FWIW, I didn't see that as an ethnic joke, though it's certainly
a slight against taxmen. (If it's not an ethnic joke why did it
have to be a rabbi? To set up the idea of surplus foreskins in
order to call the taxman a prick.)
I could go on a long tangent about what is and isn't offensive
about that joke, the motivation for telling a tax collector joke,
who the target of the insult is, the nature of humour, changing
standards of taste, and such, but instead I'm just going to read
something else while humming "The De'il's Awa Wi' The Exciseman"
("the devil's away with the taxman") by Robert Burns (who had been,
among other things, a tax collector). If anybody wants to join me,
I can post the melody someplace (for the folks who read music). I
don't have the lryics, but I bet Google will find 'em.
-- Glenn
