Re: Origin of the word 'Peruvian' to describe jewws on the doamond nad goldfields #southafrica #general
Jews from Eastern Europe who came after the German immigration to SA formed a club called in Yiddish the Palisher and Russisher Verein (unsure of spelling) abbreviated to PARUV,. They were then caller Peruvniks which was a derogatory term and anglicised to Peruvian. I was aware of this but checked and found this online-
Peruvian or Peruvnik..originated in Kimberley during the Diamond Rush Days...The Jews from Eastern Europe were looked down upon by English and German Jews. The Polish and Russian Jews were of course excluded from the Kimberley club so they formed their own club which they called Polish And Russian Union. The acronym is Paru, which was and still is an expression of contempt and an assertion of superiority on the part of those using the word.’ (D. Schrire, Letter, 2 May 1989).
Arlene Beare UK
Peruvian or Peruvnik..originated in Kimberley during the Diamond Rush Days...The Jews from Eastern Europe were looked down upon by English and German Jews. The Polish and Russian Jews were of course excluded from the Kimberley club so they formed their own club which they called Polish And Russian Union. The acronym is Paru, which was and still is an expression of contempt and an assertion of superiority on the part of those using the word.’ (D. Schrire, Letter, 2 May 1989).
Arlene Beare UK
Dorfman (born Birzai Lithuania then Riga) Scher/Blum(born Pandelys Lithuania then Riga) Berman (born Lygumai Lithuania then Jekabpils Latvia
Samuels - UK Trzmil,Ring and Dembinski Zychlin Poland