Podhoretz’s Jewish question http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/podhoretzs-jewish-question/ The debate is raging over the new book from Norman Podhoretz: “Why Are Jews Liberal?” en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-09-15T;04:33:00-05:00 Comment by Liz Berney for Congress lizberneyforcongress@gmail.com It was interesting that Ms. Raivich mentioned FDR in relation to the Jewish voting patterns issue.  FDR received 82% of the Jewish vote in 1932 and 85% of the Jewish vote in 1936.  However, throughout most of his administration and WW 2 (until the belated establishment of the War Refugee Board in 1944), FDR maintained absurdly low immigration quotas - thereby impeding the escape of millions of Jews trapped in Europe.  In 1939, FDR refused to allow the St. Louis ("voyage of the damned"), which was filled with Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany (including my great grandmother), to debark when the boat reached the coast of Florida, and instead turned the ship back to Europe.  Two-thirds of the ship’s passengers thereafter perished at the hands of the Nazis.  Nonetheless, 90% of American Jews voted for FDR in 1940.  FDR thereafter refused to bomb the railway tracks to the death camps, which could have slowed down the Nazi killing machine.  Nonetheless, again in 1944, 90% of Jews voted for FDR. As with Obama’s policy of pressuring Israel to make dangerous concessions on every front, many American Jews were misled, uninformed or did not fully comprehend the consequences to their brethren overseas of the FDR administration’s policies.  But perhaps some simply did not care enough. Liberals believe that they care about others more than they care about themselves.  Hopefully, they will extend that caring to the innocent Jewish citizens of Sderot and other beleaguered Israeli communities, Hondurans, Poles, Iranians crushed by Ahmadinejad, and, of course, fellow Americans, all imperiled by the Obama administration’s policies. Liz Berney, Esq. LizBerneyforCongress@gmail.com It was interesting that Ms. Raivich mentioned FDR in relation to the Jewish voting patterns issue. 

FDR received 82% of the Jewish vote in 1932 and 85% of the Jewish vote in 1936.  However, throughout most of his administration and WW 2 (until the belated establishment of the War Refugee Board in 1944), FDR maintained absurdly low immigration quotas - thereby impeding the escape of millions of Jews trapped in Europe.  In 1939, FDR refused to allow the St. Louis ("voyage of the damned"), which was filled with Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany (including my great grandmother), to debark when the boat reached the coast of Florida, and instead turned the ship back to Europe.  Two-thirds of the ship’s passengers thereafter perished at the hands of the Nazis.  Nonetheless, 90% of American Jews voted for FDR in 1940.  FDR thereafter refused to bomb the railway tracks to the death camps, which could have slowed down the Nazi killing machine.  Nonetheless, again in 1944, 90% of Jews voted for FDR.

As with Obama’s policy of pressuring Israel to make dangerous concessions on every front, many American Jews were misled, uninformed or did not fully comprehend the consequences to their brethren overseas of the FDR administration’s policies.  But perhaps some simply did not care enough.

Liberals believe that they care about others more than they care about themselves.  Hopefully, they will extend that caring to the innocent Jewish citizens of Sderot and other beleaguered Israeli communities, Hondurans, Poles, Iranians crushed by Ahmadinejad, and, of course, fellow Americans, all imperiled by the Obama administration’s policies.

Liz Berney, Esq.
LizBerneyforCongress@gmail.com

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Gena Raivich g.raivich@ucl.ac.uk Historically, Jews voted Republican before WW1. The same was by the way also true for African Americans. The great reorientation took place in the 12 years before FDR, when successive Republican Presidents aggressively courted WASP aristocracy and slammed the door shut to Jewish immigration. Once FDR was elected, the Democrats successfully insinuated that Republicans were Anti-Jewish, and Republicans passively obliged out of thinking that there are more anti-Jewish, than Jewish votes to be had. Of course, when Obama continues doing what he’s doing, at some point he will lose the Jewish vote - just like Republicans did after WWI. Historically, Jews voted Republican before WW1. The same was by the way also true for African Americans.

The great reorientation took place in the 12 years before FDR, when successive Republican Presidents aggressively courted WASP aristocracy and slammed the door shut to Jewish immigration.

Once FDR was elected, the Democrats successfully insinuated that Republicans were Anti-Jewish, and Republicans passively obliged out of thinking that there are more anti-Jewish, than Jewish votes to be had.

Of course, when Obama continues doing what he’s doing, at some point he will lose the Jewish vote - just like Republicans did after WWI.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Rob Brownstein rob.brownstein@litepoint.com The older I become, the less liberal I feel. I remember the days of the civil-rights movement when the Caucasians on the frontlines were disproportionately Jews. Then the Black Power thing happened, and the Black Muslim movement seemed to emerge from nowhere, and the few Jews who risked their lives by having grocery stores in Black ghetto neighborhoods were being assailed as the blood suckers. It bothered me as Jewish liberals who supported the grape boycott and organized labor would throw their Israeli cousines under the bus to keep favor with the likes of Chomsky and his ilk. I’m certainly not in favor of assuming that everything Israel does is correct; but I am not in favor of holding that country accountable to standards that other countries are not being held. The double standard is palpable. By the same token, I reject the Kristols of the world who would cynically support a moron like Sarah Palin, arguing that she and the Republicans were the Jews’ and Israel’s best friends. So, I find myself rejecting the left and the right - the liberals and the conservatives. I don’t see the political spectrum as a line; I see it as a curve, and the two extremes rather than being at opposite ends of the spectrum are practically touching one another. The older I become, the less liberal I feel. I remember the days of the civil-rights movement when the Caucasians on the frontlines were disproportionately Jews. Then the Black Power thing happened, and the Black Muslim movement seemed to emerge from nowhere, and the few Jews who risked their lives by having grocery stores in Black ghetto neighborhoods were being assailed as the blood suckers. It bothered me as Jewish liberals who supported the grape boycott and organized labor would throw their Israeli cousines under the bus to keep favor with the likes of Chomsky and his ilk. I’m certainly not in favor of assuming that everything Israel does is correct; but I am not in favor of holding that country accountable to standards that other countries are not being held. The double standard is palpable. By the same token, I reject the Kristols of the world who would cynically support a moron like Sarah Palin, arguing that she and the Republicans were the Jews’ and Israel’s best friends. So, I find myself rejecting the left and the right - the liberals and the conservatives. I don’t see the political spectrum as a line; I see it as a curve, and the two extremes rather than being at opposite ends of the spectrum are practically touching one another.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by N. Shuster nashu24@yahoo.com Mr. Schikler, I am not at all convinced by your explanation. For every Pat Buchanan, there are many unabashed friends of the Jewish people and the state of Israel. There are far too many Chomskys, Kleins and J Street “innocents” in your corner than there are among those among the “feared” religious Right I have been a reader of Commentary since the times when it touted itself as a liberal (if not a socialist) publication. But as it, reacting to the changing political scenery, began to turn rightward, most of its readership not blind to reality, followed the editors with great comfort. My search for justice (as well as Jewish survival) and support for democracy found expression on the pages of Commentary magazine in their struggle against Soviet tyranny, Muslim Islamo-fascism and in a world sulivating for Jewish blood, in unconditional defense of Israel. My choice is very simple: I will not make common cause with those who pray for the destruction Israel, undermine America and pretend to be interested in equating Israel with her mortal enemies. I see no comparison at all in the causes. Perhaps, you’re right on one factor in particular that a hundred years of American-Jewish Reform and Conservative movements influuence have managed the impossible; they washed the “pintele Yid” out of their adherents. Mr. Schikler, I am not at all convinced by your explanation. For every Pat Buchanan, there are many unabashed friends of the Jewish people and the state of Israel. There are far too many Chomskys, Kleins and J Street “innocents” in your corner than there are among those among the “feared” religious Right
I have been a reader of Commentary since the times when it touted itself as a liberal (if not a socialist) publication. But as it, reacting to the changing political scenery, began to turn rightward, most of its readership not blind to reality, followed the editors with great comfort.
My search for justice (as well as Jewish survival) and support for democracy found expression on the pages of Commentary magazine in their struggle against Soviet tyranny, Muslim Islamo-fascism and in a world sulivating for Jewish blood, in unconditional defense of Israel.
My choice is very simple: I will not make common cause with those who pray for the destruction Israel, undermine America and pretend to be interested in equating Israel with her mortal enemies. I see no comparison at all in the causes.
Perhaps, you’re right on one factor in particular that a hundred years of American-Jewish Reform and Conservative movements influuence have managed the impossible; they washed the “pintele Yid” out of their adherents.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Howard Schickler hschickler@sbcglobal.net Jews are largely liberal, at least in part, because the American Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism emphasize the social justice portion of the Torah and do not transmit the “harder” portions of the bible, such as the accounts of the conquest of the land.  Tikkun Olam and Being a “Light unto the Nations” are core beliefs. There is also very real discomfort and suspicion of the Religious Right and their avowed purpose of imposing Christin Values on what they insist is a Christian nation. Using the phrase “Judeo-Christian” doesn’t allay the discomfort. The fact that the far right of the spectrum toys with notions of racism and invokes symbols reminiscent of Nazis, doesn’t help, especially when the Middle Right doesn’t distance itself from these manifestations. And then there is Pat Buchanan, a respectable conservative. Jews are largely liberal, at least in part, because the American Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism emphasize the social justice portion of the Torah and do not transmit the “harder” portions of the bible, such as the accounts of the conquest of the land.  Tikkun Olam and Being a “Light unto the Nations” are core beliefs.

There is also very real discomfort and suspicion of the Religious Right and their avowed purpose of imposing Christin Values on what they insist is a Christian nation.

Using the phrase “Judeo-Christian” doesn’t allay the discomfort.

The fact that the far right of the spectrum toys with notions of racism and invokes symbols reminiscent of Nazis, doesn’t help, especially when the Middle Right doesn’t distance itself from these manifestations.

And then there is Pat Buchanan, a respectable conservative.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00