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Video: Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Blesses Glenn Beck Event

17
Bob Levin8/14/2011 5:28:43 pm PDT

re: #15 CuriousLurker

It’s not the Israelis I’m worried about. Even if the Chief Rabbi isn’t effectively influential inside Israel, and even if his move is mostly political, most non-Jews in America won’t know that.

This is an old problem, how to eliminate Jewish stereotypes. By extension, how do you eliminate Israeli stereotypes—which is comparatively new.

I do believe, we’ve given up. Can’t win this one. Foxman does his best, but, if you follow how Jews think of Foxman, eh. He has a job, he can send his kids to college, good enough.

There are groups that do outreach, form alliances between Catholics and Jews, Presbyterians and Jews, whatever. All you have to do is read the news, listen to CNN, the BBC, Fox (for a different set of stereotypes), and basically, it’s not working. We still try to dispel stereotypes. I try. Everyone tries.

If he really did it just for money/politics—which, BTW, would sound terribly anti-Semitic if a non-Jew had said it—such cynicism is very disappointing to hear.

If a non-Jew said this, and if that non-Jew were a stand-up comic, every Jew in the audience would swear that this guy or gal (poetic license), must have Jewish lineage.

I am cynical about our institutions—I’ve been saying this for a long time. I think that my cynicism is deeply rooted in reality. (In other words, I could tell you stories.) I am proud that we are such anarchists. That we even exist, given these dynamics, is, for me, conclusive proof of the existence of Gd.

And still, despite all of this disorganization, despite this constant and flagrant disrespect for authority, and an almost reflexive dislike of institutions—we appear to the world as a highly organized, well-oiled, cabal of people intent on taking over the world. I can’t even explain that.