(Chutzpah)…that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.
~Leo Rosten/The Joys of Yiddish
I have been pretty tough on white evangelicals the past few weeks. And with good reason as most recently evidenced by the latest Pew Research Center survey on attitudes toward refugees in which 68 percent of white evangelicals do not believe the United States has a responsibility to accept refugees. Which makes you wonder if they are channeling Bill Clinton when citing the sermon on the mount. “It depends on what the meaning of ‘welcome the stranger into your house’ is.”
However, it is unfair to single out one group when there are equally hypocritical representatives of all the major religions and among the unaffiliated. Today, my focus is the domination of which I am most familiar. Although my adherence to religious practice associated with Judaism becomes more distant daily, I still consider myself a “member of the tribe,” with deep historical and cultural ties. Among the latter is the concept of “Tikkun Olam” which roughly translates into “heal the world.” The concept first appears in Orthodox Judaic commentaries as a call to eschew all forms of idolatry. In “Tikkun Olam: Social Responsibility in Jewish Thought and Law (1997)”, the four authors write, “In the modern era, this concept calls for Jews to bear responsibility not only for our own moral, spiritual and material welfare, but also for the welfare of society at large.”
Sadly, there are anecdotal instances in which individuals raised in Jewish households–e.g. Bernie Madoff, Jeffrey Epstein–by virtue of their greed and perversity result in disgrace and embarrassment and, most unfortunately, affirm the stereotypes of those who hate and have persecuted Jews throughout history. Don’t believe me? Readers’ comments on The Daily Stormer website in response to coverage of the Epstein story include, “Jews do not fear wrongdoing…they fear getting caught and exposed for who they are…jews.” Or, “If it wasn’t Epstein, it would be another Jew.” It is unconscionable this kind of bigotry is given cover in Donald Trump’s America.
So, how do you fight prejudice? With role models. John F. Kennedy’s election forever debunked the fear a Catholic president would be more beholden to the Vatican than the Constitution. And Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House demonstrated that a black man with power did not have to be angry a la Putney Swope who, in the 1969 movie of the same name, said, “I’m not going to rock the boat. I’m going to sink the f***ing ship!” Equally important, the Obama family stood in stark contrast to many of the images we see of the African-American experience on the news and in popular culture. My favorite commentary on inauguration day 2017 accompanied a picture of Obama and Trump on the White House steps before heading to the Capitol. “Guess which man has five children by three different women?”
Which brings me back to Judaism. Would the election of the first Jewish president affirm or refute the prejudicial memes spouted by those who believe in the international Zionist conspiracy? An “N” of zero makes any empirical analysis impossible. But we do have data on Jewish-Americans in or near positions of national power. And the reviews have been less than glowing. For example, Abe Fortas was nominated by Lyndon Johnson to become the first Jewish chief justice of the Supreme Court. His confirmation was derailed when Judiciary Committee chairman James Eastland (yes, the same James Eastland Joe Biden referenced last month) opposed Fortas’ promotion from justice to chief justice.
Unfortunately, Fortas brought his own nails to seal his coffin when it was revealed he had accepted speaking fees from business interests presenting a conflict of interest if and when these interests had cases before the court. By today’s standards, this indiscretion would barely make the news. But opponents used it to suggest Fortas could be controlled by moneyed interests. And eventually Johnson withdrew the nomination.
Then there is the case of Joe Lieberman who came within a hanging chad of becoming vice-president. Instead of continuing to support the Democratic agenda, Lieberman became an independent and supported John McCain in 2008. I understand they had become close compadres while serving together in the Senate. But that does not explain Lieberman’s endorsement of Sarah Palin, saying, “She is the leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington.” As we now know, his affinity for McCain was more than support for a personal friend. In 2016, he tossed aside years of progressive ideology and backed Trump amid rumors he might become the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Can you spell “opportunist?” I knew you could.
And now, although not elected, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are perhaps in the highest position of national influence than any Jewish couple in the nation’s history. And how would they use that influence? In May 2017, Jodi Kantor, Rachel Abrams and Maggie Haberman wrote the following in a New York Times article titled, “Ivanka Trump Has the President’s Ear. Here’s Her Agenda.”
In interviews last week, she said she intended to act as a moderating force in an administration swept into office by nationalist sentiment. Other officials added that she had weighed in on topics including climate, deportation, education and refugee policy.
I know, Ivanka was not born into Judaism. She converted when she married Kushner. However, it is said that converts often become stronger believers of their chosen theology than those who come to a religious denomination by birth. And based on the 2017 Times report, Ms. Trump would seem to support the principle of “Tikkun Olam.” But like her father, selective amnesia runs deep.
- Where was she when daddy decided to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords?
- What happened to the “moderating force” when Trump demonizes refugees and authorizes raids to deport immigrants whose only crime is wanting a better life for themselves and their families?
- When has she ever spoken out against Betsy Devos’ proposals to slash funding for public education, deregulate predatory for-profit colleges or weaken protections against sexual assault and harassment under Title IX of the education act?
Not to be outdone by his wife, Kushner, a modern-day Shylock, is more than willing to use his connection to his father-in-law to grease his own financial position.
You have to appreciate the irony. I, born and raised as Jewish, find myself wondering if, based on the attitudes and behaviors of some at the doorstep of national influence, there is a kernel of truth in the negative stereotypes of my people promoted by the alt-right. Equally ironic, Jared and Ivanka are Jews only a white supremacist or neo-Nazi could love.
For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP
The first event was a visit to the Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort, South Carolina during which we talked with one of the curators Will Balk, who previously owned the local bookstore where Conroy would hold his first signings after the release of each book. His friendships included, not just Pat, but several of the author’s six siblings who occasionally visited his shop and now the Literary Center.
Before there was George Carlin or Lewis Black, there was Mort Sahl. In August 1960, Sahl appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and was lauded as the person who could, through social satire, help voters understand the choices in the upcoming presidential election. In what seems unimaginable today, Sahl befriended several presidents despite his sometimes critical commentaries and was often invited to accompany them on Air Force One, which resulted in my all-time favorite Mort Sahl story which, 50 years later, I can only paraphrase.
