Letters/Discussion Forums
On story headlines and Purim Shpiel jokes…
June Levy
The editor’s response was immediately to defend the right of the paper to use the usual modern journalese it termed the ”çolloquial language of the modern trends of news reporting”.
However, I bear in mind also the recent Purim fiasco, during when a joke was published regarding the sale of the paper to the Gupta family – all in the name of a “Purim Shpiel”. However, this created an outraged response from Jewish readers worldwide.
With this in mind I suggest that a Jewish publication has an important responsibility to tread carefully with the words it prints, to respect the emotions of its readers and to uphold our Jewish self-esteem as a special nation with its own integrity of spirit.
Therefore instead of springing in defensively to readers’ opinions, the powers-that-be in the Jewish publishing world would be wise to offer apologies to those readers it represents and who may well have a genuine bone to pick.
Sunninghill, Sandton
Jp
May 4, 2016 at 12:31 pm
‘Hearing that some Jewish people could not accept that the \”Purim fiasco\” was a Purim joke / Purim Shpiel, is a sad indication to me that we are losing our Jewish Heritage / Culture.
When we forget that the time of year is Adar or Purim, are we not forgetting our past and that we are Jewish?
Anyway I recall that SAJR did apologize for any upset caused by the \”Purim fiasco\”, and so I trust a lesson has been learned for next time… a lesson about Jewish playfulness!
I applaud SAJR for a very entertaining \”Purim fiasco\” and look forward to another next year.
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