Comments on: “The President will be taking the day to spend at High Holy Day services” http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/ A New Platform for the Jewish Voice Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:15:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Yoni Gross http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Yoni Gross Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:20:46 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-25 Well, it looks like we're making some progress, anyway. There's a good chance the new Attorney General will be Jewish, so that's one more high government office we'll have held. Enough Congressmen, Senators, and Cabinet officials, and maybe we'll start to make some headway against this sort of reaction. Well, it looks like we’re making some progress, anyway. There’s a good chance the new Attorney General will be Jewish, so that’s one more high government office we’ll have held. Enough Congressmen, Senators, and Cabinet officials, and maybe we’ll start to make some headway against this sort of reaction.

]]> By: Seth Jacobson http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Seth Jacobson Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:55:39 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-23 OK, fair enough. Semantics aside, I think one ought to realize that there are a lot of people who don't hate us, but only because they haven't thought about us. There are enough people who hate us, who can also spread their hate to those who are weak-minded enough to believe in their ideas. I would say this, however: I don't think that that alone is reason enough to oppose a Jew who runs for the Presidency. If a Jewish candidate happens to be the best person for the job, then more power to him (or her)! But if the winds of anti-Semitism begin to stir, and there's a candidate equally qualified to run the country who isn't Jewish, I personally would feel more comfortable, unfortunately, with the other candidate. I say 'unfortunately', because it is unfortunate that the world cannot accept a Jewish leader in that high of an office. But TaNa"Kh tells us to expect as much. We're not meant to be the leaders of other nations, but to sojourn there until Mashiach comes to redeem us. I think it could conceivably work out, but the circumstances would have to be just right. Anyway, G-d willing, Mashiach will come this year, and we won't have to worry about these trivialities. Gemar Chasimah Tovah. OK, fair enough. Semantics aside, I think one ought to realize that there are a lot of people who don’t hate us, but only because they haven’t thought about us. There are enough people who hate us, who can also spread their hate to those who are weak-minded enough to believe in their ideas. I would say this, however: I don’t think that that alone is reason enough to oppose a Jew who runs for the Presidency. If a Jewish candidate happens to be the best person for the job, then more power to him (or her)! But if the winds of anti-Semitism begin to stir, and there’s a candidate equally qualified to run the country who isn’t Jewish, I personally would feel more comfortable, unfortunately, with the other candidate. I say ‘unfortunately’, because it is unfortunate that the world cannot accept a Jewish leader in that high of an office. But TaNa”Kh tells us to expect as much. We’re not meant to be the leaders of other nations, but to sojourn there until Mashiach comes to redeem us. I think it could conceivably work out, but the circumstances would have to be just right. Anyway, G-d willing, Mashiach will come this year, and we won’t have to worry about these trivialities. Gemar Chasimah Tovah.

]]> By: Yoni Gross http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Yoni Gross Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:18:11 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-17 sjacobson, I'll be honest, I don't get how your response in any way relates to mine. Government can always do more damage, as long as it still exists. The US economy wasn't in total collapse, we were only involved in two wars, one of which is quite small. Of *course* there was more damage to be done. And denial about dangers, or an inability to see that delays will result in tragedy doesn't even begin to relate. Hatred isn't something where degrees really matter. Either someone hates you, or they don't. I'm not saying there can't be more people who hate us. I'm saying that those who already hate, already hate us, and there's no way to make *that* hatred any worse. sjacobson, I’ll be honest, I don’t get how your response in any way relates to mine. Government can always do more damage, as long as it still exists. The US economy wasn’t in total collapse, we were only involved in two wars, one of which is quite small. Of *course* there was more damage to be done. And denial about dangers, or an inability to see that delays will result in tragedy doesn’t even begin to relate.

Hatred isn’t something where degrees really matter. Either someone hates you, or they don’t. I’m not saying there can’t be more people who hate us. I’m saying that those who already hate, already hate us, and there’s no way to make *that* hatred any worse.

]]> By: sjacobson http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-14 sjacobson Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:30:19 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-14 Yehoni, don't take this as an attack, but I think that statements such as, "they couldn't possibly hate Israel or America more than they already do," are very dangerous and naive. Although I voted for Gore in 2000, in 2004 I personally felt that I was uncomfortable voting for Kerry for various reasons, and despite my displeasure with many of Bush's policies, particularly toward the middle class and the poor, I voted for him because I thought that he couldn't possibly do any more damage to the U.S. than he had already done. Many would argue (and some did then) that I was very shortsighted and naive. In addition, for a less controversial point, I'll close with this. About a year and a half ago I was doing research for the historian Sir Martin Gilbert, Winston Churchill's official biographer, and a prolific author on the Holocaust and Israel. He was working on a book about Kristallnacht and its aftermath, and I was to help him find out information on the Jewish refugee crisis that resulted. The most striking thing I found was a conversation between a senator and an advocate for child refugees during a committee session (I don't remember offhand the names of those involved), I believe in May or June of 1939. The senator asked why the advocate was pushing for refugees from Germany and from no other country, as the whole of Europe at the time was in turmoil. His response will give you chills. He said (and I'm paraphrasing because I don't have my notes in front of me). "We're not concerned about Spain, because even though there is a civil war going on there, children are not being targeted and persecuted. In Czechoslovakia, we cannot do anything until the President decides on what his policy will be towards the annexation. And there is no cause for concern in Poland, because there are 3 million Jews there. They'll be fine." Yehoni, don’t take this as an attack, but I think that statements such as, “they couldn’t possibly hate Israel or America more than they already do,” are very dangerous and naive. Although I voted for Gore in 2000, in 2004 I personally felt that I was uncomfortable voting for Kerry for various reasons, and despite my displeasure with many of Bush’s policies, particularly toward the middle class and the poor, I voted for him because I thought that he couldn’t possibly do any more damage to the U.S. than he had already done. Many would argue (and some did then) that I was very shortsighted and naive. In addition, for a less controversial point, I’ll close with this. About a year and a half ago I was doing research for the historian Sir Martin Gilbert, Winston Churchill’s official biographer, and a prolific author on the Holocaust and Israel. He was working on a book about Kristallnacht and its aftermath, and I was to help him find out information on the Jewish refugee crisis that resulted. The most striking thing I found was a conversation between a senator and an advocate for child refugees during a committee session (I don’t remember offhand the names of those involved), I believe in May or June of 1939. The senator asked why the advocate was pushing for refugees from Germany and from no other country, as the whole of Europe at the time was in turmoil. His response will give you chills. He said (and I’m paraphrasing because I don’t have my notes in front of me). “We’re not concerned about Spain, because even though there is a civil war going on there, children are not being targeted and persecuted. In Czechoslovakia, we cannot do anything until the President decides on what his policy will be towards the annexation. And there is no cause for concern in Poland, because there are 3 million Jews there. They’ll be fine.”

]]> By: yehoni http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-13 yehoni Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:12:29 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-13 The fear is that a Jewish President would confirm the belief that the Jews control US policy towards Israel. Personally, I think it's a bunch of worrying over nothing. The people who would believe in that control will do so without a Jewish President, and they couldn't possibly hate Israel or America more than they already do. The fear is that a Jewish President would confirm the belief that the Jews control US policy towards Israel. Personally, I think it’s a bunch of worrying over nothing. The people who would believe in that control will do so without a Jewish President, and they couldn’t possibly hate Israel or America more than they already do.

]]> By: Dave http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Dave Fri, 07 Sep 2007 02:47:57 +0000 http://jewneric.com/the-president-will-be-taking-the-day-to-spend-at-high-holy-day-services/2007/09/06/#comment-9 I'm ready for a Bloomberg/Schwarzenegger ticket. It is constitutionally ok for Arnie to be VP, so long as he steps down should something happen to the president. I think the country could use the technocratic, entrepreneurial styles of Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Schwarzenegger. I’m ready for a Bloomberg/Schwarzenegger ticket. It is constitutionally ok for Arnie to be VP, so long as he steps down should something happen to the president. I think the country could use the technocratic, entrepreneurial styles of Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Schwarzenegger.

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