The
word Jew in any form other
than a noun is
derogatory.
—
Arnold G Konheim
November 25, 2002
Man
Wants Jewfish Creek Renamed, Calls it
Anti-Semitic
Associated Press
KEY LARGO — Last year, a Georgia scientist successfully lobbied that the official name of Florida’s largest grouper species be changed from jewfish, which he found offensive, to goliath grouper.
Konheim’s quest has some support, but the issue hardly seems to be a divisive one.
Jim Boruszak, the congregation president of the Keys Jewish Community
Center in Tavernier, said the issue is irrelevant.
“It is not a subject of conversation among Jewish people around here,’ Boruszak said. “Most people don’t even know the name of the fish has been changed.’
Monroe County
commissioners voted unanimously last
week against re-naming the creek, which
has been known as Jewfish Creek for
since the early 1900s, at least. In
fact, postal records show that the town
known now as Key Largo was called
Jewfish until 1921.
The commissioners’ ruling is significant because the federal name-change board considers local opinion when making its decisions.
Gary Grossman, the scientist who lobbied to have the fish species name change, says the continued usage of the word Jewfish is anti-Semitic.
“I don’t believe anybody would let a derogatory geographic name stand for an
African-American or a Hispanic in South
Florida right now,’ said Grossman, a fish ecologist at the University of Georgia.
“So I don’t understand why this is any different.’