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Jewish World Review Feb. 17, 2004 / 25 Shevat, 5764 Our own worst enemies? By Joseph Aaron
A few things to think about
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The biggest threats to the Jewish
people today are internal, not
external. By far.
That's not how we feel. But that's the
truth.
The fact that we don't see that truth,
understand that reality, means we are
failing to fix the problems within,
while needlessly obsessing about the
non-problems without.
The result is that our internal
problems are getting worse and making
us weaker, while our tiny external
problems are blown out of proportion,
thus scaring us and making us feel
vulnerable for no reason.
I have felt this way for a long time,
but never more so then recent weeks.
An incredible number of things took
place in just the last week that made
it more clear than ever.
For starters, there was that MTV
commercial.
Yes, if you don't see just how
accepted Judaism is in this country,
how a part of this country we are, how
much our ways are known, consider
this. A commercial for MTV, designed
to show how hip it is, featured a
young woman standing at a bimah in
shul, singing, in Hebrew, her aliyah
as if she was Christine Aguilera. Next
to her was a rabbi in tallis, behind
her an ark with Star of David.
Pooh, pooh that all you want, but
there is no more powerful evidence
that we can relax, we've made it,
we're home.
But I got a lot more evidence for you
to consider, evidence that, beyond the
shadow of a doubt, shows that we are
our own worst enemies.
Item one: Birthright Israel is
slashing the number of participants on
its summer trip this year because of
funding problems.
Now, yes, I have not been a big fan of
Birthright, which provides a free 10-
day trip to Israel for 18 to 26 year
olds. But this is not about me, it's
about those who do see Birthright as a
way to keep young Jews Jewish and get
young Jews to care about Israel.
Those who have backed Birthright
include the state of Israel, the North
American federation system and 14
philanthropists, including Michael
Steinhardt and Charles Bronfman.
Together, the three agreed to provide
funding of $210 million over five
years. In other words, chump change,
considering how much money the
American Jewish community raises and
spends each year.
And yet, both Israel and the
federation system haven't come up with
their share of the dough and aren't
likely to. For a program they have
called a revolutionary way to
strengthen Jewish identity.
The result is that several thousand
young American Jews who wanted to go
to Israel this summer, have been
turned away. Yes, have expressed
interest in going to Israel when
Israel badly needs visitors and young
Jews badly need Israel, but have been
told sorry, no money.
Indeed, Steinhardt says the program
may have to be shut down.
How we gonna blame the Palestinians or
the Tribune for that one?
Item two: An agreement has been
reached between Germany and the Claims
Conference on providing compensation
to victims of Nazi medical
experiments.
Under the agreement, each of the 1,778
victims will receive a one-time
payment of $5,400.
I don't remember when I've read such
an obscene story.
$5,400 for Jews who underwent such
things as sterilization, amputation of
limbs, organ removal, infusion of
infectious diseases, immersion in ice
water. $5,400.
Of course, no amount of money is
enough for those who endured such pain
and torture. Gideon Taylor, executive
vice president of the Claims
Conference, calls it "symbolic
payments to the victims."
If they are meant to be symbolic, why
not $6 million to each victim. Better
yet, why not take the symbolism of
Germany finally acknowledging its
responsibility and apologizing for
what was done in its name, and leave
it at that, not taint it with money,
especially an amount that makes a
mockery of the powerful symbolism of
the act itself.
How a Jewish organization could have
agreed to this is beyond me.
Item three: Jews and Jewish
organizations are "the principal
targets of Middle East terror in the
world today," says Steven Pomerantz, a
former assistant deputy director of
the FBI.
As a result, the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations and the North American
federation system have come up with
SCAN, Secure Community Alert Network.
The purpose of SCAN is to alert Jewish
institutions all around the country in
case of danger of terrorism.
All things considered, a wise and
necessary effort.
Well, guess what SCAN's budget is?
$25,000.
And get this. Organizers say it is
just in its initial stages, this more
than two years after 9/11. But, adds
Malcolm Hoenlein, top man at the
Conference of Presidents, at some
point, it'll hire a part time
professional.
$25,000 for national Jewish security.
$25,000 to coordinate all the
country's national Jewish agencies and
alert all the local ones. And some
time down the road, a part time
professional to help out.
And, oh, all SCAN does is let Jewish
organizations know something's coming.
It doesn't tell them what to do about
it. "If a community will not know what
to do with intelligence, it's
nothing," said Arieh Amit, former
Jerusalem police chief. "They could be
a resource, as well as just an alert
mechanism," said Nick Bunz of the
Manhattan JCC. "They could be a
professional specialized institution
that focuses uniquely on Jewish
institutions, Jewish buildings and
Jewish events."
They could be. But not for $25,000,
not with a part time professional and
not when they are just starting with
the initial stages and aren't in any
hurry.
But they have, at least, come up with
a cool name. Which makes me feel more
secure already. How about you?
Item four: A new survey shows that
Jerusalem is the poorest large city in
Israel.
If this ain't a shandah, I don't know
what is. Jerusalem, the holy city, the
hometown of G-d, the place where the
temples were and the Western Wall is.
A place we cherish more than any
other, have prayed and fought to have
back in our hands for more than 2,000
years.
A city we've let go to seed.
Shame on us.
Item five: Finally, anti-Semitism.
We are obsessed with anti-Semitism.
Europe is anti-Semitic. The media is
anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism is back
and stronger than ever. Hell, it's as
bad in 2004 as it was in 1934,
says "Creepy Old" Abe Foxman of the
ADL. Anti-Semitism. Boo.
We spend so much of our time and
resources worrying about it, fighting
it, fearing it, talking about it. We
let it affect all we do, all we are.
For basically no reason.
This week, showed how nuts we are.
Consider. Israel, for the first time
ever, held a national day against
global anti-Semitism, complete with
special session of the Knesset. And
so, Israel now has a day on its
calendar devoted to the new anti-
Semitism.
The very same week it did that, only
adding to our irrational, unfounded,
and destructive obsession with
something that ain't much of a threat
anymore, the following took place:
Yes, this is the same nut who said
Jews run the world. That got all kinds
of play in the Jewish community. But
now he says "Muslims should accept
other people's religions." How come we
don't pay attention to that? Why isn't
that as significant, if not more?
I could go on and on. What the above
shows is that, yes, there is anti-
Semitism in the world, but this time
is different than any other time ever.
This time, governments are on our
side, action is being taken, those
fomenting anti-Semitism are being
punished. People get it, the powerful
get it, and both are on our side.
Everything has changed for the better
for us. Except us.
Real problems from within, we ignore.
Lesser, thank G-d, problems from
without, we go nuts over.
If you want something to worry about,
I'd start with that.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and the media consider "must-reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Joseph Aaron is Editor of
The Chicago Jewish News. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
© 2004, Joseph Aaron
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