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GERMANY, POLAND, EUROPE AND THE JEWS
It should be obvious to all except the most delusional of us that Europe does not like Jews, Judaism, Israel and anything that reminds it of those subjects. Germany almost banned circumcision. They reasoned (?) that since the baby didn’t consent, his civil rights were being violated. But vaccinations are certainly allowed without the baby’s permission, as is enforced school attendance and many prohibitions of products to minors even when the minor expressly demands its possession or use.
Ah, but circumcision… that’s mentioned in the Hebrew Bible isn’t it? We love that Bible but those Hebrews, well, that is a different matter entirely. And as for that dastardly little country of theirs, the EU is doing all in its power to shrink it, boycott it and get it to eventually disappear.
Just give Ms. Ashton and her cohorts enough time; she is working diligently with them and with Abu Mazen on the problem. In the 1930’s Poland banned shechita for humanitarian reasons. In a fit of humanity redux, Poland in 2013 has again banned shechita. The poor animals being slaughtered in the non-Jewish fashion are being treated humanely while those Jews (and apparently Moslems as well) are being brutal and cruel to animals.
This fatuous argument has no empiric evidence to support it. It has always been a cover for anti-Semitism and continues to be so today. There is a direct line from the anti-shechita regulations of the 1930’s in Germany and Poland to the slaughter of millions of Jews on Polish soil - and many times with the collaboration of Poles in the 1940’s. Poland has conveniently neglected to remember the words of the prophet: “Those who slaughter fellow human beings kiss calves.”
Holocaust tourism to Poland and Eastern Europe is a major industry. Krakow lives off of Auschwitz. Only Jews are foolish enough to desert their families on the High Hoy Days to visit Uman. I know that what I am writing may seem sacrilegious to some and just plain wrong to many others, but I see all of this – Yeshiva tours, graves tours, Klezmer festivals, etc. – as being a sign of Jewish weakness.
I find a visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem or the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. far more inspiring than stepping foot on the blood soaked soil of Poland. I visited Warsaw fifteen years ago to exhibit a Jewish movie I produced. A young Polish punk came up to me and saluted me with “Heil Hitler.” I then resolved that I would never again (remember that phrase?) spend another zloty in Poland.
For five hundred years Jews willingly and proudly stayed away from Spain because of the expulsion of the Jews and the Inquisition. But by pouring millions of dollars into such programs as The March of the Living and other tours, we have allowed Poland to profit from our tragedy. It is allowed to comfortably and publicly return to its long seeded virulent anti-Semitism, without any pangs of guilt.
Cruelty to animals? – who do you think you are kidding? It is only because the Europeans still view the Jewish world and Israel as kowtowingly weak in spirit and self-pride, unsure of our faith and our values, doubting our own God-given legitimacy in our ancient homeland, and desperately seeking their approval and acceptance at any price, that they dare to be so openly and blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. People respect strength, especially moral strength. We are sadly lacking in that.
The Poles want their country to be Judenrein. We should grant them their wish. Let them encourage German tourism to Auschwitz. There are more Germans than Jews in the world so they should have no trouble in making up any shortfall in tourism occasioned by Jews no longer wasting their money in Poland.
And while we are at it, we should ask the UK to brand all products of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as such. Spain should identify what was produced in the Basque section of the country. France should make clear what is coming from Alsace-Lorraine. But that is unfair of me. Those countries stand up for their rights even if they are wrongs.
We live in a culture that convinces us that we are wrong even when we are right. It is hard to shake off the ills of millennia of exile and subservience. But, paradoxically in the exile, we were somewhat stronger in spirit, moral fiber and self-worth than we are apparently today. It is no coincidence that when Jews complete the reading of a book of the Torah they declare Chazak – let us be strong. Truly let us be strong for that is the only way for acceptance in the cruel world we live in.
Berel Wein
