Jews aren’t supposed to mind. They’re
supposed to be tough, thick skinned, but that doesn’t mean to say they don’t hurt.
Many try to hide it. Deal with it inside themselves, but then every man has his
own way of drowning.
Most Jews who live in Britain today are the
descendants of immigrants from Russia-Poland who came to this country between
1870 and 1920 after endless persecution they could no longer tolerate. Only a
handful compared to those who left altogether. One hundred and fifty thousand at
most. Nothing like the million Poles we see in Britain these days. Others came
from Germany and Austria during the 1930’s, also as a result of persecution.
Many more might have come had not the authorities here placed serious
restrictions on their entry. Many of this latter group were interned in prisons
and camps after they arrived! By 1950, at its maximum, the Jewish population of
Britain had never exceeded more than 450,000. Today it stands at some 220,000
adults and kids. In the intervening years half of Britain’s Jews have left. Some
might say good riddance, others ask themselves why!
There’s a big myth going around, promoted
by what may be best described as The
Jewish Establishment, a small circle of Jews centered on The Jewish Board
of Deputies whose members are kind of elected from orthodox synagogues, and
then businessmen and public figures. The semi-official newspaper of this Establishment is The Jewish Chronicle
which regards itself as the authentic voice of British Jewry. Hardly likely as
many British Jews regard themselves as neither orthodox nor particularly
religious. The myth is that one of the main causes for the decline of the
Jewish population is intermarriage. That most Jews stopped being Jews because
they married non-Jews. Quite frankly it’s a view that’s as nonsensical as
blaming the decline on a conversion of Jews to other faiths. When that happens
it’s rare. No, the reason for the decline is that half the Jewish population
has simply upped sticks and left. Either emigrating to the Jewish homeland of
Israel or moved to America because they weren’t happy here anymore
That’s the plain truth of the matter. There
could be many reasons for this but the main one perhaps is that prior to the
emergence of the modern Jewish State, the land of Israel has been the spiritual
homeland of Jewish people everywhere for five, even six thousand years. It
remains as such but perhaps even more so today. It’s the land they were driven
out of and exiled from many times during their history. By the Assyrians,
Babylonians, Greeks and Romans, but after all of these exiles they always
returned. Somehow finding their way back after vile persecutions in strange lands.
Coexisting with those who’d supplanted them in their original homeland and
coexisting well, particularly with those of other faiths like the Muslims. A
spiritual homeland in the face of persecution, perhaps, but today not all Jews
are religious, particularly many of those born in Israel. Equally important, many
Jews round the world don’t want to live in Israel, particularly the elderly who
are emotionally settled and established in those countries of their birth.
America for example has a population of over six million Jews and most are
never likely to emigrate to their promised land. Some of its Jewish youth indeed
have but only a tiny proportion. They owe a powerful loyalty to America where
anti-Semitism has always remained at a low level, except of course in the
McCarthy era when Jewish intellectuals came under serious attack.
Many of Britain’s Jews on the other hand,
particularly the youth, have indeed emigrated and the reasons are important.
Just over two hundred thousand remain altogether and their number is declining fast.
The reasons I think are the steadily increasing manifestation of anti-Semitism
and a plain lack of job opportunity. The first is plain noxious, the second
dispiriting and troubling. The causes of the first are not difficult to find.
Many Jewish youths, yesterday and today, are the children and grandchildren of
emigrants who escaping from persecution came to Britain with liberal views and
made themselves a home in a tolerant society. They almost single-mindedly
adopted British norms and values, struggled to educate themselves and
progressed through long years of hard work Most integrated completely and
became demonstrably British. Because of their backgrounds however their
sympathies in general were undeniably socialist and radical and within this
political framework they co-existed admirably with all those radical elements of
the society around them. In short they felt particularly at one with the left,
especially during the period 1910 to 1960.
The emergence of the modern State of Israel
however has drastically caused the situation to change. The spectrum of the
British Left, from the Labour Party and its affiliated organizations to much of
the Trades Union Movement was initially sympathetic to the new Jewish State
that emerged soon after the Holocaust. Today the situation is almost entirely
reversed. With victories in wars against the Arabs and the rise of Palestinian
nationalism, the Israeli response, popularly represented in the British media
as murderous and oppressive, has been purposefully conflated with a Jewish
response. Israel IS indeed the Jewish State and as far as the ‘left’ is
concerned, those responsible for such oppression and murder are Jews. Not just
Israeli Jews but Jews everywhere. It’s so simple and easy! The British Left,
forgetting that over a million Arabs have Israeli citizenship and live at peace
in the Jewish State of Israel, and also the fact that Israel is the only
country in the world whose agrarian collectives are entirely run on socialist
if not communist lines, is not only hostile towards Israel but along with it malevolent
and hateful towards Jews, especially Jewish youth throughout the universities
and leftist organizations. A serious division, long in the making, has now
opened up with plain anti-Semitism barely separable from an irrational hatred
of Israel.
For two decades now Jewish youth have felt
under attack and out of place. Hostility towards Israel and a sharp antipathy
towards Jews are now coterminous, but that’s only one side of the story. On the
other there’s the traditional hostility of the right, the British Establishment
and other left leaning organizations and institutions such as the BBC and the
pro-Arab Channel Four television. This has occurred alongside the mass
immigration into Britain in recent decades of four to five million Muslims, the
majority of whom are supportive of the Palestinian cause and have a
fundamentalist Islamic faith. It is within this broader framework, not only of
a political hostility towards Israel but one coming at them from all sides that
British Jews and Jewish youth in particular have felt increasingly
marginalized. The degeneration of hostility towards Israel within the left into
a subliminal often overt anti-Semitism, coupled with the barely disguised
anti-Semitism of liberal, right-thinking elements of British society is more
than enough to make Jewish people feel under attack. Quite frankly, with so
much ugliness coming at them from so many sides it doesn’t need the Daily Mail
to get dirty to make Jewish people feel that maybe they’d be better off
elsewhere and that’s exactly what seems to have happened.
It’s a particularly nasty kind of poison
that Jewish people have to deal with. My
little Jewish friend… Oh, don’t mind
him. You know what they’re like, always got a chip on their shoulder… They’re very good at making money you know… Well
actually they’re not! They’re lousy at making money and I ought to know! It’s
just a tiny percentage, same as it is among any other group of people. And neither
do they particularly like making money either. What they do have is a fondness
for learning! And then of course there’s always that traditional mode of
identification. He’s one of them,
someone says, rubbing his finger against his nose… Yes, they know who you are
by your nose! Another old stereotype that’s still up and running.
All in all the Jews may no longer feel as
traditionally welcome in Britain as they once were. Together with all this
however is the perennial problem of making a living. By tradition most Jewish
immigrants into Britain were either workers or self-employed tradesmen. Those
who worked for their fellow Jews, often in the garment making industry, went
through years of hard labour in sweatshops. Workers they were and often workers
they stayed. Their children however, got themselves educated and over the years
became serious dedicated professionals… doctors, lawyers, teachers and
scientists. It’s their children who
are now looking around and wondering whether to stay. Get themselves an
education and follow suit or try their hand elsewhere. Most Jews aren’t Alan
Sugar and not into retailing at all! They
like peace and quiet. Having time to think. And when they decide on doing
something they do it! They’ve done their best to integrate wherever they’ve
been and become part of the scene. Many have integrated so well that there’s
nothing to say at home or abroad that they’re Jews. Unless there’s some chance
filthy remark and suddenly they’re a bit more Jewish all over again instead of
being right little Brits.
Most are a
complex mixture of being so many things; but boring they’re not. But many are
unsure of what they are and it goes deep, until that chance remark that makes
them feel irritated and angry. They feel it’s unnecessary you see. Ignorant.
Badly behaved. Not very British at all. But then most naively think that all
British people love justice same as they do! The Daily Mail thinks it’s got the
measure of them. It believes it represents Britain you see so Jews who
criticize the paper for being an anti-Semitic gutter rag are really criticizing
Britain itself! Hating the country that gave them shelter. It’s a kind of circular logic with the Mail at
the center pulling the strings. After all, it’s Britain’s second most widely
read daily. Criticize the Mail and you criticize Britain… Likewise, criticize
the Fuehrer and you criticize Germany. But then, strangely enough that’s the
role of a free press the Mail strongly argues. A free press should be able to
criticize anyone or anything. True enough, but why take any Jews to task and
say they’re anti-British if they’re at one with your sentiment? It doesn’t make
sense and smells of irrational sentiment or prejudice.
Most Jews living
in Britain feel comprehensively British, same as the Caribbean Community, but
then do they also regard themselves as English or Welsh, Scots or Irish. That’s
a more difficult question to answer. At the time when most came to Britain
national divisions were of little importance. Britain was a single nation of
peoples united as one. A nation of peoples facing their problems together. Now
it’s ethnicity ruling the waves. When the Jews came they gave themselves freely
to one single nation, not a collection of nationalities. United by a faith much
more so than now they gave themselves over something new. A faith in the
hospitality and tolerance of their new nation which wasn’t Palestine but
Britain and they don’t like the idea of petty nationalist prejudices chasing
them away.
Okay readers, having
read this post so far here is something else for you to digest. Ever since
watching the film Gentleman’s Agreement
made in 1947 starring Gregory Peck I’ve always been interested in the issue of
anti-Semitism. In the story he’s a journalist, Phil Schuyler Green, who’s been
asked by his editor to write a series of articles for the paper about
anti-Semitism and eventually comes up with a new take on the situation. In
order to know what it’s like to be a Jew he’ll pretend to be one! With only the
editor, his mother and best friend in on the secret he carefully puts it about that
he’s Jewish and waits to see what happens, and when it does it’s fascinating,
shocking and painful to him.
The idea made me
think. In the film Peck held up the pretense for months on end. I got to
wondering if I could do it. Not for months but a much shorter period of time. I
mean maybe just for a day. Say two at the most! I even had the perfect title
for my experience, I WAS A JEW FOR A DAY!
I really liked it. Yeah, I’d be a Jew just for a day and see what happened. See
what it felt like! Okay, so what did I need to make people think I was Jewish.
I kept thinking about stereotype images of Jews then suddenly felt ashamed of
myself. I was being some fucking Nazi or something. No, I just couldn’t allow
myself to think that way. I just couldn’t dress into the part or become some
kind of stereotype. Even so I needed something generally recognizable but
harmless. Nothing orthodox, just something mildly religious. The main thing was
that my own personal features didn’t conform with any recognizable stereotype.
I had blonde hair, blue eyes. Little did I know that most Israelis looked the
same! Even so I still needed something instantly identifiable with Judaism,
with the religion itself. In the end a little research provided the answer. The
film itself didn’t help because there was nothing in it about the pretend Jew
that Gregory Peck was playing being religious so I decided that a couple of
hours observation in a Jewish area of London might help and it did. A
traditional Jewish head cap for men, a skull cap, would be perfect and a couple
of hours later I’d acquired one.
I’d gone this
far. Now did I have the balls to go through with it. Put it on and walk out
into the street! Quite frankly, I have to tell you that it was a big ask. I
didn’t know what would happen. I didn’t know how I’d feel. All I knew then was
that I was curious. A powerful impulse in me wanted to know what it would feel
like to be a Jew for a day!
Wearing my usual
tracksuit bottoms, joggers and tee-shirt I put on the skull cap and walked out
of my house down the street. This was a small provincial town south of England.
I’d never seen anyone here who’d looked like a Jew, but whoops, there were my
prejudices at it again. Okay, take it easy. Look straight ahead. First one turn
than another into my local corner shop. The guys there recognised me instantly,
took in the cap on my head and sold me the tobacco I wanted. No look on their
faces. Nothing moved, not even a muscle! I walked out the shop. Something was different! They knew me. I’d been a
customer in there for years but this time no greeting. I thought hard for a
moment. Impossible. It couldn’t have happened so quickly, so bloody soon.
Anyway, maybe it wasn’t the hat!
Maybe, but now
for the big test. Into the bank for some money. Everybody knew me in my local
branch of… I was friendly with all the cashiers. They always gave me a smile. I
got in the queue. Nobody looking. Nobody giving me the once over! Now I was at
the front. Voice coming over. Will the
next person go to…
I went. It was
the lady I’d known for years. Very professional, same as the others. I’d known them all for
years! Handing over my card I told her how much money I wanted. Some tens, the
rest in fives. That’s a new hat that
you’re wearing Mr… I acknowledged, noticing some of the other cashiers were
glancing my way. It used to be my
grandfather’s, I casually remarked. She said nothing. Neither did anyone
else but they’d noticed. It was okay. No-one had said anything but today I was
different. Or was I?
I just didn’t
know. I couldn’t be sure. Next stop the fruit and veg stall and a boisterous
company of lads. I bought my usual bowls of fruit and paid. Some took in the
skull cap and eyed it up but no-one said anything. When I left though I saw
them looking my way. None talking among themselves, just looking. Along the
street on my way home though quite a few people passing me by were clearly
taking me in. Some definite glances but why, exactly why I couldn’t be sure. I got in with my thoughts buzzing.
Maybe I was imagining it all? Being hyper-sensitive. Seeing things that really
weren’t there. Was I or wasn’t I? I just didn’t know.
Over the next
few days I repeated the experiment. I hadn’t been wrong. People were definitely
noticing. I felt strange. I was publically becoming a Jew! It finally happened
back in the bank. A look from one of the tellers then the question I should
have been prepared for but wasn’t. Are
you Jewish? she casually asked.
I hesitated for
a moment. My reply when it came actually startled myself! No, I’m not, I replied calmly. It’s
only an experiment. I’m wearing the cap because I want to know what it feels
like to be one. Her smile broadened. Oh
Mr … We all know you’re a bit of a wag! No-one thought that you were anyway!
On the way home
however, still wearing the little skull cap I met someone I knew. A guy who’d
been active in the Anti-War Coalition. We’d always been on affable terms, me
quietly listening to some of his views. He took in the cap with a look on his
face, turning angry it seemed. What happened next I hadn’t expected. He said
something then called me a filthy fucking
Jew boy…Suddenly a fury bubbled up in my head. I stepped back, spat at him
full in the face and used harsh language. He was a big guy. Raised his fists
and looked like he meant business. If you
want to try your luck why not do it, I said coldly looking like I also
meant business. He backed off, with me standing my ground glaring at him. It
only lasted a few minutes then I was on my way home again. Only this time I was
trembling. I hadn’t been scared. Just overwhelmed with my emotions I suppose.
Now here’s the
point of the story. I’d always wondered what it felt like being a Jew. Funny
that because that’s what I am! Only
truth to tell I’d never felt like I was one. Sure, I’d gone through the
coming to manhood ritual of the bar mitzvah when I was 13 but that was just
about it! I’d become a rock-ribbed atheist a few years later in life. Didn’t
believe in God and had never gone back to a synagogue. I couldn’t pray to
something I didn’t believe in. My wife, a lovely English lady to whom I’d been
happily married for over 40 years was even more irreligious! I knew I was
Jewish but never thought anything of it. We’d never kept a kosher household and
few things I loved more than a bacon sandwich. I was one of those people that
orthodox Jews might regard as not being Jewish at all. Yet there it was, I was
from a Jewish immigrant background that went back a century and remembered
loving all that Jewish food! A poor excuse for all the muddle I was in, now
definitely out on the surface. I really didn’t know any Jews. Met them once in
a blue moon. All the same, if I’d ever been asked I’d never denied being one.
Not till earlier that morning that is, playing some kind of game in my head.
I’d never worn a
skull cap in the street till now. Never known what it felt like to be thought
of as Jewish. And quite honestly I suppose I’d never wanted to know. Only now I
did know, and I didn’t quite know what to make of it. Except that I’d instantly
felt angry being insulted that way. Why
should a Jewish man be called a boy anyway? I was a man. No, I didn’t like
that but it was more… Just something filthy. Something nasty I hadn’t expected
from someone I’d thought was a friend. It made me think back to the film.
Gregory Peck was a non-Jew who wanted to know how it felt to be one. I was a
Jew who rarely if ever felt like one and had gone out playing a game, pretending
to be something he was or he wasn’t, according to how other people might see him.
What I’d actually done was externalize some existential fantasy inside my head!
Now get your own
head round that one!
It all made me
think more. Particularly about experiences I’d once had. About Jewish history.
About the Daily Mail and all that. One thing I knew. My wife had always thought
of me as being Jewish. She’d always accepted me that way. A Jewish atheist! It’s
a real contradiction but one I can live with. Some rabbis we’d met had once
said that my wife was far more Jewish than I and it strangely pleased me! As
things stand I feel Jewish within myself. Many might say I was deluded. That may
be true but I’ll handle it.
Finally, added
to it all is our unquestioning support for the Jewish State of Israel. It’s
neither religious or biblical, nor is it emotional. I just know too much about
the history of the Jewish people. And then I personally am not hostile to the
Palestinians. They should have their own state and find their own peace, just
like the dregs of European Jewry did, surviving the concentration camps and
coming out to build a new life.
Anti-Semitism is
alive and well in Britain and having a great time… But then it’s only some
smelly tickle. Taken seriously, maybe, but then people in Britain still know
how to laugh and laughter is something that anti-Semites don’t like. They want
to be taken seriously and British people, fundamentally, don’t take anything
seriously. They don’t need to. Their history’s too great, and they themselves
are too big for that!
It’s only the
small minded who need to get nasty!
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