Mazal Tov + Lt. Jacobs


For such a supposedly anti-semitic time, the Jews are given special treatment in this film, probably because we dominat(ed) the film industry. Specifically:

"Mazal Tov" is Hebrew for "Good Luck", but it actually is used for "Congratulations". It is used incorrectly on two occasions in this film, both by Cpl. Gabby Gordon. The first time is when the platoon splits up into two elements so as to better reach their rendevous point. Gabby tells his buddy in the second element "mazal tov" for good luck. In Hebrew, when you want to wish someone success in their ventures (ergo, "good luck to you") you say instead: "b'hatzlacha", which literally means "in success" or "with success".

The second time he misuses this term is when he chucks a grenade (again, Hollywood doesn't know how to throw a grenade properly, but that's another rant) and says "mazal tov", for good luck.

Interesting that Gabby Gordon is not a typically Jewish-sounding name (Gabriel Gordon could be, but not necessarily so) and is obviously the token Jew of the platoon. More interesting is that Lt. Sid Jacobs, who has an extremely Jewish-sounding name; is given no Jewish attributes at all, such as having "Hebrew" on his dog tag, for instance.

Thoughts, gentlemen??

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Maybe that was the extent of Gabby's knowledge of Hebrew. :) It might be his Yiddish was much better. He could have been Jewish through his mother and have had very little formal religious training. And maybe Sid's father was an ethnic but nonreligious Jew who married a nonJew and Sid's a Christian or agnostic or something. Just goes to show you can't tell a book by its cover.

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So all U.S. Jews speak Hebrew? I don't think so. Gordon probably picked up a few expressions and used them colloquially, but not necessarily with perfect linguistic accuracy.

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