Prager: When young Jews major in anti-Semitism

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 9, 2005 | Dennis Prager

[RWR8189]

AMERICAN JEWRY is experiencing a cognitive dissonance the likes of which it has never known.

To illustrate, consider my recent lecture in Virginia Beach, Va.: "Anti-Semitism at the Universities: What Can We Do About It?"

It is very significant that a mainstream (i.e., largely secular and liberal) Jewish organization (the Jewish Community Center) would fly a speaker from across the country to speak on anti-Semitism at universities.

To understand how significant, one must appreciate how much Jews revere the university.

First, education has a religion-like status in both religious and secular Jewish life. And the university is romantically thought of as the temple of education.

Second, the university is regarded as the key vehicle to professional success, also a great value in Jews' lives.

Third, the university is the most secular of all major institutions, and many Jews believe in secularism as much as Orthodox Jews believe in Judaism.

Fourth, for many Jews, happiness is largely dependent on deriving nachas (Yiddish for "pride and joy") from their children, and nothing gives them more nachas than being able to tell people that their child attends a prestigious university.

Yet universities have become society's primary breeding ground for hatred of Israel. This hatred is often so intense that the college campus has become a haven for people who use anti-Zionism to mask their anti-Semitism. Moreover, anti-Zionism itself is a form of anti-Semitism, even if some Jews share it. Why? Because anti-Zionism is not simply criticism of Israel, which is as legitimate as criticism of any country. Anti-Zionism means that Israel as a Jewish state has no right to exist. And when a person argues that only one country in the world is unworthy of existence — and that happens to be the one Jewish country in the world — one is engaged

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[NixonsAngryGhost]

A critique of isreal or zionism should not be defined illogically as antisemitsm.

[Andy from Beaverton]

Prager is the king of clarity. I hope he keeps his fight going with scAir America's Ed Schultz.

[goldstategop]

Jews have always prized study and learning. Any one who reads the Talmud understand how brilliant the hacham - the scholars are. Generations of Jews learned all about God at their feet. The difference today is Jews have swapped the yeshiva of yore for the secular university.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[thoughtomator]

It's not the critique so defined, it's the application of double standards.

[Mr. Mojo]

To make matters worse for many Jews' psyches, not only has the institution they most revere turned out to be a moral wasteland and the most congenial place for enemies of the Jewish people — and of the United States (but that is another story) — at the same time, the people whom many Jews have most feared, conservative Christians, have turned out to be the Jews' most loyal friends. That the secular university is bad for Jews, and conservative Christians are good for Jews, is more than enough cognitive dissonance for a Jew to experience in a lifetime.

Spot on, Dennis. And that cognitive dissonance usually translates into a quick and ungraceful change of topic when discussing the matter.

[goldstategop]

As Prager notes, those Jews who return to their faith will increasingly reject the secular and liberal values spawned by the university along with its darkest offshoot: anti-semitism. There's reason to be optimistic that Jewish life and American life with time, is only bound to get even better.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[jwalburg]

What fight is this? I can't stand Ed Schultz and shut him off whenever I hear his voice.

[goldstategop]

That's right - the change is faster than any one expected and that's why its confusing. What Jews have been raised to believe isn't necessarily the case. Today, the bulk of Judeophobia is found on the Left and with radical Islam. So as has happened at other times in Jewish history, I expect a value shift among Jews to accomodate this new threat perception.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[pollyannaish]

I think I learn more from Prager than any other conservative TSH. He may not be as flashy, and is certainly less excitable. But I find his show very, very informative.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

As a Presbyterian in the liberal PCUSA denomination, Prager has consistently been a clear writer on the leftist attacks against Israel. His writings are used to explain the situation in our denomination to members who do not understand why our leadership is engaging in economic boycott against Israel.

[sono]

Graffiti found on ruins uncovered after the fall of Saddam ...

Nebuchadnezzar was an Anti-Semite

[goldstategop]

Trying to explain to the Politically Correct Churches why cursing Israel is bad theologically is lost on them... they think the Bible is Das Kapital. Its really so sad.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Andy from Beaverton]

Schultz is the one who partial quoted Bill Bennett. Prager got upset at Ed, Ed said he would debate Dennis, Ed's staff declined the debate and now we have two talk shows trying to prove who is right. But we all know, Prager doesn't lie.

[lawdude]

"A critique of isreal or zionism should not be defined illogically as antisemitsm."

How should I view your failure to capitalize and mis spelling? A little antisemitsm?

[Captainpaintball]

I was sort of surprised for some reason that Prager kept on Schultz throughout the week. But I was glad. Prager exposed Schultz as a total and complete fraud. It was fun to go day by day, Monday through Friday, and watch one man destroy another, even if the victim had no idea what happened. I was proud of him for standing up for his friend Bill Bennett. He better thank him on his show for being such a staunch ally--I know I would want him on my side!

Allllllll-riiiiiighty!

[gcruse]

I thought exactly the same thing.

[NixonsAngryGhost]

How should I view your failure to capitalize and mis spelling? A little antisemitsm?

laziness plus disbelief on how a word has lost real coinage.logic is my guide when disarming political correctness
and i hope it is yours as well.

[rmlew]

A critique of isreal or zionism should not be defined illogically as antisemitsm.

Most critiques of Zionism are rarely logical.