de@moscom.UUCP (Dave Esan) (10/17/84)
In recent weeks the word vusvus has been bandied around on net.religion. jewish, usually by non-vusvusim, and usually in a negative context. As an ashkenazic Jew I strongly object to this term being used, and as a Jew I even further object. We are taught that the plague that hit the students of R. Akiva was caused by 'sinat khinam', causeless hate. While there has been, and is, friction between the Jews of the Ashkenaz tradition and the Jews of the Sphardic tradition, there should not be hate. If you really despise the Jews of the Ashkenaz so much as to call them vusvusim then you are guilty of sinat khinam. I am interested also in learning of Sphardic traditions, as I am sure that the Sphardim are interested in learn the traditions of the Ashkenaz. I do not think that any person who would call him/herself traditional or Orthodox would call these traditions meaningless or silly. I truly enjoy the discussions on this net, and hope to contribute in the future; I hope that we can maintain a civilized veneer that the goyim seem to think that we have --). Gmar Tov and Gut Yontif (or Khag Sameakh).