[net.religion] the Jew, the Christian, and Sean Ferguson

lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) (02/12/85)

>If only I could remember that really great joke about the Jewish man named
>Sean Ferguson.  (Could someone please repeat it?) [Rich Rosen]

	I know an old man, very frum [orthodox], who speaks only Yiddish.
His name is Sean Ferguson.  I asked him, "How does a Jew get a name like
'Sean Ferguson'?"

	He told me, "When I came here, from the Old Country, I had a letter
from my cousin, he said, 'Everybody in America has a new name, an American
name.  When you come on Ellis Island, you should give them an American
name too.'  My cousin's name, it was Joe Green.  So, I made up a new name,
Harry Green, very American, and I practiced saying it all the way on the
boat coming over.  'Harry Green, Harry Green, Harry Green.'

	"Then the boat got to New York and I saw the Statue of Liberty and
the tall buildings and I stood in a long, long line. All the time, I'm
saying to myself, 'Harry Green, Harry Green, Harry Green,' over and over
so I don't forget.  Finally, I came up to the front of the line and 
a big man demanded, 'What's your name?'

	"And all of a sudden, I drew a blank!  I couldn't remember the
name.  And the man says, again, 'What's your name?'  I was so flustered,
I said, 'Shine fergessen' ['I forget']"


This joke is better in Yiddish.

-- 

					Leah A Zeldes
					...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes