A Rosier Outlook for American Jewry?
Jonathan Braun (“Political Violence: The Weimar Warning”) and Avi Ciment (“Approaching Antisemitism from the Inside Out”) in their Perspectives in The Jewish Press (May 8) compare the explosive rise of antisemitism in America today with that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, which led to catastrophic results. However, there is a somewhat less bleak and more optimistic comparison that can be made for American Jews today. Rather than comparing the situation with Germany in the 1930s, perhaps it can be compared with that of America in the 1930s.
Coming off their victory in WWI and the heady days of the “Roaring Twenties,” America descended into a terrible state, at home and abroad, during the 1930s. There was the stock market crash followed by the Great Depression, which devastated banking, industry, and commerce with all the jobs that they provided. Simultaneously, there was the Dust Bowl that devastated the agricultural industry of America’s western plains. The net result was massive unemployment and dislocation of population centers. Also, the military was allowed to decline almost to that of a third-world country, while other countries like Germany, Japan, and Russia were arming themselves to the teeth.
During this time, there was heavy immigration from Russia and Poland, and times were bad for Jews. Most lived in slums like on the Lower East Side and worked at whatever jobs they could find, generally in the garment industry. Discrimination across much of the country was widespread mostly against Jews, Negros, and Asians. There were quotas in colleges, outright bans in hiring in some industries and companies, and violence in the streets similar to what we see today. However, throughout all this, Jews remained optimistic and loyal to their religion, worked hard, and gradually overcame the poor conditions.
While Roosevelt was generally credited with pulling America out of the Great Depression, the reality was that America’s rebound came with the start of WWII when it became the “Arsenal of Democracy” and spawned “The Greatest Generation.” It remained a military and economic superpower for the next 70 years. These years were the most glorious period in Jewish history, when the future seemed unlimited.
However, starting from about 2009, America started becoming very polarized politically, and its social fabric began fraying. As so often happens in times like these, the Jews are blamed; hence one reason for the recent rise in antisemitism.
But in my admittedly optimistic hope for the future, American Jewry may not go the way it did in Nazi Germany, but rather this may represent only a dip in the great American story, to be followed by a resumption of good times. I’ve lived through those early times, and know that we did it before, and with Hashem’s help and with hard work and determination, we can do it again.
Then, maybe America will once again become another “goldene medina” for Jews. Halevai.
Max Wisotsky
Highland Park, N.J.
In Tribute to a Yeshiva University Giant
Last week I received the following notice from YU:
“The Yeshiva University community mourns the passing of Rabbi Dr. Herbert C. Dobrinsky, longtime Vice President for University Affairs at Yeshiva University, who passed away after more than six decades of devoted service to the institution he loved.
“He served under four of YU’s five presidents and was widely regarded as a figure who embodied the University itself, blending Torah scholarship with academic excellence and deep devotion to the Jewish people… He was also the author of A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs, used widely in universities and schools. Among his greatest strengths was his ability to connect with people, remembering lives and details with care and concern, and communicating YU’s mission with warmth and conviction.”
When I first enrolled in Yeshiva University, I offered to help Y.U.’s outreach to the community and speak for the fundraising department. I met Dr. Dobrinsky, who would become a mentor. He knew what to say to make people feel wanted, cared for, and needed. I always imagined him as being the next president of the university. He was always helping Y.U. raise funds and was constantly available to help others. He created many programs too numerous to mention and helped spread Orthodox Judaism throughout the world. Many rabbis and Jewish leaders learned from him. Rabbi Dr. Dobrinsky is and was Yeshiva University.
Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg
Via Email