How to make absolutely sure
that your grandchildren's name will be Horowitz.
I am torn in my kishkes
over what I perceive happening to American Jewry. To the shores of the Goldena Medina fled my grandparents in
search of a haven for you from the Jew haters of Europe.
It started, they told me,
when the Easter Church bells began to ring.
A crowd of towns people broke into Jewish homes and shops, stealing what
destroying everything in sight. The police stood by and did nothing. They
watched and observed. By nightfall the
looters turned into murderers and fell young Jews with knives and clubs
torturing and killing them. Only once did the police interfere. A group of Jews
were trying to defend themselves with sticks. So the police stepped in to
disarm them.
So it was with Golda
Meir. So it was with our great
grandparents. En masse, hundreds of
thousands fled toward freedom and the hope of a better life.
Has been more than good to
us. It is given us everything we have ever dreamed up: freedom, food up Sunday,
and claimant, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Even the non-Jews have been
good. Sure, there is anti-Semitism but it is a polite, well-mannered prejudice
not the kind we became accustomed to in the old country. Frankly, anti-Semitism
is not a major issue or preoccupation of most American Jews.
I have met some parents who
have inculcated their children with the idea that they are hated just because
they are Jews. This is convoluted. Worse, it is a lie. They know that gentiles
do not hate them. Our children’s lives
have likely never been touched by anti-Semites.
The net result of being told that they must be Jewish because of Hitler
will probably end up becoming the dismissal of their heritage because Hitler is
long dead. “Why then be Jewish?” they
reason.
Not only has America been
good to Jews, that there is little anti- Semitism, but America is a good place.
That is, most Americans are beacons of morality. You can wear your keep out on
the street and not be accosted. What does this say?
Gentiles in America are on
the whole moral people. So, if being Jewish means not having a monopoly on the
goodness why be Jewish? Second point:
let’s face it, you raise your kids to believe that Jews are better because we are
kinder, more considerate and God-fearing people. Our children recognize that to
be another lie. We are no better than they.
Children in the religious
school are often perplexed over this issue. What does it mean to be part of the
“chosen people”? They are taught by their parents that being Jewish makes them
more moral. But they are struggling with that obvious lie. Their Gentile friends are good. Net result:
there is no moral argument to convince her children to grow up to be
A new paradigm needs to be
inveighed. Do we have the courage to say
what makes us really unique? The
heritage of Israel? The binding of a people
to God with mitzvot, commandments?
We have an ancient tradition
that needs to be
