For the length of my 83 years, I have been proud of being an American Jew.
My deep devotion to this country has been based upon its commitment to what I call “The American Idea,” the philosophy that permeates our foundational documents. The principles set out in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights undergird creation of an open society–a society in which individuals have the right to live in accordance with their beliefs, so long as they do not harm others. In such a system, minorities thrive. Granted, slavery and various bigotries have challenged that goal of civic equality over our history, but the U.S. was the first country to aspire to a system where government power flows from the people rather than the other way around, and is structured to protect individual liberty.
And even though I’m an atheist, I am a very Jewish atheist, adhering to the values of a Jewish culture that admonishes us “Justice, justice shall thou pursue,” and counsels that–while we aren’t expected to perfect the world in one generation–we aren’t free not to try. The Jewish commitment to community has produced citizens who believe in social justice for everyone, not just the “elect” or chosen, and who feel an obligation to help achieve it.
Everyone who reads this blog knows what is occurring in today’s “Trumpified” America. And most know how far Netanyahu has deviated from the founding beliefs and Jewish values of the State of Israel.
Ezra Klein recently had a lengthy–and excellent–essay in the New York Times, in which he made two important points: many American Jews believe that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, and opposition by non-Jews to Israel’s actions is not anti-Semitism. (Granted, many anti-Semites have gleefully latched on to anti-Zionism, but the opinion that Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza are genocidal has been voiced by Israelis, including Jewish scholars of genocide.)
Klein notes that the American Jewish community is split, largely but not entirely on generational lines, with younger Jews more critical of Israel. I can certainly understand that. I still remember my mother crying as she read the Black Book–a compendium of Nazi atrocities. Like most Jewish families, we had a blue box where pennies and nickels were collected to plant trees in Israel, which was seen as the only place in the world where Jews could be safe. Older American Jews retain their devotion to the “Promised land,” and have enormous difficulty believing that it is behaving in a manner entirely contrary to the most central values of the Jewish religion.
Where do these twin disasters–the disintegration of American governmental structures and norms, and the unbelievable deviation of the Jewish state from the values on which it was founded– leave people who (like yours truly) have made allegiance to those norms and values central to their lives and behaviors?
I practiced law for several years. I spent six years as the Executive Director of Indiana’s ACLU. I spent two decades teaching students public policy through a constitutional lens, emphasizing the various ways in which our governmental structure and the protections of the Bill of Rights enable what Aristotle called “human flourishing.” (Not that it was perfect, nor all of its provisions adequate for all time.) Watching the destruction of the rule of law, and the cowardly obedience of what was once my political party to a demented manchild, has been agonizing.
Like most Jews, I felt a special kinship to Israel as it operated as a haven for my co-religionists all over the world. I took pride in the ability of its original settlers to create a vibrant and vital state from the desert, although I did disagree with certain aspects of its governance–especially the settlements policy. (Despite anti-Semetic slurs, that kinship was nothing like “dual loyalty,” any more than my Irish friends’ special fondness for Ireland constitutes dual loyalty.)
I encourage those of you reading this to click through and read Klein’s essay in its entirety; he captures the angst of both Israel’s defenders and those of us who simply cannot see any honest way to justify what is occuring.
The two main pillars of my philosophical/intellectual life are being erased. I feel the way my friends who are real Christians feel as they watch their faith being appropriated by very unChristian Christian Nationalists.
To define this situation as “unpleasant” would be a gross understatement.
Let Them, a well-written book by Mel Robbins
Let them do what they do
If they don’t screw over you
And if they try to do
that to you or others
Stop them
I find that I am slowly passing from a state of “anguish” into a stage of profound grief. All I have ever known is being erased from the world as a mad man leads the country to hell while millions cheer the opening of a concentration camp in the Florida swamps.
I suppose I can best be described as a Christian agnostic and occasional atheist; it depends on the issue I am facing at any particular time. Theresa has best described my deep feelings of profound grief; I passed through the level of depression between the 2024 election day and the 2025 inauguration day…which we were blocked from witnessing so the billionaires could be comfortably warm as they viewed it from their costly seats on the stage.
At my last regular medical checkup in March my current primary physician wanted to talk about my depression and seeking therapy; when I responded I do not need a therapist, I need to talk to other Democrats who understood what is going on around us now. She got a big laugh out of my response; obviously not aware that her career in medicine is as unsafe as my position as one of her patients…or maybe she is simply a Republican. They don’t appear to understand what is going on around them and that they are as threatened by Trump as the rest of us.
“To define this situation as “unpleasant” would be a gross understatement.To define this situation as “unpleasant” would be a gross understatement.”
Last night my wife and I ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We noted that some familiar servers were gone and replaced by other brown-skinned servers. We asked and were informed that ICE had raided them. We too grieve the transformation of the United States into a fascist state led by non-Christian “christian nationalists.”
I read your letter every day and rarely comment. Today’s letter grabbed my heart as you summarized my feelings about Trump and his wealthy sycophants who are destroying everything America once stood for. As a fellow senior citizen my remaining time is short, but I fear for the future of future generations and more specifically for my children and grandchildren. Americans must waste no opportunity to expose this administration and its supporters for their crimes and corruption.
We were born in the same year, Sheila, 1942. FDR was our president. My birthday was 3 months and 3 weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack. Palestine was operated by the British even while Rommel’s Panzers rushed toward Egypt. The attacks against Jewry were already known to our administration, but the isolationist fever and inherent anti-semitism in certain government circles prevented Jews trying to escape the pogroms from entering our country. These creatures KNEW that FDR’s political hands were tied and turned our policies into pretzels to keep Jews out of our country. The worst of the lot was Breckenridge Long, a political hack have way too much power over state department policy.
So, this is a different time and, ironically, the tables are flipped. Israel exits as a sop to western political guilt after the holocaust. The country was founded on self-defense in addition to the Jewish principles you mention. Now, like the U.S., our “leaders” are perverting everything about principle to achieve some sort of gain and place in history.
Netanyahu’s genocide against Palestinians is unforgivable, but, ironically, emulates Hitler’s genocide of Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, etc., in the name of national security. The MIC of the U.S. is all-in for this as we continue to arm the IDF.
Trump’s administration now emulates Hitler’s in so many ways. Alligator Alcatraz is just the beginning. Gregg Abbott in Texas will pledge fealty by building another of these concentration camps in the scorching desert of west Texas. The Republicans, lacking any semblance of civic or Constitutional courage will comply … just as the Reichstag did in the 1930s, scant years before we were born.
And we were taught that this sort of fascist monstrosity could never happen here … or again anywhere. HAH!
When those who wish to dominate, finish eating those who’ve been dominated, they end up eating their own.
Mankind has used religion as a tool for domination. None of these massive religious organizations have followed their holy books. The religions have been compromised, by their own apostate leadership! If you read the Old testament, or the Hebrew scriptures, or the new testament, also called the Christian Greek scriptures, The Pentateuch or Torah, which the Muslims also consider holy, is completely ignored in today’s Judeo-Christian-Islamic Trinity! The beliefs of the Pentateuch, have been completely ignored by today’s trinitarian triad of Abrahamic offspring!
Granted, the so-called Christians of today, base their beliefs more on the Messianic scriptures, or the Christian Greek scriptures, but, what scriptures did Christ quote constantly before his death? The Hebrew scriptures! There were no Christian Greek scriptures yet. The gospel books, Matthew Mark Luke and John, are completely ignored by today’s pseudo Christian acolytes, and also, the pseudo Muslim acolytes, who call the gospel books The lnjeel. So there is a commonality in the triad, but still, they find it impossible to coexist! So is it the original texts of scripture that are at fault? Or is it the men who have taken control of the religions themselves who are at fault for the constant conflict?
Of course, as a free moral agent, it is your decision as to what you want to believe. However, it is the course of wisdom to make sure that your beliefs are shaped, not by human wisdom and desires, but, rather, by God’s revealed Word of truth. (1st Thessalonians 2:13; 5:21)
As far as Ezra is concerned, and the NYT for that matter, their stance on Israel is much too late. They weren’t in denial of genocide – they were complicit. I’ve read the emails sent by editors to the journalists instructing them how to modify their words so as not to “insult” Jews or Israel, nor use the word genocide. I guess murdering women and children in cold blood was okay. Starving them was OK. But, they crossed the line when murdering starving women and children while standing in line to get food and water?
Sorry, I call bullshit. Considering how the US was complicit in the genocide and others as well, tells me all I need to know about the US, which started this country on the backs of genocide and slavery. I am the last age group of Boomers, so I wasn’t romanced about our country from the post-WW2 propaganda. I also never bought into Obama’s speeches on American Exceptionalism. I understand why he made those speeches, but they only motivated devoted Democrats.
I’m not sure if it was one of Warren Buffett’s sons or not, but they wrote an article about the generational decline of the oligarchy, which has been passed down in rule from the country’s inception. Perhaps it has to do with the thinning of the genes; I’m not sure. One look at Trump and his offspring and you’ll know what I mean. The press asked Eric if he had aspirations to serve in his father’s footsteps, and he said maybe. I’ve never heard Baron speak, but Eric and Don Jr. are as dimwitted as they come. If you think their father is an ignorant asshole…
I know most who read this blog tend to be older Boomers, so this may ruffle your feathers, but I blame the Boomers for leaving it worse off for their descendants. You got sucked into the propaganda started in the 50s under the direction of Sigmund Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays. I love this clip from Cambridge on Bernays because they didn’t mention who hired and paid him to convince women to smoke:
“In his 1928 book, “Propaganda,” Bernays hypothesized that by understanding the group mind, it would be possible to manipulate people’s behavior without their even realizing it. To test this hypothesis, Bernays launched one of his most famous public relations campaigns: convincing women to smoke.”
A “society in which individuals have the right to live in accordance with their beliefs, so long as they do not harm others.”
That, I would venture to guess, is what all humans naturally want. That is, at least until something or someone backs them into a corner. Then it’s fight or flight, anger or fear.
The right, which is based on every person for themselves, fought for the right to back people into such a corner, first for political reasons to gain support, and then to hurt others they deem as inferior.
That is bully behavior, and nobody does it better than Steven Miller.
Sheila, I’ve respected you for many decades and continue to do so. Thank you. My heart hurts because of the loss of vision in our country.
I had forgotten about the little blue boxes for change!! Not that I didn’t appreciate your blog, but this jumped out at me. I was born 13 days after Pearl Harbor and I have found in these, my later years, that my generation thinks very differently from more recent ones. I just hope and want to believe that America will survive and still be the home of the “free and the brave.”
Today’s issue and many of the comments brought to mind the beginning of actress Frances Farmer’s life in the public eye; as a teenager she entered an essay contest in her home town of Seattle’s newspaper. Her essay was titled “God Is Dead”, her reasoning based on the fact that she had lost her favorite red hat and was praying to God to help her find it. At the same time her best friend’s mother was dying and her friend was praying to God to let her mother live. Her friend’s mother died but Frances found her favorite red hat; her conclusion that “God Is Dead” was based on the His help finding her red hat but letting her friend’s mother die. Frances won the essay contest and the first prize, strangely, was a trip to Russia. Maybe it was that red hat that brought this to mind this Sunday morning as we face the Trump red hats as royalty ruling over America today and Russia looming over us.
This is obviously one of my Atheist days as we face the decision to move to a 2nd Revolutionary War against Trump’s royal ruling or fire that first shot to begin our 2nd Civil War against the neo-Confederates. The MAGAs will not go easily; this “Political Anguish” can only end with boots on our home ground again, one way or another.
“ Older American Jews retain their devotion to the “Promised land,” and have enormous difficulty believing that it is behaving in a manner entirely contrary to the most central values of the Jewish religion.”
Change that to –
“ Many Americans retain their devotion to the “Promised land” our founding documents promised and have enormous difficulty believing that it is behaving in a manner entirely contrary to the most central values of the American Constitution”.
That’s where I am.
Todd is on target as usual! First arrived in Israel 1963- met many of my relatives including my great-uncle SY Agnon- Israel’s first Nob Laureate 3 years later. Well meaning immigrants yes. Leadership deceptive from the 1920’s – if not earlier- google Hajo Meyer- holocaust survivor read Avi Shlaim+ Peter Beinart all Jews. Fear- and manipulation go WAY back. Chomsky and others- helped re-educate me in the 1980’s. Net- is horrible yes- it goes much further back. NY Times- generally horrible!
Down here in sunny southwest Florida, It’s nice to see that our rector has been focused on the need to welcome the stranger. She and I have talked about the need to take a stand against the fakers. Given that we’re in the reddest part of a red state,, she doesn’t want to be the last rector of our church. Anyone who doesn’t get the message is being willfully ignorant. She hasn’t even mentioned partisan politics.
Its now okay for the churches to openly support a candidate, without any penalty. IMHO, that is among the worst that has come from this appalling administration. That is scary, when you think about it.
I concur with T Smekens.
I’m embarrassed to live in a “western” country that claims moral superiority then does nothing about this.
Future generations will ask; What did you do?
We can all reply we protested Orange Man and took selfies in front of state capitals and shared our meritorious CV credentials.
Nevermind the constant sullen attitudes expressed upon obscure blogs.
In my lifetime, the media have gone from reporting to proselityzing and the news industry management have abandoned information for shareholder value. And now the decline curve has steepened as the media has increasingly focused on control of the messaging and the associated revenue streams from advertisers and now the Republican Party/maga. They are willingly abandoning their respected role for more dollars and higher dividends. I don’t think this was the founders plan for a free press. Freedom of the press is founded on its independence. Now it’s one lap dog after another who are already so wealthy that the driver can only be to prove they can accumulate more wealth than the next oligarch. These are the leaders of the death spiral for democracy.
1942 was a very good year, for some, Vernon, and a sad one for others. I am a ’42er, also. While an atheist, and not religiously tied to the story about Israel’s “manifest destiny,” I used to think of it as a wonderful idea, after the horror of the Holocaust, but, now, Bibi, and friends, are rewriting Holocaust history, creating one of their own. I now see the 1948 war as Israel’s version of our war against Native Americans.
“Promised land” is based on the fairy tale of biblical “teachings.” Like the story of the red hat, I see people “knowing” that their god-thing is right there with them, while that same god-thing “allows” slaughter, poverty’s illnesses, and torture, in so many places.
P.S.: apropos of the issue with the Gaza war, is the piece from the NYT, that I excerpted here, telling about how a recent Israeli attack hurt the those who seem to be the best people in Iran:
“If there’s anything symbolic in Israel’s bombing of Evin Prison, it is the false and dangerous narrative that wars help those fighting to bring democracy to Iran. Far from weakening the Islamic Republic’s apparatus of repression, Israel’s war has emboldened it, rolling back the fragile gains won through years of homegrown civil defiance. It has sabotaged decades of grass-roots organizing and collective labor by Iran’s civil society, tearing through the very scaffolding of democratic resistance and undermining the only force capable of changing Iran from within: the Iranian people.”
I don’t exactly understand how exactly the Palestinians became homeless and crammed into the Gaza strip and stateless to this day. I do understand holding onto grievances until it poisons every thought, so I do see somewhat why we’re here now.
But, I think a huge change is on the horizon with the change in the draft laws and the drafting of ultra-conservative jews. I think this is going to break up the cohesiveness of the right wing government and lead to some moderation in Israel’s policies eventually.
Oh, the stories we tell! Now CBS will have a “minder” to insure that there is complete domination of all broadcasting by the MAGA white Christian fascists. So many sociopaths, fully aware of the pain they cause but unable to empathize as they are mentally incapable and power hungry to control as much as they can.
Bibi is a war criminal, the irony of what he is doing to the Palestinians is glaringly obvious.
IMC is raking in the money as they supply weapons to all parties involved.
Now there is a new group of players in the pool. Private corporations with no experience in detention will be running the concentration camps with contracts in the billions of our tax dollars. If there was any doubt about our democracy failing, surely this fact says it all. Death camps.
To those devout MAGA so-called christians who will tell us that this is their god’s plan, how will you feel when it is you or your loved ones who become part of the plan.
RESIST.
This is Shiela’s space. Some frequent responders here need to start their own blog.
As an observant Christian, Shiela many times speaks for my core values. I subscribe to The Golden Rule expressed in the scriptures of all world’s major religions. There is ample room here to engage civil discourse regardless of our religious beliefs.
While he has executed harm to the authority of home rule of law upheld by our Constitution, The Trump Regime will not last and will be regarded as the darkest chapter in the political history of our country.
I am well into the fourth quarter of my life and I do not share hope to personally witness full recovery of our nation from this toxic state of affairs. It will take three generations to restore trust in our way of life and the example of what a fully articulated democratic republic can do for each of us and our brethren around the world.
My contribution will be to ensure my grand daughter and her peers have access to the highest and best standards of education and quality internships to prepare for renewal of a brave new world.
AND one more thing. If President Trump places himself in the Garden of American Heroes, wherever he intends to build it, I will live long enough to advocate for relocation in perpetuity to the closed, at the very center of, Alligator Alcatraz.
I read the entire Ezra Klein excellent article. I weep for humanity. Here is a story from Sam Shepard’s play, “The Curse of the Starving Class”: “That story your father used to tell about that eagle. – He keeps coming back and swooping down on the shed roof and then flying off again. – Then a big tomcat comes. He jumps up on top of that roof to sniff around in all the entrails or whatever it was. – And that eagle comes down and picks up that cat in his talons and carries him screaming off into the sky. – And they fight. They fight like crazy in the middle of the sky. The cat’s tearing his chest out, and the eagle’s trying to drop him, but the cat won’t let go because he knows if he falls he’ll die. – And the eagle’s being torn apart in midair. The eagle’s trying to free himself from the cat, and the cat won’t let go. And they come crashing down to earth. Both of them come crashing down. Like one whole thing.”
― from Sam Shepard, Curse of the Starving Class
Thanks, Sheila. Yours, Kate R.
Netanyahu and his right wing party have created the most sympathy imaginable for the Palestinians. But the war in Gaza is only the most visible of his ‘poke them in the eye’ treatments which have been happening for years. Hamas doesn’t want Israel to exist, and apparently Netanyahu doesn’t want Palestinians to exist.
He must be desperate to avoid coming to trial for the charges of corruption against him. Otherwise how in the world could an elected, JEWISH head of state be such a determined director of ethnic conquest, cleansing, and annihilation? Somehow I would have thought that impossible, but then I never thought the USA would elect someone like Trump either.
You said it all Sheila
Greg