May is Jewish American Heritage Month

Big effing whoopie

So we had some nice little platitudes and pronouncements all about Jewish Americans and what they have added to the American landscape. Yet, Jewish students still can’t walk safely across the quad in most elite universities; those who attack Jews get a slap on the wrist or let off completely because as the NYC District Attorney said, since the attackers wore masks or covered their faces there was no way to prove that the accused was the perpetrators (I wonder if he would have worried about that if the victims were any other minority); social media is replete with Holocaust and October 7 denial and support for the likes of Islamists (Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah, the new regime in Syria) whose main goal is Jewish genocide; the biggest names in podcasting have gone on a blood libel binge when it comes to Israel defending herself in Gaza; setting wildfires in Israel is the new cool thing among the woke dolts (I guess environmentalism is out and Palestinianism is in); you can traffic in the worst kind of antisemitism and be elected to political office, be on the cover of major fashion magazines, get recording contracts, earn tens of millions making movies, oh and of course become tenured professors at the most prestigious universities in the world, and apparently you can also become an expert on all things Jewish if you watch 30 second TikTok videos..So big fu**king deal its Jewish American Heritage month.

What the country needs to ask itself is what is actually happening when the majority of young Jewish Americans in a poll said that they don’t think they have a future in this country and they are seriously thinking of moving to Israel. Now I am sure, Israel is quite pleased about it. After all her raison d’etre is the ingathering of the Jewish People. But, doesn’t it give you pause as an American that there are a group of people, albeit a very small minority, that feel so unwelcome in their nation of birth that they are contemplating leaving?

Let me tell you a story:

I grew up all over the country. At the height of the Vietnam War, we lived in Augusta, Ga, Memphis, Tennessee, Norfolk, Virginia. We also lived in Flint, Michigan and upstate NY. My parents finally ended up in Washington DC, and then retired to, of course, Boca. So I have experienced the country from the depths of the Bible Belt to the towns most effected by the loss of automobile and steel manufacturing. We lived not far from naval and army bases, as well.

So I met many Americans, from many walks of life. From many different cultures. From many different ethnicities. And what I always felt though was that I did not belong. I never felt welcome in this country. From being called “christ killer,” to being separated out by teachers because we didn’t participate in the Christmas pageants, to there being bumper stickers in my neighborhood that said “Burn Jews not oil” during the gas crisis of the 1970s, to country clubs and companies that wouldn’t allow Jews, to any number of indignities thrown at you. It was well known and well expected. It’s why the movie “Gentlemen’s Agreement” said more about American society than anything else ever could.

So here I was only 1 of 3 Jewish children in my middle school. It was me, my sister and the principals child. Also having to deal with a teacher in our band class that was a Holocaust denier. Who openly told us on our first day that there was no way these nice Germans killed any number of Jews. He had to tell the class this little tidbit of information once he realized I was Jewish of course.

There is a loneliness to feeling separate and apart. There is a feeling of simply not being wanted.

Then one day in 7th grade I opened our American history book and there was this little blurb. I still remember reading that 2 paragraph inset about a man called Chaim Solomon. A Jewish entrepreneur who had made his way to this country and had actually given his entire fortune to the Continental Congress so the fledgling United States of America could buy bullets, clothing and feed its army. He along with the Gratz family of Philadelphia got the Jewish community to raise funds to help the cause. Chaim was, and is, considered a hero of the American Revolution.

Well this little 12 year old girl had never known about Chaim Solomon.Oh she had read a book called Americans All as a child, about famous Jewish Americans and when I pointed out to my 5th grade teacher how these people were Americans and Jews, her response was “Well, you believe what you want and I will believe what I want.”

But this story, these 2 paragraphs, were in a text book in a public school. Complete with a picture of Chaim.

I still feel what that 12 year old me felt.

WOW!

Pride!

Joy!

Overwhelmed with the knowledge that there were Jewish patriots going back all the way to the American Revolution who helped build this country. (No matter what the Daughters of the American Revolution thought- yeah they too wouldn’t take Jews). Now I knew about the Jews who came at the turn of the 19th century. My grandparents were part of that immigration period. My father was a 1st generation American who served during Korea and spent the majority of his life with a US security clearance. But all the way back to tricorne hats, fife and drum, and the Betsy Ross flag. Who knew? Well this knowledge changed so much of my outlook as to who I was and what I wanted out of life.

This is actually why I have always supported months like Black History month, Gay Pride month, Latino Heritage Month, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI Heritage Month), Women’s History Month, and even Jewish History month. (And any and all history months that we need to celebrate) So many people have come together to build this nation that children need to be taught to be proud of how their ancestors help build this country. That no one, no people, should ever be excluded from knowing the positives that their ancestors have given to the enduring promise that is the United States of America.

And over the decades things did change. We, the Jewish community and I think the wider world as well, had actually thought that antisemitism the virulent, and violent kind was a thing for the history books, or it only involved those Jews over there in another part of the world. It was the Jews of Israel that needed help to survive, along with the persecuted Jews of the Soviet Union (no matter what that uber kapo Bernie Sanders says, the persecution of the Jews of the Soviet Union was a cause celebre of the day), the Jews in Syria, Yemen, fleeing Muslim countries, Jews killed in terror attacks around the globe, but here in the US, we were safe, sound and integrated into society. We, the Jews of the United States, had taken a vacation from history.

Then October 7 happened. But it wasn’t just the barbarism that Israel was facing. But it was the celebration of the barbarism that was being lauded around the globe and right here in the US, in Times Square, and on every college campus, especially the elite schools around the country. The sickness of antisemitism had risen from its coffin, like Dracula rises at night to suck the blood of his victims, so did antisemitism seek to take from the Jewish American community their self-awareness, their history and above all their pride in who they were.

The Jew-haters, whether its the chants of “Free Palestine” at Bernie/AOC rallies (prognosticators like to say that these people don’t understand that what they are calling for is Jewish genocide, but I think they know full well what it is they are saying), or “Fuck Israel” signs at Coachella (yeah Kneecap has had to walk back their love of Hamas and Hezbollah. Why they or any artist who advocates for intifada which is genocide of Jews ever gets a record contract says so much about the state of the artistic community today) , the scum of the Earth are still trying to render from the Jewish American community the pride in their American and Jewish heritages. To tear asunder the Jews from America.

Who knows, they might well succeed and with the help of the Jews themselves. Why?

Bringing the universities or groups to account for violating the rights of their Jewish students or members is actually something our government is working on right now. But because it is Trump, these otherwise mentally stable persons in the Jewish community are jumping off a cliff. “How dare he,” they rail? He is using the issue of antisemitism to rid the universities of DEI. He has no right to center the Jews to fight this fight, they chime. (Even the brilliant Bret Stephens on Bill Maher’s show a few weeks ago, condemned Trump for what he was doing- “going after the jewels of our nation,” which is what Stephens called these elite universities).

Completely forgetting that at the center of DEI is the virulent and violent antisemitism that we have seen on display for the past 18 months. Antisemitism is not a bug of DEI it is a feature. So yes, it is going to be centered in the fight against DEI. Antisemitism is seen as “punching up” and to those who follow DEI which in their mentality is a good thing.

These Jewish thought leaders whine, that if antisemitism is centered in the fight against DEI, then the Jews are going to be blamed for getting rid of this racialist monstrosity. (My words, racialist monstrosity not theirs. As if those who run DEI don’t already blame the Jews for all the evils in the world.) And the “normal” progressives won’t ever forgive the Jews for what Trump is doing. These schlemiels are worried that they wont be let into the progressive Jew-haters club. Still walking with trembling knees and afraid to face the reality that their “allies” are not allies, but enemies. That they are not welcome on the progressive woke left anymore than they are welcome on the woke right. That they are truly politically homeless. (It’s not so bad being an independent. I’ve been one since 1992, before it was cool.)

Well, in truth, they could be let back into the woke club now, if they wanted, but only if they denounce everything that makes Judaism Judaism and Jews Jews. Some have already done just that. But the overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans have not and are not going to.

Listen, these thought leaders have even gone so far as to denounce the Antisemitism Awareness Act (yes, Bret Stephens denounced it too during a discussion at the 92nd Street Y). Saying we either don’t need it, or its a violation of the first amendment because you know defining antisemitism is the same as saying you can’t be an antisemite. Will it chill speech? If it makes someone think twice before they open a bigoted and revolting mouth and decide not to spew their Jew-hating vomit then too bad if their speech is chilled. (And yes FIRE is against the act, but that doesn’t mean they are right. In fact, libertarians tend to be wrong about most of life’s real issues.)

And no antisemitism, is not like obscenity/porn where you may not be able to define it, but you know it when you see it. You can’t always know antisemitism when you see or hear it, because the antisemite is the one who wants to define it. And fights to demands to define it. The interesting thing is when antisemites ae included in the discussion. That somehow they should get a seat at the table to help decide what is and isn’t Jew-hatred. That’s like asking the KKK to help define whether racism is a good or bad thing.

Not quite sure why its that hard to get this passed in the US Congress. The IHRA defintion of antisemitism is accepted by over 46 countries and over 1266 entities use the definition. But then again in committee yesterday, again uber kapo Bernie Sanders (can you believe this antiamerican antisemite commie loving alta kaka is the leading presidential candidate for the democrats-Trump is going to be president forever at this point unless the dems really get their shit together) added amendments with the help of neonazis Ed Markey and Rand Paul and all the other democrats on the committee which basically scuttles the act.

Just a word to the otherwise wise, antizionism is antisemitism. If you think that the only people in the world who have no right to have a country in their indigenous homelands and to rule themselves are the Jews then you are an antisemite. If you think that the good guys are Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis then you are an antisemite (among other things including being a walking talking asshole). Again the antisemites want to redefine antisemitism so they are not guilty of their own genocidal intentions, while they simultaneously get to crown themselves the new Christs. Much like the Nazis did in the 20th century.

Just a word to the wise- if you are on the same side of an issue, especially one that deals with anything having to do with Jews, as a nazi or neonazi, its time to rethink your choices in life.

So here we are at the beginning of Jewish American Heritage Month. While its nice to look back on history and to remember that Jewish Americans going all the way back to the Revolutionary War, had a hand in making America the nation it is today, the question I have, and I am sure I am not alone, is do my Jewish American children actually have a future in America?

By the way, it turns out I actually married a descendent of Chaim Solomon, too. We even have a family tree hanging in our bedroom going back to before the Revolution. How cool is that!

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month

IT IS DAY 575 OF THE HOSTAGES BEING STARVED AND HELD IN THE TERROR DUNGEONS OF GAZA 🎗️

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