paranoid Jews? (was: RE: Michael Lerner bashing)

[Frances Bolton (PHI)]

On Fri, 10 Jul 1998 Nurev at Kreative.net wrote:
> But, I would suggest that Israel itself will be the cause of future
persecutions of Jews in the diaspora. That includes the USA.
> And, let's not forget that as recently as five years ago there was a
full fledged pogrom in Crown Heights Brooklyn ironically perpetrated by
Blacks.


Joshua, 
I would love to see you make that *argument* about Israel being the cause
of future Jewish persecution. Because, as your comment now stands, this
sounds like typical ADL fundraising propaganda. Or does being asked about
Israel's occupation of Palestinian land count as persecution?

As for the Brooklyn "pogrom," you've got to be kidding. The incident was
a result of not just the Black child being killed by the Hasidic driver,
but the Hasidic community reponse to the child's death as well. As for the
death of Yankel Rosenbaum, well, it was unfortunate, but it doesn't
qualify for a pogrom. Pogroms were marked by extreme violence towards a
Jewish community with the complicity, or at least silence, of the local
authorities. Every politician in NY was in Crown Heights, sucking up to
the Hasidim and promising to bring Rosenbaum's killers to justice. I'm
surprised you'd be interested in the Hasidic community. The Hasidim, after
all, are anti-Zionist. I've never understood all those assimilated Jews
who are supporters of and apologists for the Hasidic communities. It's
like growing up as a Unitiarian and feeling like you have to support the
Promise Keepers or Phyllis Schafly. The Hasidim are right-wing,
repressive, homophobic, sexist fundamentalists; there is nothing romantic
or quaint about them. Better that they *all* assimilated.

Frances Bolton, Jew.