of negotiation....and when they end up in a transaction with people from a culture of negotiators...they don’t like it. Instead of sharpening their own skills, they just insist that the Jews are cheap. And that’s not the case! The culture is just completely different!

I’ve waitressed in both Detroit and west Michigan. I can tell you that , hands down, Jews are much more generous tippers and spenders then the Dutch are....overall. Obviously there can be variances between each individual and you’ll get some cheap Jews and some generous Dutchmen...but that’s not the norm...at least in my experience growing up with other Jews and in waiting tables. They are generous givers, and they’re good negotiators. So, before you ill equipped negotiating Dutchmen go around insisting Jews are cheap, realize you still have those three fingers pointing back at you. Pick up a serving apron and spend a few weeks running food to tables at Russ”, you’ll start to get it.