Happy Arrival Day!

anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe

The Crooked Timber thesis disproved.

“Crooked Timber thesis”, according to which the truth of statements about a group or a set of beliefs ought to be weighed against the perlocutionary effect of uttering such statements on the group or the holders of the beliefs in question.

bzzbzz arrival day bzzbzzz celebration bzzbzbzzbzz wonderful wedding bzzzbzzb music bzzzbzzz klezmer bzzbzzb no matter how people try to downplay it, anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe bzzbzzzz celebrate bzz came together bzzbzz joy bzz.

Mr. Yomtov; the Ottoman Empire, and quite a lot of pre-modern nominally Islamic states, tended to be at least tolerant of people of the book, including Jews, and quite often they had more freedom than did the majority Muslim population.

believe it is historically accurate to say that the US was the first country (ancient Israel aside) in which Jews were not subject to special legal restrictions, but were free and equal citizens.

I think that Denmark beat you to it.

anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe

As a European, I feel offended by this claim. I would at least like to see some real evidence for it, apart from the rants (and, sadly, sometimes actions too) of a few muslim youths of Algerian origin in the suburbs of Paris; or of a couple of gangs of alcoholics in peripheric areas of Germany who call themselves ‘Nazi’ just for the sake of shocking the normal people around them.

Now that certainly doesn’t substantiate the claim that Europe has an antisemitism problem, or does it? So perhaps the claim refers to the fact that many Europeans (including myself) believe that if the US had been fairer in its handling of the Palestinian problem (especially in the past four years), the world would probably be a much safer place. If that’s antisemitism, then you can count me in. But then again, I don’t see why ‘antisemitism’ (or should we say ‘antizionism’?) of this sort should be something to be ashamed of. It’s just a position on matters of international relations and political morality, and it has nothing to do with racism or religious discrimination.

I certainly don’t want to deny that Arafat is murderous, corrupt liar, and that he is probably the single most important cause of the failure of the Camp David talks. I also think that most Europeans agree with me on this. But these facts, as well as the many others that could be (rightly) cited to discredit the Palestinians and their leadership, don’t even come close to doing all the pro-Israel justificatory work that some people would like them to do.

Chris’ got a point: sorry, I didn’t want to spoil the celebrations. So let’s leave it for now. But I do hope that some of you guys will come back to this issue at some point.

Well, I think it probably depends on where in Europe and where in the U.S.

But forget all that. Mazeltov!

You know, if any comment at all is appropriate on Eszter’s post, which I read as being celebratory and inclusive, it is something like “Have a great day!”

Yeah, I’m a bit puzzled by some of the responses myself, “yabonn’s” more than Enzo’s or Luc’s. Enzo and Luc took issue with specific words in Eszter’s post – I think they misinterpreted it, but I can also see how they did so. “Yabonn” evidently had nothing to say except a remarkably rude, sneering dismissal of the whole essay. Is an expression of pride in one’s heritage and hope for the future really so trite and passe as to be beneath the folks at CT?

[Jonathan, those aren’t “the folks at CT”, but rather the denizens of our comments boards who have wandered in off the street, so to speak. CB]

jonathan,

I thought the reaction of the french jewish community to mr sharon’s last stupidity would have carried trough the message that the “scared french jew” exists mainly in us/israel fantasies.

But i digress.

“Have a great day!”

Eszter, please remove the last comment. I stand by the sentiment and I don’t apologize to yabonn for it, but I don’t think that language belongs here. Thanks.

Crossed posts again.

I stand by the sentiment

Well, c’mon. We had agreed we wouldn’t talk about our relationship in public.

Serioulsy, we don’t agree, but no hard feelings from me.

That is why i didn’t use “blah blah” : that would have been rude.

OK, sorry; I guess this was another example of idioms getting lost in translation over the internet. I interpreted “bzzbzz” as an expression of boredom similar to “blah blah,” when you evidently didn’t intend it that way.

I apologize again for my other comment; I misunderstood where you were coming from. We disagree but I no longer think you were being rude, and in any event that doesn’t excuse my rudeness.

My guess was going to be that by then, based on current trends, [American Jews] will have amalgamated with the Southern Baptists.

Surely you mean the Unitarians…

Surely you mean the Unitarians…

Nope, the SBs. All over the world (this phenomenon is visible in Northern Ireland too), Protestant groups which have historically been identified with anti-Semitism have been moving toward partisanship of the Israeli cause, for a number of reasons which I wouldn’t pretend to analyse here. Add to that a rightward drift in the Jewish community (helped by some fairly mindless antiZionism on the left), and all you’ve got left is the whole Jesus Christ thing, which is the sort of theological detail that can easily get sorted out in 350 years.

Does that mean we all get the right to emigrate to Israel and become citizens and partake of the Promised Land for the day? I guess not. Tell it to a Palestinian living in the Gaza strip. Makes as much sense as “we’re all Anglo-Saxon dissenters on Mayflower day”.

And why isn’t it called “Jewish Arrival Day”? Since, you know, other sorts people arrived too on different days. After all, there’s gonna be “Muslim Arrival Day” too.

As an Anglo-Saxon myself, could I please have a holiday on which I could tell Zimbabweans how racist they are towards whites and how I can’t possibly live in Africa because Anglophobia is alive and well there?

I do seriously think it’s weird to reject living in Europe because a very small minority of people in rather few locales don’t like your race. Or is it that you would feel irrationally uncomfortable about it, even though the actual risk of anything bad happening is minutely small? Everyone says France, France, France, but there are other countries you know. You don’t want to live in the Netherlands because you would feel uncomfortable there? Ditto Italy, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Hungary? You’d still be thinking “Here I am in Europe, home of anti-semitism”??

You know, rather few people have the luxury of living in a place where their ethnicity is seen positively by everyone. Most people have to live with racism of some sort. They survive. The USA clapping itself on the back for not being anti-semitic is a pretty sad spectacle.

I’d never heard of this holiday before, but it is definite cause for celebration–for me in particular.

I grew up on Long Island, so I used to think that the country was about half Catholic and one third Jewish…I remember being shocked to learn that those strange “Protestants” were the majority, and they didn’t get Jewish holidays off in other states, etc. etc.

A few years ago this Irish girl from Long Island married a Jewish boy from Brooklyn (who she had met in college in Connecticut) a ceremony in Manhattan conducted by an Irish Jewish cantor from Westchester–it was a beautiful celebration of tri-state area unity.

In a few years time I will probably be a nice Irish Jewish girl. I am 95% sure of the decision to convert, and have done some studying on my own, but haven’t had time to schedule the required classes. (And honestly, my studying has tapered off since I went to grad school. This summer it was limited to reading “The Joy of Yiddish”. I already knew the difference between a shlemiel and a shlimazel, but now I can also identify a shmendrik.)

I grew up on Long Island, so I used to think that the country was about half Catholic and one third Jewish…

This is NOT an urban legend–I know the person about whom this story is told, though I’ve never heard her tell it–but even if it were, I’d feel it my duty to spread it:

A friend of my family was teaching in Great Neck in 1960. She said, “If Senator Kennedy is elected, he will become the first Catholic President.” A kid in the back row said, “All the rest were Jewish?”

(Dittoes to Katherine on the alleged rightward drift of American Jews, as well.)

Jonathan, dsquared, jr,

Thanks for the facts and near-facts. I was of course talking about full legal equality rather than the sort of tolerance that existed under the Ottomans and at different times in various European countries. I think the UK may be a bit of a complex case also, since as I recall some of the restrictions on Jews were in fact restrictions on non-Anglicans.

Article VI of the Constitution forbids a religious test “as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” It’s not clear to me whether “under the United States” includes state offices, but even if it doesn’t, I think my statement is supportable, North Carolina notwithstanding.

As a general rule, in Europe, Jews were considered “under the protection” of the monarch. This meant they had certain legal rights, but often had to pay substantially higher taxes than other people. And of course they were prohibited from a variety of activities. In countries where the Church forbade Christians to lend money at interest (sometimes to maintain its own control of this activity) the Jews provided a convenient way for the monarch to get into the lending game. Let the Jews do the lending, and tax away the profits.

Mazel Tov, Eszter. I like the idea, too.

My parents were Hungarian as well, but they (unlike most members of their families) were lucky enough to have come to America in the Thirties. When I first visited Hungary in 1974 I didn’t know what to expect. It was painful to visit places where Hebrew lettering remained on the walls but I was the only person able to read what was written (I was educated in secular, socialist “yiddishist” schools). I encountered much warmth but also plenty of anti-semitism. Since my parents were very nostalgic about the culture, I speak Hungarian passably well, but despite my attempts to be sensitive in my inquiries, many locals were clearly annoyed by my curiosity about things Jewish. Some of this reaction may be attributable to lingering feelings of embarrassment or guilt, but in many cases the anti-semitism was overt and shocking. Jewish and non-Jewish friends, of Polish, Ukrainian, German, Slovak and Romanian origin, have told me of similar experiences when they returned to the birthplaces of their parents. There are few places in continental Europe, perhaps middle and eastern Europe more than the west, where the land isn’t soaked in Jewish blood. Of course there is plenty–indeed, overwhelmingly more–non-Jewish blood in the soil, but there is an eeriness that overtakes a Jewish visitor to many places in Europe that is hard for non-Jews to appreciate. And it especially unsettling these days–in sophisticated, urban environments–to find that old-fashioned anti-semitism can wear a modern political disguise.

Over the years I have travelled widely across Europe, and have lectured and delivered papers (in physics) at many European universities and institutes. But the eeriness remains. So, when you say “I prefer to live in a country where I do not have to be on my guard all the time about being Jewish,” Eszter, I think I understand what you are saying.

The course of European history is riddled with wars and civil wars in which religious rivalries and antagonisms were casual factors so it nonsense to present anti-semitism as a unique feature. In Britain, catholics and non-conformist believers were deprived of equal civil rights until well into the 19th century. As for France, try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot The St Bartholomew’s Day massacre of Huguenots in France in 1572 make the events of 9-11 seem like a minor incident in comparison.

Eszter:

As a Jew born and raised in New York City, but living in Budapest (with a Hungarian wife & our children), I think it important to remember that despite the undeniable fact that anti-semitism is a very REAL problem in Hungary, the situation has improved and continues to improve.

Budapest’s large Jewish community (as compared to the other communities in continental Europe) is increasingly vibrant and prosperous. While the vast majority of Budapest Jews are completely secular, it is no longer wholly surprising to see orthodox families out for a walk on a Saturday afternoon.

The current Government has been very supportive of “Jewish causes” and friendly towards Israel. (Of course, elements of the opposition right wing have a strong anti-semetic bent!)

Finally, for me, the most striking characteristic of Budapest’s Jewish life is how prominent Israeli business people have become. While the vast majority of Israelis may have come here originally for the financial opportunities, more and more are bringing their families and making Budapest a permanent home.

Who would have thought we would witness such a “reverse aliyah”.

Thank you Eszther!

I hadn’t heard about Arrival Day until I saw your post.

My ancestry is also Jewish and from Hungary (the family name makes it likely that they were from Germany, but my great grandfather was born in Hungary). He came to New York in the 1890’s.

As a proud Southerner, I must point out that although there has never been legal discrimination against Jews in the US, the level of social acceptance was traditionally much higher here in the South. Judah Benjamin was Secretary of Finance to the CSA 40 years before there was a Jewish cabinet member in the USA.

Newsweek devoted a quarter page to the school massacre in Russia. (One photo and three sentences, including “Fighters had seized students parents and teachers…”

Not much mure clarification about who these “fighters” were.

On the other hand, and on the previous page, Newsweek devoted 3/4 of a page to the JEW SPYS ARE IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION scandal, following up on last week’s article. (No mention of Sandy Berger stealing and destroying Top SSsecret- CODEWORD documents, this was unremarkable, not newsworthy)

Well, at least Newsweek didn’t have a half page sidebar with Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and Ddoug Feith on the page after yet another reprint of Abu Ghraib pictures. That was in June in a seemingly unrelated story about Chalabi.

I think that Conventional Wisdom gave the Russian and Chechnyan “fighters” a <--> because you can only shoot so many children in the back before it starts to look bad.