Jewish lightning

English Etymology From the anti-Semitic stereotype of Jews engaging in this practice. Noun - en offensive The supposed cause of a fire that is deliberately started to collect insurance money, without leaving evidence of arson. en Francis A. J. Ianni Black Mafia; Ethnic Succession in Organized Crime New York, N.Y.; w:Simon and Schuster 1974 133 https://archive.org/details/blackmafiaethnic0000iann/page/133/mode/1up 0-671-21764-X According to Manchu the fire had forced all the families upstairs to get out, the fire department had closed down the bar for repairs. Manchu said the bar wasn't bad off but the Jew collected all he could for fire and water damage ¶ "You mean it wasn't no Jewish lightning." en James Edmist The Sterling Years: Small-Arms and the Men London Leo Cooper 1992 45 https://archive.org/details/sterlingyearssma0000edmi/page/45/mode/1up 0-850-52343-5 I can refute any charges that it was a case of Jewish lightning, but I admit that the fire did happen at the most opportune moment! en William Kleinknecht The New Ethnic Mobs: The Changing Face of Organized Crime in America New York, N.Y. The Free Press 1996 31 https://archive.org/details/newethnicmobscha0000klei_r8o1/page/31/mode/1up 0-684-82294-6 The torching of overinsured buildings was so common that arson became known as "Jewish lightning." Forty-four percent of the arson cases reported by the New York Times in the 1890s were linked to Jews. on en Andrew Ross John le Carré John le Carr Salon.com https://web.archive.org/web/20220520010453/https://www.salon.com/1996/10/28/interview_12/ 28 October 1996 The insurance companies, many of which were Jewish, referred to "Jewish lightning" when unfortunate fires burned down warehouses in the East End. on en Jane Genende Lost Tribe of the Andes: A Jewish-American Family's Struggle With Assimilation Bloomington, I.N. w:iUniverse, Inc. 2012 20–21 https://archive.org/details/losttribeofandes0000gene/page/20/mode/1up 1-462-00884-4 The fire was a mysterious and tragic event upon which Mom is unwilling to elaborate. Was it a case of spontaneous combustion, perhaps due to poor wiring or improper storage of bulk dry goods? Or was it a case of "Jewish lightning" (a suspicious fire caused in order to collect the insurance money)? This is another family mystery left unsolved with all the individuals involved long gone. en Being Harley Quinn Harley Quinn 1 5 w:Rhea Perlman Golda 27 December 2019 Why not burn down the place and take the insurance? A little Jewish lightning never hurt anyone. Usage notes Due to its origin from offensive stereotypes, this term is best avoided. Acceptable alternatives include arson and insurance fraud. See also en arson en Fire Antisemitism