Jews Overly Concerned with ‘is It Good for the Jews’

Lately, more Jews have begun asking “Is it good for the Jews?” according to Professor Leonard J. Fein of Brandeis University. Speaking today to more than 500 Labor Zionist leaders at Grossinger’s Hotel attending a three-day leadership conference, Prof. Fein attributed the trend to the rise of ethnic pluralism in the United States.

He noted that “until this rise, the assumption of most Jews had been that what is good for America is necessarily good for its Jews as well.” This may or may not be the case, Prof. Fein commented, citing as an example the rise of Black militancy. While this was “generally regarded by Jews at the time as a misfortune or calamity, there can be no question that that same militancy has been one of the chief causes of the resurgence of Jewish identity and commitment, particularly among the young,” he said.

Prof. Fein lashed out at those who “defend Jewish jobs, security, and income without defending Jewish culture or seeking Jewish expression in their lives.” He attacked various union leaders, intellectuals, community relations agencies, and the Jewish Defense League, who, he claimed, ask the traditional “If I am not for myself who will be for me?” but forget to add “And if I am only for myself, what am I?”

Prof. Daniel Elazar of Temple University in Philadelphia said that the traditional relationship between Jews and liberalism is changing. “The sum of American liberalism is being for the underdog.” Elazar said, “and Jews are no longer the underdog for liberals.”

He noted that what the Jews need is not “liberalism but constitutionally protected pluralism.” He told the Labor Zionists that it is in the Jewish interest to maintain a middle-of-the-road political stance, and that both the “left” and the “right” have sacrificed Jewish interests and encouraged anti-Semitism at various times.