Why Easter Makes Many Jews Nervous
For many Jews, bunnies, baby chicks, and colored eggs can’t hide centuries of unpleasant associations with the most important religious holiday in the Christian calendar.
Tag Archives: anti-Semitism
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, “War on Christmas”
A Letter to the Editor promised to tell anyone who wished the writer “happy holidays” instead of Merry Christmas to “go soak their heads” or “go back where they came from.” I said this kind of nativism is anti-Semitic and intolerant by definition. Many people answered me very favorably.
Hank Greenberg: Deconstructing a Jewish Hero
Hank Greenberg was baseball’s first Jewish superstar. He is best known for a game he did not play – on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, in September, 1934. That’s where the myth of Greenberg as Jewish hero began. The myth had only a few grains of truth, and Hank was never comfortable in that role.
The 1947 Film “Gentlemen’s Agreement” Is Part of the History It Shows
The 1947 movie Gentlemen’s Agreement is a preachy period piece today, but it’s a deadly accurate picture of prejudice and discrimination against American Jews after World War II by educated, polite, wealthy, liberal gentiles. It raised awareness and changed attitudes and behavior.
Why Some Public Apologies Work and Others Don’t
So many public people today get caught screwing up, and have to apologize publicly. Some thoughts on why some are accepted, others not.