In light of the recent anti-Semitism diaries, I have my own story that is presently unfolding. My small town in Mont Vernon, NH has a 1/4 acre pond named Jew Pond. Although there are no signs with the name, the USGS map displays Jew Pond and the name is well known in town. It has had that name since the 1920s when Jewish people came from out of town to vacation at a local hotel. A University of NH student produced a documentary about the pond.
"The Story Behind Jew Pond" by Katelyn Ann Dobbs
Mont Vernon's health officer has petitioned the USGS to change the name. On March 13th the town will vote on whether to rename Jew Pond.
The Jew Pond name change has brought attention to the town from the Roman Catholic Bishop of New Hampshire Peter Libasci, K. Jeff Fladen of the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, Derrek L. Shulman regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, and our US senators, Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen. All parties recognized the slur and have recommended changing the name.
There has been an animated discussion about renaming Jew Pond on the Mont Vernon Chatter Facebook page. Reading the posts and being part of the discussion have taught me much. They say every experience in life is an opportunity to learn. This journey for me has been no exception.
I am Jewish and have been aware of Jew Pond since I moved to town almost 25 years ago. The name has always disturbed me, a personal insult. When I heard that the name change was up for a vote, I thought the referendum would quickly pass and life would go on as normal. I was surprised to learn otherwise.
The name Jew Pond is hurtful, not just to me, but to most Jews. You can't grow up in a Jewish family and not be sensitive to the slurs. The name gnawed at me under the surface all these years. When I saw that the town was going to change the name, I thought, good, a wrong will be righted.
But then, reading Mont Vernon Chatter on Facebook, I realized that not everyone saw it for the simple issue I thought it was. Many people said that no matter what the new name would be, they'd still call it Jew Pond or Jews Pond. With each new post, I felt they were saying to me, personally, no matter what your education, what you do with your life, to me you will still be a dirty Jew.
Townspeople posted personal stories of prejudice and the lessons they had learned. The moral here - do not change the pond name. If it bothers you, suck it up. Many others posted all the neighborly deeds they experienced, how kind, caring, and thoughtful the residents were. What a nice town. It was as if their sense of community trumped the insulting name Jew Pond.
It was when I read the comment, "Can we vote to just fill the darn thing in with dirt, and then there won't be a pond to talk about anymore? Good grief.", that I knew I could no longer keep quiet. I decided to post. Everyone would see the light and, of course, agree with me, and that would be that. So, I posted that I did not appreciate making a joke of Jew Pond. Hey - I'm Jewish. Have a little respect here, I thought.
Well, you can all make jokes about this, but being a town resident, and Jewish, I do not find it in the least bit humorous. I have a good friend whose parents were in concentration camp and bore the tattoos to prove it. The discussion of religious intolerance is never pretty, but sometimes necessary.
The responses to this comment were written assaults.
[Molunkusmol] is basically calling us bigots who don't care about the Holocaust.
I'm sorry you are offended, but can we stop whipping out the Holocaust card every time someone makes a joke or doesn't agree with you? No one is joking about the Holocaust. I think comparing the Pond's name to the horrors of the Holocaust is a bit melodramatic. No one is saying there wasn't prejudice in the town, but there weren't any death camps. People are frustrated because a rift has been made in the town because of something a lot of people don't think was a big problem to begin with. Please stop inferring that everyone who doesn't share your views doesn't care about the Holocaust. You're not helping your cause, that's for sure.
Not all this freaking drama. Many of my relatives found their end at the hands of the Nazis and it is offensive to pull that card for an issue of such trivia. What irks me the most is that all this unnecessary dust up over such a BS issue has further hurt the town's reputation.
Wow!!!! Escalation! I felt that I took a slap in the face.
I still couldn't wrap my head around it. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't just go along with the name change for the sake of anyone who might be offended. After all, it can only help, and it was no skin off their teeth.
So, I backed off, thought about it, and tried again. OK, this time I'd make sure not to push any buttons, state my case in just a few sentences, beg for peace. This will be the one. Now, they'll understand and come around.
For almost 25 years I have lived in this town knowing there was a Jew Pond. That name is wrong and offensive, maybe not to you, but to many. Now, thanks to Rich Masters, we have a chance to right that wrong. And what do I see here - three threads full? I see a town which should be happy to right that wrong, instead stubbornly digging in its heels. Why not just do what is right? Why the hurtful remarks? Why not just say calling it Jew Pond is offensive and we'll do the right thing and change the name? So simple.
My attempts at persuasion failed miserably. These were the responses:
“Believing that your version of what is right should be right for everyone is called...intolerance.”
“What bothers me is that the very same PC crowd that teaches their kids labels like, "Jesus Freaks," is trying to teach us all about tolerance.”
At this point, I did not respond. I said my piece and saw no purpose in arguing. The discussion continued.
This question was posted, "Am I to understand that not wanting to change the name means I’m somehow guilty of intolerance?"
My husband expressed his short, but volatile view. "xxxx, the answer to your question is yes."
These are the barbs that were thrown at my husband for posting a mere “yes” response.
So let me get this straight - are you saying that anyone in the town who is not gung ho about changing the name is a bigot? I wouldn't fight to keep the name but I don't feel strongly that it needs to be changed either. So that makes me intolerant? Funny, I don't think the Jewish relatives I have think that. Just because someone doesn't fully agree with your rabid political correctness doesn't mean they are a bigot. And if you think that, you are just as intolerant as you think they are. I am done with this issue as well.
Saul Alinsky rule 5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage." It makes me sick to my stomach to see these activist tactics being used on our little town.
I'm sorry but you lose all credibility once you start calling our neighbors names just because they don't hold the same views as you do. It's one thing to put forth an issue and debate the merits of your case and let residents decide. It's a completely different animal when you come on here and start insulting people because you believe your cause is more important than being kind to each other. You lost me completely.
From the original poster of the question:
Intolerance and bigotry -- those who don't agree with renaming the pond have had labels unfairly applied to them.
My husband was forced to defend himself when he was accused of this name calling, both on Facebook and in comments to a local newspaper article about Jew Pond. He posted the following:
I feel I must respond to the allegations of name calling here and on the Mont Vernon Chatter Facebook page, as they are directed at me.
A gentleman on the board posed the question to the community:
"Am I to understand that not wanting to change the name means I’m somehow guilty of intolerance?"
I responded: "xxxx, the answer to your question is yes."
That was my opinion and it has not changed. Why would one ask a question such as this if he didn't want honest answers? Why am I being vilified for a polite response? I do not see a yes response to this question as being the same as calling one hurtful names.
There are several Jewish residents in town who feel the name Jew Pond is inappropriate and have made their opinions known locally and on the closed community Facebook page.
However, the real problem is the reaction by a very vocal group in town opposed to changing the name for any reason.
Some argue that there is nothing wrong with the name.
Some admit that the name is a barb, yet still don't want it changed.
Does anyone think that this is about the name of a pond any more?
Why would a community not embrace its past, acknowledge it for what it is, and do the right thing going forward? This is not just our issue or our cause. The renaming (or not) of Jew Pond will alter the way our town is viewed in the eyes of the world.
The lesson I learned is that this discussion is much more than renaming Jew Pond. There is a larger underlying problem here. It is partially about compassion which perhaps is lacking today. I'm not sure if it is also anti-Semitic feelings or the economy or politics or what. I fear that whatever it is will continue to fester beyond this name change controversy with no good outcome.
1:37 PM PT: I am humbled to be on the rec list. And on my first diary!!!