The Holocaust: Who or What Was to ‘Blame’?

 

Whenever the topic of the Holocaust is brought up, you can feel the tension rise in the room. The small Jewish group I facilitate was no exception. In pursuing the topic recently, I learned a great deal, not only about others’ thinking, but about the issues I had been struggling with for years.

To be clear, I’m not talking about the Germans and the war and atrocities they committed; I’m referring specifically to whether G-d was to “blame” for letting the Holocaust take place, or whether the Jews were responsible, at least in part, for their own deaths. As you can imagine, it can be a pretty dicey topic to tackle, but I believe that it was worthwhile.

Almost everyone in our group believed that G-d should have interceded before 6 million Jews and a total of 12 million people died. I was prepared to present a more complex point of view, and I proceeded to lay out my own thinking.

My first point was that from nearly the beginning, G-d had told the Jews that they should obey his commandments, particularly the prohibition of not worshipping idols. And at Mt. Sinai, the Jews agreed to this covenant. Without recounting each situation, however, the Jews repeatedly violated the covenant. G-d even threatened to wipe them out and changed his mind after Moses’ appeal not to kill them, but He also punished them for other violations over time with plague and fire. Still, the Jews continued to disobey. And yet G-d did not desert them.

If we fast-forward to the 20th century, we can look at the participation of the Jews in society, particularly in Germany, and see that once again, their priorities had shifted. Not all Jews, but many of them, were determined to become Germans, to be accepted, and to assimilate into society; the idols of acceptance and inclusion became dominant. This decision included abandoning, to various degrees, traditional Jewish law. Underneath the apparent acceptance by the Germans was a long-held resentment, even hatred, by many of the gentile Germans. The Jews chose to ignore or discount these attitudes.

The anti-Semitic activities against the Jews were codified in the Nuremburg Laws in 1935, although actions were taken to discriminate against the Jews as early as 1920. There was also Kristallnacht, a German pogrom, a visual demonstration of the hatred toward the Jews.

Many of the Jews realized that these actions were an attack on them as a people. Some of them recognized that they had to leave the country to survive. Many of them also hoped that the actions would be temporary. After all, they had friends in the community that they valued, and they assumed they were valued by them. They ignored the age-old signs that society was rejecting them. But then, how bad could it be?

We have the Holocaust to answer that question. This period reminds me of the story of the man who was trapped on his roof during a flood. Two boats and a helicopter could have saved him, but he said he would rely on G-d to rescue him. When he drowned in the flood, he walked up to G-d in heaven and asked why He did not answer his prayers. And G-d is said to have said, I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what else did you expect?

I think it’s only fair to ask, were all those incidents that led up to the Holocaust warnings to the Jews that disaster lay ahead?

I also added the concept of free will to our discussion. Just as the Jews were free to choose whether to stay in Germany or leave, the Germans (from the military to the citizens) were free to decide whether they would participate in the war and the Holocaust. Everyone had free will, whether they realized it or not.

I presented these ideas to our group, and I was not interested in “placing blame”; instead, I wanted to ask them if the Jews might have had a responsibility, over the years, to consider that they might be in serious danger. That given their history, they should have taken these events to heart. That as difficult as it would have been to move from one’s community, one’s friends and family, one’s country, they were being called to leave. Most of the people in our group found my ideas to be unsatisfactory. It probably seemed much easier to place the responsibility on a distant G-d, even when he had given us free will, than to “blame” the Jews. (I repeatedly explained that I was not trying to place blame, but to ask where responsibility could have been acted upon.)

On the other hand, we know that G-d, over the centuries has enacted miracles. Some people believe that we can see miracles appearing in our lives frequently, if we are committed to seeing them. Whether they defy the laws of nature, or whether they contradict free will, is an argument for another time. The question for this discussion was, however, should G-d have overridden the free will of the Germans to prevent the massacre of the Jews? In fact, we could ask whether somehow G-d should have removed free will from the Jews, or somehow influenced them, given the ongoing events, to leave Europe?

As I told my group, we cannot read the mind of G-d. We know a great deal about what He wants and expects of us, but beyond the Torah, we cannot know the depths of His mind. Is it possible that, besides respecting free will, G-d had a reason for not interceding? Is it possible that after all the years of watching the Jews betray their own tradition and His laws, He believed that there was an important, if not an extraordinarily tragic lesson that G-d wanted us to learn? Was it most important to realize how important it was for Jews to learn that when they don’t take responsibility for the circumstances, there can be devastating consequences? Or that free will is always present, no matter the circumstances. Is it even conceivable to imagine G-d’s role in all of these events? I don’t think the members of our group changed their minds. But I think they realized that the conclusions they had drawn were not as solid as they had once believed.

As for me, I am still contemplating what I believe to be true.

*     *     *     *

The overwhelming results of the Holocaust will be with us for decades, even centuries, to come. Many of our emulated scholars died. Many Jews abandoned Judaism because they felt G-d had betrayed them. Still others identified as Jews in name only without embracing the traditions. Only a small portion of today’s Jews are Orthodox or observant, although their numbers are growing.

But the Holocaust also serves as a warning, not just for Jews, but for our fellow citizens today in the United States. Rather than leave this country, we must fight for it. Rather than remain passive and silent, we must cry out and let the world know that we will preserve the best of our Republic. We will protect our children; we will embrace our respective faiths; we will uphold the rule of law; we will respect everything honorable and just that our county stands for.

We will celebrate our freedom and practice our free will, just as we are called to do.

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  1. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Absolutely, Susan.  I agree completely, and this has always been my view.  The Jews of Europe could have seen quite early what the Nazis planned for them, but most of them did nothing.  Given our history of expulsions, pogroms, and persecution all down the ages, it’s pretty remarkable that our people seemed to have learned very little from our own history.  I think this situation exposes the limits of the “hope” reaction.  Instead of saving themselves, the Jews of Germany and the rest of Europe were paralyzed, hoping that the Nazis would not come for them next.

    And one of the worst parts of the Holocaust experience is that supposedly freedom-loving America closed its doors to the Jews.  I despise Franklin D. Roosevelt for that murderous policy.  With a stroke of his pen, he could have saved thousands of Jews, but he did not.

    • #1
  2. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    Absolutely, Susan. I agree completely, and this has always been my view. The Jews of Europe could have seen quite early what the Nazis planned for them, but most of them did nothing. Given our history of expulsions, pogroms, and persecution all down the ages, it’s pretty remarkable that our people seemed to have learned very little from our own history. I think this situation exposes the limits of the “hope” reaction. Instead of saving themselves, the Jews of Germany and the rest of Europe were paralyzed, hoping that the Nazis would not come for them next.

    And one of the worst parts of the Holocaust experience is that supposedly freedom-loving America closed its doors to the Jews. I despise Franklin D. Roosevelt for that murderous policy. With a stroke of his pen, he could have saved thousands of Jews, but he did not.

    As I said at the end of the OP, many of us also blew off what was happening here just a few years ago: we’ve had times like this, it will all pass, let the college graduates enter the real world, and so on. We could say that nothing quite like this time, has happened before, but the similarities are there. We can no longer ignore them, although many still will. Thanks, RB.

    • #2
  3. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I hope my fellow Ricochettis will free to share their points of view, too. It’s a complicated issue, and as I still try to clarify my viewpoint, I welcome your thoughts.

    • #3
  4. Unsk Member
    Unsk
    @Unsk

    Susan: “But the Holocaust also serves as a warning, not just for Jews, but for our fellow citizens today in the United States. Rather than leave this country, we must fight for it. Rather than remain passive and silent, we must cry out and let the world know that we will preserve the best of our Republic. “

    God is not to blame. The Holocaust was a  very political act where the powers in charge  used “the other”, namely the Jews and others, to blame for a laundry list of  their society’s ills and misfortunes.  Rulers have repeatedly done this throughout history, just not often with vengeance of the Holocaust. You are right to draw parallels to America of today. We are the new “other”.

    • #4
  5. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Unsk (View Comment):
    God is not to blame. The Holocaust was a  very political act where the powers in charge  used “the other”, namely the Jews and others, to blame for a laundry list of  their society’s ills and misfortunes.  Rulers have repeatedly done this throughout history, just not often with vengeance of the Holocaust. You are right to draw parallels to America of today. We are the new “other”.

    We agree, Unsk. The Holocaust was nothing new; other societies used the Jews as scapegoats. In this country, we must refuse to be the “other” to those who hate us and want to force us to accept their ideas or eliminate us. 

    • #5
  6. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):
    The Jews of Europe could have seen quite early what the Nazis planned for them, but most of them did nothing.

    I disagree. How should the Jews of Europe have seen what the Nazis planned when the Nazis themselves didn’t know?

    Moreover, there were Jews who fled from Germany…only to be rounded up when the country of refuge was invaded and occupied. Anne Frank being the obvious example.

    The appalling, murderous bloodshed being visited upon the designated victims at around the same time in the Soviet Union, in numbers that stagger the imagination, in itself indicates that the Jews were not murdered because they are peculiarly incapable of self-protection. No one can protect him/herself against the perfect storm when it comes.

    Frankly, I think it’s a mistake to attempt to understand evil—either in cause or in effect—by examining the victims. Human beings are capable of astonishing evil.   The victims of that evil are victims primarily because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is true of the Jews.

    The question that needs to be asked is not “why did God abandon the Jews?”

    It is: “Why did God abandon the Germans?”

    • #6
  7. Buckpasser Member
    Buckpasser
    @Buckpasser

    Why do bad things happen to good people? God gave us free will.  We make the decisions, hopefully with guidance from His will.  If he doesn’t move us around as chess pieces, it means that it’s up to us.  That leaves room for good and evil.

    • #7
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):
    The Jews of Europe could have seen quite early what the Nazis planned for them, but most of them did nothing.

    I disagree. How should the Jews of Europe have seen what the Nazis planned when the Nazis themselves didn’t know?

    Moreover, there were Jews who fled from Germany…only to be rounded up when the country of refuge was invaded and occupied. Anne Frank being the obvious example.

    The appalling, murderous bloodshed being visited upon the designated victims at around the same time in the Soviet Union, in numbers that stagger the imagination, in itself indicates that the Jews were not murdered because they are peculiarly incapable of self-protection. No one can protect him/herself against the perfect storm when it comes.

    Frankly, I think it’s a mistake to attempt to understand evil—either in cause or in effect—by examining the victims. Human beings are capable of astonishing evil. The victims of that evil are victims primarily because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is true of the Jews.

    The question that needs to be asked is not “why did God abandon the Jews?”

    It is: “Why did God abandon the Germans?”

    Good points, GrannyDude. And let me offer a few responses. First, the Jews could not have known the Holocaust was coming. They could have considered, however, that they were being scapegoated by being deprived of the rights of other Germans, by being stripped of their livelihood and the restrictions of the Nuremburg Laws. They had many other situations where they were kicked out of countries, and let’s not forget the Inquisition. Were those reasons enough to leave? I don’t know. Many Jews also didn’t move to other European countries. Many went to Israel and the United States (which accepted them early on).

    I’m not sure where your suggestion applies to their being “peculiarly incapable of self-protection.” Perhaps RushBabe suggested that, but I did not. Were they in the wrong place at the wrong time? I don’t think that’s the issue. I think their reticence to respond to the indicators makes more sense.

    Thanks for joining in!

    • #8
  9. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Man, this is a complicated mix of rationality and emotion that’s hard to unentangle!

    Most of the Jews executed weren’t German citizens. They were citizens of among other countries Poland, Hungary, Czechoslavakia, the Soviet Union, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. And it didn’t matter whether the Jews were religious or not, whether they wanted to be assimilated, they were all equally subject to being wiped out not because of the content of their character but because of a law.

    Leaving is never so simple. First, you have to be able to afford to leave or have the physical strength if you’re going to walk. Second, you have to have a place to go. Third, there are the emotional ties of the place you are leaving, not least of all family members who decide they don’t want to leave. Fourth, there is the uncertainty of the place you are going (what if it’s even worse?). Fifth, it’s hard to imagine that your fellow beings are the kind of monsters who would gas you and burn you in an oven. And people are people – not strictly rational creatures. And different people will weigh these differently. 

    And I do put it down primarily to free will. Man has free will and can exercise it as is deemed fit. All too often, it is for evil purposes. Too many people have been subject to slaughter for religious, ethnic, or political reasons throughout history. 

     

    • #9
  10. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):
    The Jews of Europe could have seen quite early what the Nazis planned for them, but most of them did nothing.

    I disagree. How should the Jews of Europe have seen what the Nazis planned when the Nazis themselves didn’t know?

    Moreover, there were Jews who fled from Germany…only to be rounded up when the country of refuge was invaded and occupied. Anne Frank being the obvious example.

    The appalling, murderous bloodshed being visited upon the designated victims at around the same time in the Soviet Union, in numbers that stagger the imagination, in itself indicates that the Jews were not murdered because they are peculiarly incapable of self-protection. No one can protect him/herself against the perfect storm when it comes.

    Frankly, I think it’s a mistake to attempt to understand evil—either in cause or in effect—by examining the victims. Human beings are capable of astonishing evil. The victims of that evil are victims primarily because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is true of the Jews.

    The question that needs to be asked is not “why did God abandon the Jews?”

    It is: “Why did God abandon the Germans?”

    I disagree.  I think that they are both important questions.

    My own initial impression is that God did not abandon the Germans.  The Germans turned against God.

    I think that the Jews turned against God, too, and that this explains the fact that He did not protect them.  In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God promised the Israelites blessings, including protection and victory over their enemies, if they were obedient.  In the same chapters, He promised punishment for disobedience, including defeat, death, and exile.

    The bulk of Ezekiel is about the fulfillment of these promises for the disobedience of the kingdom of Judah.

    In all cases, God did promise that a remnant would survive, and that there would someday be a restoration.

    • #10
  11. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Buckpasser (View Comment):

    Why do bad things happen to good people? God gave us free will. We make the decisions, hopefully with guidance from His will. If he doesn’t move us around as chess pieces, it means that it’s up to us. That leaves room for good and evil.

    Theologically, in the Christian view, there are no good people.  All are sinners.

    • #11
  12. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    About the German Jews who did not leave, whether or not that would have been prudent, it was only a small fraction of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.  As I recall, the largest two groups were Polish and Russian Jews.  They didn’t have much chance to leave, as their territory was conquered by the Germans.

    • #12
  13. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Hang On (View Comment):
    Most of the Jews executed weren’t German citizens. They were citizens of among other countries Poland, Hungary, Czechoslavakia, the Soviet Union, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. And it didn’t matter whether the Jews were religious or not, whether they wanted to be assimilated, they were all equally subject to being wiped out not because of the content of their character but because of a law.

    Thanks for these clarifications, HangOn; the Jews were from all over Europe. And all kinds of Jews were killed; you had to have only a small percentage of Jewish blood to qualify. I do admit that the OP is a mixture of rationality of emotion, but these kinds of issues often are. Thanks for weighing in.

    • #13
  14. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    People have a great psychological need to feel safe, we often find reasons to persuade ourselves that it’s the case because it’s uncomfortable or disturbing to believe otherwise.  Perhaps relevant: there’s a common thread of shock when the survivors of communal violence in India speak – “I thought we were friends” or “I didn’t think they hated us like that”.  It’s so uncomfortable to believe one is hated that one persuades oneself, if at all possible, that one isn’t.

    Wrt Jewish responsibility for leaving Europe before being murdered – it isn’t that easy to move from one country to another. To start with you need a visa, and most countries (Britain, the US) held back when it came to giving European Jews visas to escape while they could still leave.  I don’t think you can blame European Jews, most of them couldn’t leave, no other countries would accept them.*

    To be honest, I think the urge to hold people responsible stems from another psychological need – that we have some control over how things  turn out, that our agency is always meaningful.  Sometimes that isn’t the case, and that’s frightening.

    Edited to add:

    *Many Jews were able to flee East to Soviet controlled territory, but then Germany invaded there too.

    • #14
  15. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    Not the first time free-will has come up on these pages, nor will it be the last.

    “G-d even threatened to wipe them out and changed his mind after Moses’ appeal not to kill them”  Let us not make a god out of free will, nor forget His Omniscience (Job 38).

    • #15
  16. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    My own initial impression is that God did not abandon the Germans.  The Germans turned against God.

    Of course. The point is that the Holocaust necessarily says far, far more about the Germans and their accomplices than it does about the Jews.  Or, for that matter, about the disabled, mentally ill, Roma, political opponents, Polish priests, Russian prisoners of war…no shortage of innocent victims of the Nazis, none of whom had the power to prevent what happened to them, let alone what happened to others with whom they shared some characteristic or other. 

    The notion that victims can prevent evil is a comforting fiction—it’s what allows us to imagine that people like us, the people we love or we, ourselves,  couldn’t possibly end up being herded into a gas chamber! We would never, ever turn against God…so we’re safe!

    We aren’t. 

     

     

     

    • #16
  17. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    There’s a lot to respond but I will give it a crack on what I think are the two most salient questions.

    (1) Why did it happen?

    It was a confluence of a number of historical and “intellectual” trends that had been going on since the French Revolution.  The enlightenment impulse that man could figure out and construct the perfect society, that science could engineer a superman and super society, Darwinism that suggested a hierarchy to races, Nietzsche’s will to power philosophy that suggested men and particular groups should seek dominance over the weak for the best society, the growing atheism in western society that diminished the value of a human being as made in God’s image, the lingering anti-Semitism which I am ashamed to say was part of Christianity from the early centuries and was especially strong in German Lutheranism, going all the way back to Martin Luther.  Of course there were the political reasons inside of Germany at the time, the German disgrace from WWI, the depression, the scapegoating to achieve ends, the maniac who was elected and the followers who executed without compunction.  And yes, the Jewish people who did not believe it until too late.  The great quote from Elle Wiesel which I will never forget: “When somebody tells you they are going to kill you, believe them.”

    (2) Why did G-d allow it?

    As Christians (I can’t speak for Judaism) we believe that G-d only allows evil to bring about a greater good.  The greater good may be unclear and long in the distance, but G-d’s will ends in good.  First, how was G-d supposed to stop it?  He had to work through the goodness and righteousness of people.  And He did.  Nazi Germany collapsed and good people of all faiths died in their demise.  Some good can already be seen as a result.  The goodness of good people won the day and established justice.  Anti-Semitism has been severely muted and reduced.  The Jewish people got a homeland.  Judaism seems stronger today, more integrated, and more prosperous.  Good has come out of it.  And what about the people who died?  Were they forsaken?  No.  We don’t have a look behind the veil of this physical life.  So it may seem bleak to us from here.  But I trust that G-d has given them justice in the metaphysical life.  Read the Book of Job.  Even Job after going through all those hardships and injustices is in the end blessed.

    This is a hard subject that always brings tears to my eyes.  Without doubt it brings the ending to Schindler’s List to mind: I could have done more.

    • #17
  18. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Manny (View Comment):
    This is a hard subject that always brings tears to my eyes.  Without doubt it brings the ending to Schindler’s List to mind: I could have done more.  

    Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Manny. The only exception I would make is that I don’t believe Judaism is more integrated.

    • #18
  19. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    GrannyDude (View Comment):
    It is: “Why did God abandon the Germans?”

    Yup. Exactly so. Brilliant. 

    • #19
  20. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):
    This is a hard subject that always brings tears to my eyes. Without doubt it brings the ending to Schindler’s List to mind: I could have done more.

    Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Manny. The only exception I would make is that I don’t believe Judaism is more integrated.

    Well, I guess since my wife is Jewish my household is pretty integrated…lol.  Seriously though, I don’t think there are any forced Jewish ghettos around the world. You don’t feel integrated into American life and society?

    • #20
  21. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Manny (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):
    This is a hard subject that always brings tears to my eyes. Without doubt it brings the ending to Schindler’s List to mind: I could have done more.

    Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Manny. The only exception I would make is that I don’t believe Judaism is more integrated.

    Well, I guess since my wife is Jewish my household is pretty integrated…lol. Seriously though, I don’t think there are any forced Jewish ghettos around the world. You don’t feel integrated into American life and society?

    I do! I thought you meant the Jewish community within itself. Many Jews are secular, or even Leftists. And then your wife and I married outside the faith. As much as we love our husbands, I believe I’ve splintered my faith.

    • #21
  22. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Just to draw another topical link: On Russian television now, pundits are calling for all Ukrainians to be shot, and for children to be forcibly drowned.

    This is biblical-level evil (drown all the sons). Today. And there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    • #22
  23. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    iWe (View Comment):

    Just to draw another topical link: On Russian television now, pundits are calling for all Ukrainians to be shot, and for children to be forcibly drowned.

    This is biblical-level evil (drown all the sons). Today. And there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    Possibly makes it easier to accept?

    • #23
  24. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    iWe (View Comment):

    Just to draw another topical link: On Russian television now, pundits are calling for all Ukrainians to be shot, and for children to be forcibly drowned.

    This is biblical-level evil (drown all the sons). Today. And there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    And Russians wonder why they have no friends.

    • #24
  25. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    Percival (View Comment):
    there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    “no friends”?

    • #25
  26. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Chuck (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    “no friends”?

    I meant countries, not random kooks.

    Though I suppose North Korea counts as both.

    • #26
  27. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Percival (View Comment):

    iWe (View Comment):

    Just to draw another topical link: On Russian television now, pundits are calling for all Ukrainians to be shot, and for children to be forcibly drowned.

    This is biblical-level evil (drown all the sons). Today. And there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    And Russians wonder why they have no friends.

    Well, they have the Chinese.  ;)

    • #27
  28. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):
    This is a hard subject that always brings tears to my eyes. Without doubt it brings the ending to Schindler’s List to mind: I could have done more.

    Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Manny. The only exception I would make is that I don’t believe Judaism is more integrated.

    Well, I guess since my wife is Jewish my household is pretty integrated…lol. Seriously though, I don’t think there are any forced Jewish ghettos around the world. You don’t feel integrated into American life and society?

    I do! I thought you meant the Jewish community within itself. Many Jews are secular, or even Leftists. And then your wife and I married outside the faith. As much as we love our husbands, I believe I’ve splintered my faith.

    I didn’t realize your husband isn’t Jewish.  If I had once known that I had long forgotten.  I always wondered how your last name was the very Jewish sounding Quinn…lol.  It should have dawned on me.

    • #28
  29. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    iWe (View Comment):

    Just to draw another topical link: On Russian television now, pundits are calling for all Ukrainians to be shot, and for children to be forcibly drowned.

    This is biblical-level evil (drown all the sons). Today. And there are people on Ricochet who defend Russia.

    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    The sci-fi writer is a pundit, too?

    • #29
  30. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    iWe (View Comment):
    Understanding atrocity becomes a lot easier when you see people calling for it on national television.

    No, it doesn’t become easier to understand.

    • #30
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