Thursday, February 19, 2009
From Charles Jacobs, in full [This first appeared in print in the current Jewish Advocate.]:
The Madoff scheme devastated Jewish finances. But even more devastating, though less widely acknowledged, are the losses stemming from a different Ponzi setup -- a communal strategy which sent Jewish political capital down a rat hole.
The scheme: for decades, Jews have worked, lobbied and organized for non-Jewish, universalist causes with determination, skill and passion. In return, Jews expected that all this "investment" in the welfare of others would build up 'goodwill' credits. Instead, the recipients of and witnesses to Jewish beneficence simply took the goods and ran.
Jews played a leading role in ending segregation and discrimination against Blacks, yet polls show anti-Semitism is at its highest levels in the African-American community. Jews partnered with mainstream churches for decades - lobbying against racism, for unions, for rent control, for welfare, for higher taxes - yet many church leaders have turned vehemently against the Jewish state and led divestment campaigns against Israel. Jews helped lead the fight for gender equality, yet the feminist Ms. Magazine refused an ad celebrating Israeli women's empowerment because significant numbers of its readers are hostile to Israel. Jews are at the forefront of gay rights, yet while there's a group called "Gays for Palestine" (let them hold that sign in Ramallah and see what happens!), no American gay group that I know protests the brutalities against gays in Islamic countries.
The meltdown of Jewish political capital is painful to see. In Boston, last year, the Old South Church, with which our JCRC has had extensive social justice partnerships, hosted a two day Israel hate-fest, featuring Desmond Tutu proclaiming that "Israel is Apartheid." Like the Madoff victims, the JCRC, to its dismay, found its decades-old "investment" had simply vanished.
Of course the primary reason Jews advocate for social causes is that they themselves were so often the victim of bigotry and oppression. Simple justice, lessons learned, heartfelt sympathy and moral obligation drive this benevolent impulse.
But everyone assumed that doing things for others would also bring Jews credit - which they could count on for that rainy day when Jews again might be in danger. Well, it's raining: Today, Islamist Jew-hatred poses dire threats to Jews everywhere and in Europe, Jews are spat upon and their buildings set aflame. And yet there's hardly a peep from any "progressive" partner or the recipients of Jewish good will, hard work and generous donations. Instead they're angry when Israelis defend themselves.
Strangely, unlike Madoff's victims, many Jews stung by what I'd call this "Tikkunista boondoggle" are reacting as though being duped in this way just doesn't matter. Why?
Because rejection by these groups in which Jews invested so much of themselves feels worse than losing money: it is a wound to the heart. The Jews have been jilted. Right now, they're in denial. Perhaps there's a grieving process that could get them past their useless fantasies into a healthy, self-respecting righteous fury.
We need a communal therapy: leaders who would develop a rational analysis of this failed "investment" strategy. And then create one that works.
It's very odd that the people many Jews (liberal ones) antagonize the most (e.g., "Evangelicals" viz. abortion and keeping Christ out of the public square) are the most supportive of Israel and Jewish causes. And those that many Jews support the most (blacks, gays, minorities) are the most antagonistic.
Those "many Jews" who supported minorities and social causes couldn't see that in many cases they were just being used as useful idiots.
The anti-Jewish sensibilities continued, if below the surface, and as some people in Britain have discovered to their own chagrin, that their former allies were just being PC for the period.
Maybe subconsciously they were trying to live up to the higher moral standard imposed on them by the non-Jewish world? If they did it was the wrong reason and they should not have countenanced the double standard.
Just look at where the totally wrong and immoral business of helping Turkey escape attention for the Armenians they massacred has ended up.
I agree with the above with one exception; I think that as Jews, we felt morally and ethically that supporting these causes was the right thing to do. I don't think we expected anything in return for our support. It would, howver, be nice if those we supported/support would give us the benefit of the doubt and take an honest look at the issues involved.
#3
It is all very well feeling that it is/was the right thing to do but getting kicked in the butt was not an acceptable price because of the message it sends.
For all that was done to advance the rights of blacks in America the response of the Jacksons and Sharptons should have been taken into account and a proper message delivered.
The Israelis have been criticized for bad "hasbara" but the American Jewish community is also not that competent in maintaining respect for itself and getting respect for its public works.
Bravo, Charles!
While a very good article with many good points, it does fail to acknowledge, as many secular Jews do, the possibility, even probability of G_d's involvement in these issues. After all, does not the Torah and Mosaic Law, given by G_d Himself to us to obey, condemn homosexual activity, and yet we Jews marvel at how our support of their causes has "borne no fruit". Indeed it has. Not what we wanted, to be sure, but what G_d has ordained as a result of our refusal to condemn such activity rather than embrace it.
And while our support of the ending of discrimination of blacks and other minorities was laudable and even necessary and right in the beginning, our refusal to see the takeover of that movement decades ago by others as vehemently discriminatory and hateful against white America and our refusal to condemn them as well, but rather ignore it and continue in self-flaggelation even to this day ignores the real truth of why such segregation and hatred is wrong--because G_d had commanded it wrong, to us, from the beginning.
The great secular movement among us Jews and its success in bringing about the renewed philosophies of old that kept us wandering in the desert with our worship of false idols--ourselves and our own perceived power, along with so many other things, each according to personal preference--rather than the worship of our G_d and adherence to His Laws and Commandments. These are the things that prohibit G_d from allowing other nations and peoples to honor us.
So do not be surprised, fellow Jews, when we ignore G_d's Commandments and fall into disfavor with other human beings. For when we forget to remember that G_d did really deliver us from bondage with great wonders and miracles in order that we may know, and therefore be a light to the rest of the world, of His Power and Mercy--not our own--we then must expect what G_d promised, and Moses rightly proclaimed: that we become witnesses against ourselves to our own betrayal of our portion of the Covenant between G_d and Abraham, and later Isaac and Jacob (Israel)--and to our own peril.