Hidden In Plain Sight

[Errata]

I just don't think it's terribly likely Jack the Ripper was Jewish.

And yeah, I'm Jewish and I don't like the idea of it on general principle. But it's really a numbers thing.

Jews were less than 1% of the population of London. It's not impossible, but it seems 99+% more likely to be a member of the rest of the population. Several statements about Jews in this case are unmitigated crap. And thats not terribly surprising, given a total lack of understanding on the part of the government and police.

And in a way that may be telling. If the police were seriously considering a Jew as a suspect, I would think they would have gotten some help in understanding the culture. It was offered, by the Chief Rabbi of London if I recall. But nobody took him up on it. And of course they wouldn't have learned about Judaism out of some altruistic view to not unjustly accuse someone, or to protect the community. They would have learned so they wouldn't have to take the word of a suspect who cites religion or culture as an alibi.

The Seaside Home Identification is a perfect example. It is either completely false, or the identifying witness completely snowed the cops on why he wouldn't testify. The reason stated is just outrageous. Had they checked with members of the Jewish community about the witness's reasons, they would have known it was crap. In fact there is a good probability that if the Jewish Community found out about it, they would have made his life a living hell until he decided to man up and identify the suspect.

But instead, evidently they just had to takes the witness's word for it. And any serious cop looking for an actual answer isn't going to let that situation persist.

So I highly doubt it. But I suppose anything is possible.

[TomTomKent]

I didn't think it was the suspect who said the Lipski thing, but the second man Schwartz saw. But even if it did spring from the lips of one of a Jewish suspect, then I don't find it too far fetched. I have seen people of all colours and creeds using all kinds of racist and otherwise unsavoury terms to describe members of their own race, creed, religion or what ever. Jews calling other Jews unflattering terms, the same with arabs, muslims, afro-caribian and pretty much everybody else. I guess it is just human nature.

And that is assuming it was not a case of one sub-group with in the Eastern european Jews (let's say Polish for the sake of an example) not liking another group (Ukranian Jews as an example?). For them "Lipski" could (and this pulled out of my bum as pure speculation) not just refer to Jews, but Jews from a particular bit of London, or who emigrated from a particular region, or some other overly specific aspect that they thought applied to Lipski.


Either that or he was in the "ranting" phase of which ever mania drove him earlier than many anylists suspect at that point? Probably not, but worth a thought.

[Robert]

Jason, "chancing his arm" is an unfortunate phrase to apply to Aaron.

[jason_c]

Hi Scorpio

The trouble with that is, if memory serves Aaron objected to paying his dog-muzzling fine on the sabbath, which suggests he was a pious Jew in 1889.

It could also be seen as an excuse not to pay the fine there and then. Kosminski was less than accurate when giving his name to the PC, either using a legitimate reason or he was chancing his arm.

Lipski wasnt a religious term anyway. It was used as an insult to Jews, not blasphemous.

[Scorpio]

No body said so, but if Kosminski is a valid suspect and Schwartz a valid and reliable witness, then the possibilty that Kosminski used the term, for whatever reason, exists.

[mariab]

Who said that Aaron Kozminksi ever used the term “Lipski“? It was BS who allegedly did this (according to Israel Schwartz).

[Robert]

Hi Scorpio

The trouble with that is, if memory serves Aaron objected to paying his dog-muzzling fine on the sabbath, which suggests he was a pious Jew in 1889.

[Scorpio]

We know that Aaron Kosminki's family life was troubled, so could using the term Lipski be an act of disowning his own identity and showing his anger and contempt at a family/culture that he felt had disowned him?.

[Scorpio]

If JtR was a member of the Jewish community,as often claimed by respectable sources, why would he use the term Lipski?. Is this an example of a cultural in- joke?, or an attempt to conceal his identity by adopting the language of the more populous Gentile culture?.