Anti-semitism in America

I

It is a common habit of foolish minds to go whole-hog on any proposition on which they get a glimmering of light.

Unfortunately for us, our best minds tend to isolate themselves in various types of individual activity and are rarely articulate in matters of affecting Jewish problems as a whole. We are therefore, largely reduced to having, for the most part, a number of dull-witted fellows who take leadership into their own hands and for want of anything better, are commonly accepted.

Their inane blatherings have caused so much disgust in the average Jewish mind that they will have nothing whatsoever to do with them, alluding to these gentlemen as “post-professional Jews.” Now there should be nothing whatsoever uncomplimentary in being a professional Jew, provided that such a professional Jew uttered something once in a while that might be construed to be meaningful, and struck an occasional attitude that filled the onlookers with admiration. I will admit that there are a few exceptions to this unhappy rule. But for the most part, those who speak for Jewry lift their thoughts right out of their hats, like a conjurer does rabbits. They know all the words but the words don’t make any sense.

MAGNITUDE OF ANTI-SEMITISM

The net result is that it is rarely that more than a few dozen people can be induced to come down of an evening to listen to them. Their ridiculous distortions of reality have made the Jewish press a byword for uninviting stuffiness.

Sometimes their habit of going off at a complete tangent is merely a remarkable performance in mental agility, and hence amusing; at other times it becomes tragic for its complete non-relation to facts.

Their silly attitude toward anti-Semitism in this country and complete obliviousness to existing conditions is perhaps most remarkable of all.

I assert that there is just as much anti-Semitism in the United States as there is in any country in the world, Germany not excluded. Of course, if one considered merely the current effects of anti-Semitism and not the mere fact of its existence, he is apt to be misled. In Germany for instance, it is a great error to conclude that all Germans are anti-Semitic. Quite the contrary, just as in the United States of America, it is only a minority who are badly bitten with this virus. This minority while large, is not the entire German nation. At the moment it is vociferous and dictating its impression on German political life.

‘ARYANISM’ AND BUSINESS

What I am trying to say is not that American anti-Semites might convert all Gentiles to this ugly creed, but simply that they might at some time seize power, in which case a condition exactly duplicate to which has occurred in Germany, and is occurring in Austria, will take place here.

Considering Germany for the moment, in the face of the most severe anti-Semitic legislation, and ### spite of an actual Nazi terror that exists, it has been difficult to stop the romantic feelings and love affairs between Jews and non-Jews in that country. We therefore read of Gentile girls who are barbarously treated because of affection for some Jewish boy.

Despite the entire weight of the government controlled anti-Semitic policy, Jewish stores continue to exist and do business. Mere popular opinion alone was insufficient to throw the Jews out of the professions. Their presence there as a result, had to be made illegal in order to remove them practically.

The friendly feeling between Jews and a large portion of the German population is no better illustrated than in Goebbel’s complaint: “Every Nazi seems to have his pet Jew whom he wants removed from the restraint which is placed on the Jews. If we listened to this we could act against no Jews, and we must consider the policy of our party.”

It is perfectly obvious that even in Germany there is no absolute homogenity of opinion directed against the Jews, since to argue otherwise would be to indicate that all Germans had gone insane.

The group which seized power was not only anti-Semitic but bitterly so. It would be futile to estimate just what portion of the population they represented. What they did represent however, was better than mere majority: they were tightly organized, unrelenting in their purpose, and unprincipled in their actions.

It may seem odd in an article on “anti-Semitism in America” to talk at such length on the German situation, yet the German situation is a complete counterpart of the situation here. It varies from it only mildly. Everything which has gone to make for anti-Semitism in Germany exists to create it here.

VIRUS CARRIED FROM OLD WORLD

We have the same middle-class antagonisms, the same unreasoning Old World hatreds transplanted in full form.

In virile essence it is shown in the complete ostracism of Jews from social life everywhere. It shows in the ads which call for Gentiles only. It shows in the many attempts to exclude Jews from the professions, residential localities, utilities and other corporations. Merely because it is not violent does not at all argue its non-existence.

Its latest manifestation is a large number of alleged patriotic societies which by linking Jews and Communists, are attempting to build a common unified ground between all anti-Semites.