Fire Island, NY
I keep wanting to get to this story, and today I will.
At the Penn BDS conference earlier this month, there was a panel of Jews speaking on “BDS, Hillel, and the Question of Anti-Semitism," and Rebecca Vilkomerson of Jewish Voice for Peace began her remarks with a wonderful story:
Rebecca Vilkomerson
It wasn’t that long ago that there were quotas on the numbers of Jews at universities, covenants to keep Jews from living in certain neighborhoods, and places of employment where Jews need not apply. So it’s really a bit of a balancing act of being sensitive to Jewish history and trauma without pulling punches about today’s reality. And while Jews in the United States have more political, economic, cultural and intellectual status than perhaps ever before, the Jewish narrative is still about vulnerability.
I just want to tell a little story. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, I was invited to spend it in Fire Island, a little island off the coast of New York City where people have summer homes. They did a beautiful job. They opened up the fire house in the town, and we were sitting, and some guy who was a cardiologist was playing the role of the rabbi, and the yoga teacher was playing the role of the cantor.
And I was sitting in the service and really enjoying it, looking out at the ocean and sort of congratulating myself on this do it yourself service that I was in. And then they announced that someone was going to come up and give a little sermon. And this was at the end of September, shortly after the [Palestinian Authority's] UN bid on Palestinian statehood. And this guy, I don’t remember exactly what he was, but he was the chair of the department at Columbia University. And he got up and he gave a talk about how the fact that this vote could come up at the UN was proof that the Jews were not considered fully human in this society and never would be.
So you know my head was exploding. Also I started looking around and saying, Here is a guy who is at a pinnacle of American intellectual success preaching to a group of people who by virtue of the fact that they were in this synagogue for a day were there because they were rich enough to have second homes, or being invited by other people rich enough to have second homes, people who live very comfortable, very successful lives, and there they all were nodding along.
So you know I think that’s part of our job as progressive Jews, those of us who are Jewish, is taking responsibility for challenging that narrative. And I think as a coda to that story, afterwards there was a little Kiddush, like a little reception with food, and someone asked me what I thought about the sermon, as people are wont to do, and I thought, oh God I don’t feel like dealing with this right now, having all these strangers mad at me. But if have to, I have to. I started talking about why I didn’t like it at all. And why I thought he was totally wrong.
And a bunch of them came up to me, and said, thanks so much for saying that, that was so important, I felt so uncomfortable when he was talking but I didn't know exactly why.
So it’s not that hard once you start talking about it, but if you don’t talk about it then that narrative sort of stands. So it really is a process within the Jewish community of having to talk about it.
But we do all need to hold I would say collectively, and that means all of us in the BDS movement, the idea that anti-Semitism in our society is still real, maybe not very potent at the moment, and at the same time recognize and fight how accusations of anti-Semitism are being used as an effective though I would say less and less so weapon to silence the debate on Israel. And of course it would be hard to choose just one example of how participating in the BDS movement for example is equated with anti-Semitism.
No one wants to be the first to say what everyone knows everyone is thinking.
The moral of the story: We need to take the risk to be the ones to stand up and say something.
Creating a safe space and giving others “permission” to say what’s on their minds is invaluable.
Courage is contagious.
Pixel: “No one wants to be the first to say what everyone knows everyone is thinking.” That’s not the problem; that would be easy. The problem is that you do NOT know it, and fear you will be alone. And you MAY be alone. But if you are not alone, you empower the others who were more fearful than you were.
Think how wonderful to be able to say, “Dear Prof. X, head of Columbia department, things are not bad for American Jews these days, not like before; but far more important, things ARE bad for Palestinians, and the reason for that is what Jews in Israel are doing — and not doing — and what Jews in American are doing — and not doing. I am standing up to give you a little sermon on undertaking responsibility for what Jews are doing which is unethical and needs to stop; and I do so in spite of knowing that you are a little bit fearful.”
i’ve tried it on my jewish family, but included the non-jewish spouses and jews who “left the faith”.
nobody was thinking what i knew to be the 100% truth (i was writing from palestine). i got vitriol or silence… deafening unexpected silence from many. i think the silence was worse than the expected zionist BS.
so for those that do not get the nice reaction rebecca vilkomerson did?
i suggest you remain composed, and acknowledge you are often just “planting seeds”. for some it may grow inside, and nag at them. if they start to look into your perspective on their own, then they can be truly convinced.
but don’t stop planting seeds. i believe some who offered me only silence have views similar to mine, but want to avoid the topic. our courage can cause them to gain courage. and i know i’ve impacted some, though less than i may have hoped.
in time, the right wing zionists in the jewish community who wish to control acceptable debate will be the ones voicing the unacceptable opinions… that, or the jewish community itself has some blowback coming, and part of it will be grassroots anti-semitism.
what an amazing story. so simply told, so clear.
the fact that this vote could come up at the UN was proof that the Jews were not considered fully human in this society and never would be.
such a contorted viewpoint.
it’s not that hard once you start talking about it, but if you don’t talk about it then that narrative sort of stands.
she’s beautiful.
I’m disinclined to rapture about this article. She is a wonderful beautiful human being. But to, seemingly, always have to be sensitive to the absurd ,view of anti -semitism that the gentleman from Columbia espouses shows the , not so much ignorance of the charge, but the inability of the vast, majority of the Jewish people, here and in Israel, to confront the reality. The reality that is the ethnic cleansing , persecution, destruction of the Palestian people, its history and its present. So what is the reason for such an intelligent, prosperous to a large degee, particularly in the US , people, the Jewish community, cling to such support of the racist, violent , humiliation of the Palestinian people by its co-religionists in Israel. Why is the grotesque Dershowitz allowed to spread his hatred and venom to anything Palestinian or anyone supporting justice to the Palestinian people. Why do sweet Jewish school chidren write on the missiles and bombs that “this is a gift from the children of Israel to the children of Lebanon”? Why can Jewish adults stand on the hills overlooking Gaza as Jewish planes reign rockets and bombs and missiles at the defencelss people , men , woman and children, while they drink coffee, tea and soft drinks, laughing, happily, saying ” should kill them all”? I don’t have the answer. As a human being I cannot understand the celebration of violence and hatred that transform a people, a nation, be it the US , or Israel or any other nation into messengers of death. The truth of the Palestinian Nakba is well represented and known throughout the world. now. When is the Israel and the Jewish community going to accept their responsibilty , ask forgiveness and move on? That small group on Fire Island should not “be afraid ” to speak out. One should be anxious to speak out against sucj injustice .
I think it’s because they know that any acknowledgement of Palestinian rights is going to tear Judaism apart. The neverending peace process is so important to the religion. It gives the impression that something is being done. When the opposite is the case. It’s going to be a bitch to unwind.
Nice write up Phil.
this Israel Palestine issue must help jews to better understand how the world was silent during wwii for as long as they were as “things were happening”, i guess similar discussion were under way all around the world back then also among intellectuals of the world.
today while your community pontificates about the crimes against palestinians such as the white phosphorus assaults among the many thugish crimes that run-a-muck govt’s usually carry out against helpless populations these fireside chats are taking place over a glass or two of some good wine and maybe even after a religious service, how nice, it must warm the hearts of the palestinians to know these things.
it just makes it easier to understand how crimes against humanity can be carried out and later generations find it so difficult to understand how it could have been.
at least it will be said by later generations that some did care as it can be also said about the wwii experience that some did try to save lives.
the ball is on the 20 yard line and the defense is holding strong, only eighty more yards to go.
It would be interesting to know at which of the Fire Island communities this took place. I know religious services at Fire Island Pines (one of the two gay communities on Fire Island, and within pretty easy walking distance of the other one of the two, Cherry Grove) are held in the fire house. But perhaps that is also true of some of the other communities.
It would also be interesting to know of what department at Columbia University the speaker was the chairman.
“And he got up and he gave a talk about how the fact that this vote could come up at the UN was proof that the Jews were not considered fully human in this society and never would be.”
What an absolute crock of ****
Reminds me of Fawlty Towers
link to youtube.com
“Jews were not considered fully human in this society and never would be.”
Frankly, I don’t think America even gives us this compliment. Nope, I’m pretty sure they see us as pretty much like themselves. If that doesn’t scare hell out of us, I don’t know what will.
How would you ever know Vilkomerson was jewish if she didn’t tell you? How can you in one breath cringe at what the guy from Columbia said and then say anti-semitism in our society is still real? This doesnt make any sense to me what so ever. Im sure though that it is a beautiful, heart wrenching, touching, poignant and eloquent story — what a brave, brave soul, if only my humanity could reach the height’s that Vilkomerson’s has.
If I went to far here, please let me know, sometimes my deep unconscious anti semitism comes out. How many times do the rest of us have to be insulted like this? what do I/”we” have to do to assuage the worry of the Fire Island Jews? How many more white americans do we have to listen to talk about suffering/persecution they’ve never in their lives known?
Whatever man, this is getting to the point of absurdity.
“if only my humanity could reach the height’s that Vilkomerson’s has.”
I know! Such cless, and so natcherl! A real alrightnik! Such a menschette!
“How would you ever know Vilkomerson was jewish if she didn’t tell you?”
I knew a Jewish family named Vilkomersonowitzstein once. You can draw your own conclusions, or shorten your name, that’s what I always say!
“It wasn’t that long ago that there were quotas on the numbers of Jews at universities, covenants to keep Jews from living in certain neighborhoods, and places of employment where Jews need not apply.”
Ma’am, you make me sick! Actually physically neaseous. Is their not one well-proportioned bone in your entire body which isn’t elitest and entitlest?
Yes, I know Rebecca, that’s different, after all, we’re……
‘Entitlist’, good word. Perhaps we have to forgive someone whose head was threatened with going ka-boom. I have a bad cold at the moment so have some sympathy.
“It wasn’t that long ago that there were quotas on the numbers of Jews at universities, covenants to keep Jews from living in certain neighborhoods, and places of employment where Jews need not apply.”
What nonsense! My life and contact with non-Jews has really been restricted to a small circle. The effect can’t have spread very far. She’s grossly exaggerating!
“It wasn’t that long ago that there were quotas on the numbers of Jews at universities, covenants to keep Jews from living in certain neighborhoods, and places of employment where Jews need not apply.”
“Would a convent take a Jewish girl?”
Now if I’m not mistaken, during the time period Rebecca is referring to, the Afro-Americans were blantantly re-enslaved in the South, America was influenced by the most blatant of racial psuedo science, culminating with the entrance of eugenics into State law, with its tragic heritage. American-Mexicans, Hispanics, Asians, were all treated, not just talked about, as less than human, and Catholic-Protestant and European division and xenophobia was exploited as much as could be by an elite discourse intent on accruing the advantages of schism and discrimination.
Would that be a pretty far summation? And Jews caught, not the brunt of that, as in Europe, but a slight glancing blow of some social ostracism, (and some psuedo-legal convenants, and “gentleman’s agreements” not even enforcable when they were made) which was pretty much rectified while ameliorating the discrimination against others has been a murderous national struggle against unwavering opposition, and victory not assured even today.
But we’re gonna go on kvetching. Like America was one big happy family of fellowship under the Constitution, except for us poor Jews. I’m surprised she didn’t bring up Gatsby.
I can’t believe any sucessful American Jew has the sheer, unmitigated crust not to blush with shame when anti-semitism against Jews (and that’s the worst kind, darn it) in America is invoked.
Jesus, man, we own this frickin’ place!
BTW, Rebecca, you didn’t mention the exclusion of Jews from “certain white-shoe law firms” during that time, and possibly even today. I might as well mention it before Hophmi gets started on it.
I can’t believe any sucessful American Jew has the sheer, unmitigated crust not to blush with shame when anti-semitism against Jews (and that’s the worst kind, darn it) in America is invoked.
Jesus, man, we own this frickin’ place!
———————————————-
(Dan nodding furiously in agreement)
And to mooser’s last “we own this frickin’ place” — I say, “cool.”
And so doesnt the rest of the country. NO ONE CARES. But seriously, enough about anti-semitism (which in my view is a misleading term, “anti-jewish” is prolly more apt). You know what leads to “anti-jewishness”? Articles on the internet day after day recapping the meetings of rich as shit jewish folks talking about their fears of anti-semitism, with everyone in agreement that underneath it all – the gentiles hate jews.
Yes, its shit like this that makes one ask “man, what is it with these guys?”
“Dan nodding furiously in agreement”
It is indeed the worst kind!
But would you agree that my summation of discrimination and “race” relations (from the Civil War up til today, say) is pretty fair? My freakin God in polyethylene heaven, didn’t the largest period of Jewish immigration to the US coincide with eugenics furthest inroads into scientific and social and legal thinking? And we escaped all but the most offhand and ineffective consequences of that.
But no, while blacks were still undergoing forced labor and sexual slavery, Native Americans were hunted down for bounties or removed to reservations (and they wouldn’t even wire a head for them!) forced sterilisations and institutionalisation on fraudulent scientific grounds became an accepted remedy for the poor, but we couldn’t get a lot in the right neighborhood.
Okay, it’s this: Every discrimination she mentions is a slight disbarment from the elite, not a basic denial of rights or life. Can we not tell the difference anymore? Or even worse, is it necessary for us not to know the difference?
Oh Im with you 10,000% percent mooser
My grandfather used to btch about how bad the Irish had it – and pretty much loathed the “wasps” and the “english” all his life — you know what my mom and her sisters used to tell him? “Ahh, shut up dad”
And that’s the thing – Im from Irish/Polish (and other) descent – anybody interested in hearing Dan-o talk about how shitty things were for the irish and the poles? of course not. It’s got fck all to do with the present.
I do kind of understand it though — in the states, the least “cool” thing to be is a regular ol’ white person. So, if I can identify with suffering, im less “white” which makes me feel better about myself. And I can remember saying sht along those lines in my life to my black friends “hey man, my people got here this century (20th) and were irish, we had nothing to do with….” And it made me feel better – but later I realized how full of shit I was.
you didn’t mention the exclusion of Jews from “certain white-shoe law firms” during that time, and possibly even today.
ha. so you admit that there is still anti-semitism in these US? and maybe you didn’t hear, but there was some controversy recently (no shit, i’m serious) that jews only constituted 18% of undergraduates at Princeton. yes, that’s right, only 18%. if that isn’t cause for concern (*anti-semitism mumble mumble* ) then i don’t know what is. but wait it gets worse (or better, depending on your viewpoint). it turns out that asians, yes those pesky obsessively ambitious asians, have to score hundreds of points higher on their SATs to get the same consideration as (*mumble, mumble again*) ‘white’ applicants to ivy league schools. so you see, when gentiles (and when i say gentiles, i mean a few upper class episcopalian families) were keeping jewish applicants out of yale back in the 1920s with their cockamamie definitions of merit, incorporating such amorphous qualities as ‘leadership’ (or the ‘my idiot son’ legacy argument), and jewish applicants were screaming ‘but we score higher academically!’, contemporary admissions standards apparently have come full circle in favor of . . . ‘such amorphous qualities as ‘leadership’, or the ‘my daddy’s name is on the chow hall’ legacy argument. i mean, f*ck israel. thank god for new haven, the hamptons and fire island, the only places on earth where a jew is free to show off in full peacock splendor his bird-brained ignorance without fear of contradiction. and you know how unhealthy unwanted contradiction can be, especially for ivy league graduates.
thank you, rebecca, for your superhuman courage, your unfathomable bravery. but be a bit more cautious; we wouldn’t want you to be disinvited from the next fire island affair. pffftt.
“It wasn’t that long ago that there were quotas …
I was actually startled when I realized this was a US standard at the time Nazis seized power over here. I am not aware of similar rules before their reign in Germany or Austria, although I am aware it was a demand on the right , national “liberals” mediated about it too. … But you may be right these kind of introductions tend to become ritualistic, although rhetorically they also make sense. Kind of like: Look here, I accept these facts, but this is absurd.
Jesus, man, we own this frickin’ place!
At this point I was roaring with laughter,.
DAN CROWTHER- “And to mooser’s last “we own this frickin’ place” — I say, “cool.” And so doesnt the rest of the country. NO ONE CARES.”
EXCUSE ME! I am quite concerned over the increasing concentration of power in the hands of an elite- any elite. Things will always be bad as long as there are a relative hand-full of sociopaths calling the shots. Money power needs to be much more equitably distributed. We are going in the wrong direction. We are currently being ruled by the equivalent of a capitalist nobility. We have come full circle from when the capitalists successfully overthrew the divine right of kings. We are entering the period of the divine right of capital. Witnessing the rise of debt servitude. Things are looking grim.
Keith — come on man, thats not fair my brother.
The question of “ownership” was one of “who” – not a qualitative statement about elites. I agree, ownership of society by very few is a problem – my point is that no one cares that a good percentage of those elites are (now) jewish.
DAN CROWTHER- “Keith — come on man, thats not fair my brother.”
I didn’t mean to pick on you personally, but needed to make a point. It is counterproductive to argue that it makes no difference if the king is Jewish, when we need to emphasize that having a king- any king- is a recipe for disaster. So too with ownership. It is not a mark of progress that Jews are now a significant part of the capitalist elite, rather, it is counterproductive that we tolerate such powerful elites. The concentration of elite money power is as great or greater than it has ever been. We are in the midst of what may turn out to be a terminal class war being waged by the elites against everyone else. That some of these elites tend to view themselves as eternal victims is not encouraging. I guess what I am objecting to is what I perceive in our society as a certain complacency, an unquestioning acceptance of the distribution of power in our political economy. The very survival of the species may well hinge upon how we resolve the global struggle for power. So I used your comment as an excuse to climb upon my soapbox. No offense intended.
Keith – haha. no worries at all!! ha
And I don’t even know that many Jews, either. So don’t go blaming me for that particular exodus neither.
great link, mooser. ‘slavery by another name’. touches on one of my pet irritations, the perennial march of the leo frank documentories and memorials. a recent hour-long cspan affair left the not-so accidental impression that jewish southerners have been treated just as brutally as african-americans.
I have often challenged speakers at Jewish events and while I’m sure many were convinced of my “chutzpah”, I’ve always been approached by a few thanking me for my statements. And those who obviously took umbrage at my comments have never confronted me in a threatening or disparaging way. This signals to me that the facts we dispense are not nearly as untenable to those audiences as we might presume. Only by speaking out and raising consciousness which causes people to rethink their long-held beliefs, can we make progress. Thanks to Vilkomerson for sharing her knowledge with those less knowledgable.
“I’ve always been approached by a few thanking me for my statements.”
Dude, be careful! Mossad doesn’t fool around. Not even a Jewish identity can stop a bullet blessed by Rabbi Yaacov Meidan!
We spend half our time decrying, bemoaning and bewailing the loss of the “Jewish identity” and the dissolution of the “Jewish Community”, and the other half excoriating those kind people who were helping us to keep it intact as bigots. What a racket! You can’t loose a game like that.
Yeah Mooser.
Danon is asked are you racist. He says he’s not racist but for “Jewish continuity”.
“You can’t loose a game like that.”
You are doing it deliberately, just to annoy me, aren’t you?
Just “becuase”he can!
>> You are doing it deliberately, just to annoy me, aren’t you?
Your not one of them guys who get’s to hung up on grammer and speling, r u? ;-)
Who. me?
Incidentally, eljay, there is a wonderful Finnish word for linguistic purists like me.
Pilkunnussija.
I’ll let you work out the literal meaning for yourself.
>> Incidentally, eljay, there is a wonderful Finnish word for linguistic purists like me.
>> Pilkunnussija.
That is a truly wonderful Finnish word! ;-)
“You are doing it deliberately, just to annoy me, aren’t you?”
Funny, that’s what my parents always used to say to me. They insisted I could let go of it if I really wanted to.
Mooser, you really ARE on a roll today! Love it.
Hmmm. Here are all these well-to-do Jews on Fire Island hearing that a proposed Palestinian State is proof (the very proposal, it seems, was proof) “that the Jews were not considered fully human in this society and never would be”. THIS SOCIETY? The very AMERICA that would surely (and obediently) VETO the statehood bid? Or did I misunderestimate? did the honorable professor mean that the Palestinians (who we know lived with Jewish neighbors for two millenia because Peters has assured us of a constant Jewish presence in Palestine) do not consider Jews to be human?
Such imprecision, professor. You were just trying to (pretend to) scare those nice people, weren’t you? hmmm? and to coerce silent consent to the (false) allegation of fear, hmmm?
Yep, and there was a day when 99% of the New York Police Department was Irish and they wouldn’t take whop Italians.
And of course Blacks couldn’t drink at white water fountains.
And women couldn’t vote.
But by all means hold onto this…”I would say collectively, and that means all of us in the BDS movement, the idea that anti-Semitism in our society is still real, maybe not very potent at the moment,”
Didn’t we create a pure un anti semitic Jewish state for Jews to live in to escape us anti semites? So who is forcing that guy to stay here in anti semite land?
You saw a “Whites Only Drinking fountain”? Drank from many of them. Never saw a single instance of “Antisemitism”(whatever that is) in this country at that time, but Jim Crow was very, very harsh for others. Jews could pass, Martin couldn’t.
I’m am glad that “real serious Jim Crow” seems to be gone as I was just a young white boy and it truly scared me.
Hej! Tumta
Yea, I saw whites only drinking fountains and everything else. I was 8 years old when I learned about racism. Our black housekeeper took my brothers and me the movies. Back then blacks had to sit upstairs in the theater balconey and white people had to sit downstairs. When Macie told us to go on in my youngest brother who was 5 at the time didn’t want to let go of her hand and started crying which made me and my other brother start throwing a fit too. After much crying and foot stomping we were allowed to go upstairs and sit with her in the black section.
I came from a background where anti-semitism was not something to be uncovered or discovered but an organic part of reality, and as such with all possible variations and mutations. In at least half of the memes that are descendant from ancestral anti-Semitic forms do not fit definitions of anti-Semitism that circulate in USA.
Example: we need Israel, because otherwise Kikes would crawl all over the place [here]. Mind you, an anti-Semite of this variety could not care less what happens with other Semites after the hitherto local Semites departed for Middle East.
Example: Jews rule in the financial world so “we” should do everything to be on their good side. Variations — control USA, etc.
Example: Jews control EU, so the true patriot should sabotage all EU initiatives and try to align foreign policy as much as possible with USA. [This seems to be more deluded then the previous, but surprisingly, the prescriptive part of the meme is the same].
Example: for good luck it is good to have an oil painting of a Jew counting money [the scene should look 200 years old or so], put a penny in the frame and hang next to the entrance door. Every Saturday the picture should hang upside down so symbolic money would fall out of the Jew’s pockets. [Mind you, he should stop counting on Shabbath.]
Detailed genetic study shows that progeny of “traditional anti-Semitism” is often strongly anti-Muslim, anti-multiculturalism, anti-Leftist and hardly ever “pro-Palestinian”.
Moreover, “traditional anti-Semitism” is related with generalized xenophobia with quite variable focus.
From that point of view, the usage of “anti-Semitism” in USA seems as accurate as using word “turkey” for a type of fowl that resembles nothing you can find in a Turkic country in the wild.
——
The last comparison remind me a puzzling revelation on the Jihad front. Some of you are aware that there is a conspiracy to impose Sharia on the Judeo-Christian folks of USA. As a part of this hideous endeavor, in total secrecy, Butterball is distributing halal turkeys in supermarkets. Such revelation raises more questions than it answer. E.g. on what day of the week my painting of an oil sheik should hang upside down?
Friend piotr: Make that “the fine Judeo-Christian folks of the USA” and smile when you say that! (Ahem! Pardner.) And there is also a conspiracy to deny that there is a conspiracy to impose sharia, etc., blah blah.
As to anti-Semitism in the USA, its kinda hard to reconcile when so many of the private universities have Jewish presidents busily seeking (and finding, YES! finding!) large contributions from Jewish donors. And those donors are so often CEOs of the very, very largest banks, corporations, etc. And not only that. But members of AIPAC who give marching orders to, YES!, the (possibly muslim) President of the USA.
Kinda makes you think! (Especially with some Jews still moaning about anti-Semitism in the good old US of A. and on Fire Island, yet! Already!)
Hey, I get it! The bitching and moaning about anti-semitism in the USA is nostalgia, an attempt to re-create Jewish communal feelings (via the common and acknowledged experience of anti-semtiism even if it was decades out of date). Holocaust? Not good enough to generate common experience amoung Americans who never lived through it. Israel, well its an ABSTRACTION, and you don’t get common experience from an abstraction. Similarly, religion no longer exists to create a feeling of community among (these) Jews. Only remembered anti-semitism is enough.
So Fire Island was a re-play of NOSTALGIA and Rebecca V. stepped on their toes (Oh, has she no feelings?) during a (mere) exercise in nostalgia-to-produce-and-cement-community — which was doing no harm, either. I mean, Jeez!
Haha! The ‘good luck’ picture of The Greedy Jew. Has this anything to do with the love of gold-leafed icons and the like? Here anti-semitism is expressed in sadistic jokes featuring soap or big noses.
“…the Jewish narrative is still about vulnerability.”
Why is that? Why the dysfunctional focusing on Jewish “victim hood” and the lack of concern for Gentile vulnerability? Why the denial of Jewish anti-Gentile chauvinism?
Friend Keith: As to “Jewish anti-Gentile chauvinism”, shhh! Saying that’s per se anti-semitism (in some people’s book, anyhow). Anti-Palestinian Israeli chauvinism, I can understand, because you always blame the victim, but anti-gentile chauvinism? Really? Did Israel Shahak say that?
Possibly relevant, he did say this:
PABELMONT- “Friend Keith: As to “Jewish anti-Gentile chauvinism”, shhh! Saying that’s per se anti-Semitism ….”
Over on the “ADL enlists city of Oakland to block Atzmon event” thread, Danaa indicates that in Israel she was taught essentially that “all goys are anti-semitic at heart, and cannot be trusted.” If this doesn’t represent Jewish anti-Gentile chauvinism, I don’t know what does. This attitude, that Gentiles are inherently irrational Jew haters, exists among many Jews in the US, particularly among Zionists. This is the mirror image of anti-Semitism, but never discussed. The notion that bringing it up may constitute an example of anti-Semitism indicates the prevalence of the bias. An unmentionable topic to be suppressed. Since you mentioned Shahak, a quote to buttress my point:
“Although the struggle against antisemitism (and of all other forms of racism) should never cease, the struggle against Jewish chauvinism and exclusivism , which must include a critique of classical Judaism, is now of equal or greater importance….Therefore, the real test facing both Israeli and diaspora Jews is the test of their self-criticism which must include the critique of the Jewish past. The most important part of such a critique must be detailed and honest confrontation of the Jewish attitude to non-Jews.” (Israel Shahak, JEWISH HISTORY, JEWISH RELIGION, 1994)
It’s a mystery, but I have a theory for it, too long to go entirely into but here’s the short form.
Somewhere along the way, way back, when the Jews lost some resource competition, got slammed by another tribe or got massacred by Muslims or Christians because they were in competition with them or massacred some Christians and Muslims themselves….their losing leaders started the meme of it’s not our fault, it’s all unfair, we didn’t do anything wrong, we only lost , got killed, etc,etc, because we are who we are, Jews. And everything that happens to us is not the same as the resource and religious clashes that kills others, like Christians killing Muslims and visa versa or the Romans vr the Turks. When it happens to others there’s a reason for it, they deserved it, when it happens to us there is no reason for it because we only want/take/ask for what is due us or necessary to us.
I don’t know enough about Judaism to say if that settling upon a victimhood meme was in any way connected to religion or if it was the kind excuse or rational that Jewish leaders thought would be easily accepted by their tribe members and keep them loyal and huddled followers as well as protecting the leaders from any blame for their bad decisions or endangering the tribe themselves with some scheme for power or land or riches or religious rule. Exactly like Bush’s ‘they hate us for who we are.”
What makes me think it may be somewhat tied to religious “culture” and could have started among Jews or even some of them and then took hold in the entire tribe is religious Jews who ask why G-D let the holocaust happen ‘to them’ specifically and make a career out of trying to answer that question. Because it implies that ‘chosenness’ whether for good or bad and why do things happen to the chosen?
Some people suffering or injured in some way might say why did “I’ get cancer or why did ‘my’ car get hit by a drunk –but no one says why do we ‘white people’ get cancer or ‘all’ the drunk drivers in the world are trying to hit me.
Most people say shit happens… win some and lose some.
Looks like Provincetown, big stripers on the beach, now we’re talking! I am so tired of the Jewish-American dialog. If you didn’t tell me, I would have never asked. I don’t care about where you think you came from.
If you think that some American Neo-con Jews are going to take us into Genocide in Iran, well you can probably forget about beaches and catching fish?
We appear to be seriously screwed. Americans have enough ethnic/religious sins, we don’t need any help from Israel.
I had so hoped Americans would have been so far beyond this point by this time as I’m running out of time.
Oh well, my favorite Ex. always accused me of over-estimating others capabilities. Looks like she was right?
It’s difficult to let go, but it appears it must be done. If I flew back to Teheran tomorrow, I’d have nothing to fear until I flew back to the US(for you Beatles fans)!
Hej!
Tumta
My dear great ‘lot of you’ –
Thanks. I read Lady Rebecca’s “wonderful little story” this morning – all wrapped up in Phil’s silver-lined gushing about the heroic Jewess who dared to say ‘anti-semitism is not too potent these days’ and I was nearly sick. Just a couple of ‘Wow! Courageous and inspiring heroine!’ comments for icing the fluff. I thought I’d never, ever read another MW piece again (lacking Rebecca’s courage – I can’t always face the exploding head with dignity). Then I took another look this evening & noticed a more lengthy comment list (always a good sign for me). I am remedied from what ailed me. Youse guys (a nod to the local peasants nearby Fire Island who don’t get invited to such intoxicating, enjoyable ritz services of vulnerability narratives) are a tonic for the madness of do-gooder zionist charlatans who seem unable to stop themselves from publicly back-patting their magnaminous tolerance of the ethnically less fortunate. Thanks again – I can now breathe.
Confession time. I’m gentile…or is it goyim? But whatever… I never had a single antisemetic thought in my body from birth until…. Well…it was well after the ’67 war. That war stood in my mind as a magnificent moment for Israel and Jews. In a vicarious way I identified with Jews…. It was easy then as I lived in Hot Springs Ark. and we had a healthy number of Jews and some of my best friends were Jews (cool it, now, forget your “some of my best friends” shit…and “they came to our house” crap cause they were good friends and did come to our house).
So. I identified with Jews and was pleased when some, because I made a few good financial moves, thought I was Jewish . Turned out it wasn’t because I was smart….it was by accident.
So…anyway… All smoothed along,,,,,years passed and then I got on the net and began to read it with regularity during retirement. Horrors. That’s all I can write is horrors. Horrors….. What were my heros doing? Surely the stuff coming across the computer screen was lies.
But it wasn’t. I could not longer…can no longer…believe the US media. My precious Wall Street Journal has become a yellow rag. The Post? A fellow internest like me, K. without a search-for-the-truth bone in his body? The Times? What happened to Reston? Replaced by Freidman and Brooks?
I’m lost….and yet there are the occasional strong voices for humanity that tug me back to hope… Mondoweiss…Annie…Vilkomerson and many many others.
I can’t beg you to forgive me for antisemeticism…. I am trying…. you must help me. You must help Israel. You must help Palestinians.