Jew, be proud
In an age of inadequate political role models, one Israeli columnist finds a few points of light.
Jews, be proud, writes Judy Montagu in The Jerusalem Post:
If only we saw more examples of Jewish "self-respect and stateliness" among our current leadership, instead of dodgy dealings at home and a kowtowing to foreign rulers that makes one wince.Why must our premier act so obsequiously when he visits foreign capitals, including Arab ones, lavishing over-effusive compliments on their leaders while they stand on their dignity?
And if only our leaders didn't shy away from all public mention of the deity, so unlike the US presidential candidates' "God bless you all, and God bless America." Such an invocation here, a recent Post reader's letter conjectured, could jeopardize a political career.
The way I see it, Jews today - whether as individuals in the Diaspora or as a nation in Israel - have two broad choices: They can either claim their Jewishness without apology, or shrug off this awkward "accident of birth" and try to act like good gentiles.
Neither course is easy. Those who choose the first must accept that their position vis-a-vis the world will be marked by the starkness of "being different" rather than the comfort of "blending in." Those who opt for the second must, however assimilated, live with a nagging sense of having denied a part of themselves.
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Ms Pearl is right on the money. I would not paint all gentiles so black, however. As both a Holocaust Educator and the daughter of a survivor, I recognize the inhumanity of the Nazis and the look the other way mentality of most of the European population in the 1930s. However, there were (and G-d willing will always be) individuals of good conscience and well developed souls who judge and respond to people as people. The people described by Ms Pearl certainly do not fit my definition of “good.”
I do not believe that it is any more honest for Jews to lump all gentiles into stereotypical molds than it is now and has always been for the secular world to attribute traits, good (always the smartest kids in class) bad (cheap, cheap and loud, loud) or neutral (have dark curly hair.)
I was brought up to be proud I was Jewish, but do not announce it to the world. This was in the early fifties. I think back about that thinking and I want to throw-up. I am a Jew, I was born a Jew, raised a Jew, and I will die a Jew. I am Reform, who was raised up in the heart of the Jewish Neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland Hts.
After WWII, I can understand how paranoid the Jewish World would be somewhat apprehensive of who and what we are. From the time, we lost Israel to the time, we finally got Israel back, we have been helping countries, and then they turn on us, by killing and torturing us.
I have my degree in Jewish History and Religion from OSU. If you want the most depressing major take Jewish History. We as a people should of been strong in G-d and taken over the world, instead we were weak in G-d, and the countries took over us.
When are we as Jews going to get united, stand up, be strong, go back to G-d, and be proud. When all 12 tribes got together they were invincible.
As one Jew to the rest of the Jews in the world: Israel, get your act together. Love your brothers! Become the Jews G-d wants us to be! And, we the Jews who are still in the diaspora who are strong are already behind and helping you, and soon the weaker ones will follow. Other Jews, how dare anyone call us weak and say we act like “good” Gentiles. For one thing for sure, What is a “good” Gentile? (For the Gentiles who are reading this, even Jesus said, in Mat 19:16-17 A man called Jesus “good” and Jesus answered no man is “good.")
We as Jews should be offended with this! In the 18th century, Moses Mendelssohn told us to conform, just to be able to deal with the world and not to be completely secluded. During that time the Gentiles had writings: Jews should stay the way they are, because they are different and no matter what they do, they will always be Jews. Or, what is wrong with those Jews, cannot they be more like us?
Either way, we as Jews lose. We as Jews are between the rock and the hardplace.
Isn’t it time we as Jews stand-up and tell the world. Yes we are Jews, we are proud, we have made mistakes, but our garbage no matter how dirty it is, is still cleaner and less stinky than yours.
So to Jews who are called “Good Gentiles” whoever you are, never let anyone be in position to call you that again!
Good article! With the Israeli “left” following the old Communist and now Socialist line to destroy Israel, “Jews” like “Rabbi” Michael Lerner, Norman Finckelstein, and Noam Chomsky, denying they are Jews except for the convenience of denouncing Israel, and the Dhimmi government of Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, Israel and Jews are in serious trouble.
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Debbie Pearl
09/10/08 11:31 AM
“Good gentiles?” What an oxymoron!
“Good gentiles” rampaged through my grandfather’s shtetl every Easter.
“Good gentiles” expelled my family from Spain on pain of conversion or death.
“Good gentiles” ignored the plight of Jews in Germany during the Nazi years and actively prevented persecuted Jews from emigrating to their countries.
“Good gentiles” have long had a two-tier approach to justice—one standard for the Jews, and one for everyone else.
Screw the “good gentiles.”