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[Op-Ed By Yossi Gestetner] Yes, you’ll tell me that there are such organizations as the Jewish Defense League that sometimes make noise when acts are inappropriately done against Jews. Fine, I hear you, but no specific Jewish leader has the name recognition that gets called onto media programs following anti-Semitic related events. Nor does any Jewish leader have the clout that forces politicians to stand with them at press conferences the way NYC boss Mike Bloomberg stood with Al Sharpton following the shooting death of Sean Bell, which was not even a racial incident. So, why is that? Why don’t Jews have such a representative like the Reverend Alfred Charles Sharpton?
The answers are many…
1) Jews and their leaders are peaceful in nature and have the tendency to look forward rather than back. Instead of kvetching all day about anti-Semitism and all the wrong that was done to Jews decades or centuries ago, Jews in general focus mostly on family and business. No, they don’t forget that a Holocaust happened and that anti-Semitism is still alive, but they expend most of their energy on helping their family and business thrive. I mean, really, when was the last time you saw Jews rioting in the streets following the death of a Jew, or looting stores in blackouts or floods under the excuse of being oppressed in Egypt 3,500 years ago, or tortured by the Inquisition 550 years ago? In the African American community, however, some vocal people (mainly in leadership positions) focus on the “Whites” that are out to bite the Black man. Can someone send these leaders the following memo? Blacks have been able to vote for a century, and slavery ended 145 years ago. Heck, we have a Black President, yet some people in the Black community still see race and racism on every street corner, while Jews on the other hand, see money and the chance of earning a buck at every street corner. The Jewish approach, while disdained by some, is productive and society-friendly.
2) Overplaying the race card for personal publicity or financial gain like Sharpton does, only incites racial feelings where it would otherwise not be. To avoid such tensions, responsible Jewish leaders do not use the anti-Semitism card, sometimes even in cases where it might warrant strong use. Jewish leaders, certainly from the Ultra Orthodox sect, would rather have a tepid response to an anti-Semitic slur than overplay their hands and run the risk of flaming up anti-Semitic sentiments.
3) Sharpton, while “protecting” blacks from racist acts, is actually a mobster. He gives protection to those who are on his side, while crushing those who are on the other side. Here are just a few examples: when Joe Biden called Obama a “clean” man, and a LA Times reporter describe Obama as a “Magic Negro,” neither of the two got any heat for it. Yet Rush Limbaugh was not able to buy a sports team because he said a while ago that the Media support a certain sportsman just for his skin color. So, in order to be on Sharpton’s “good side,” journalists and politicians prop him up. In the Jewish community there is no major figure going around deciding who is an anti-Semite or not. Therefore, there is no need to “buy protection” from Jews who stand up against anti-Semitism. Thus, no Jewish representative has the universal recognition of being a “civil right” leader.
4) Some anti-Semitism is manufactured directly from our very own Liberal Jews, such as the Media. The Media, which has A LOT of Jewish reporters, overplayed that “ews and Rabbis” were among the 44 people arrested a while ago in NY and NJ.” So, how can Jewish leaders condemn anti-Semitism when some of this problem stems from our very own backyard? Sharpton, on the other hand has some sort of Chutzpa that permits him to protest White Vs Black acts, yet completely ignore all the Black Vs Black problems in his community.
5) Liberal Jews look down at the more observant Jews. The Leftist Jews use such “gang of 44” instances to tell themselves that ‘We are not as dirty as Hasidism. We are better than them’ (of course if you don’t count Madoff). In order to distance themselves from other Jews, these very media people will not come to the defense of Orthodox Jews when they get put down by non-Jews, forgetting that Hitler didn’t care if a Jews’ name was Blitzer, Friedman or Lefkowitz. Once the media is not there, no politician is there either, thus Jews have no Al Sharpton even in cases when such a figure has a substantive and productive use.
All in all I am sure Jews can continue to live without an Al Sharpton, yet it would be good if African Americans let go of him too. It will lift up the black community even more and move the US further away from racial divides.
To contact the writer send an email to yossi@yossigestetner.com
(Yossi Gestetner - YWN)
Two words
“dov hikind”
Comment by isaac — October 21, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
Why would we want an “Al Sharpton”?
(It’s an insult to infuse JDL in such an article)
Comment by veryinteresting — October 21, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
We have our very own “rabbi” rousers; they are called machers.
Comment by sammygol — October 21, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
WE HAVE HIKIND
Comment by must_hock — October 21, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
Quite a bit of nonsense in this editorial-as mentioned above for one Dov Hikind is always out there yelling anti-semitism. Then there’s Abe Foxman from the ADL. We used to have Meir Kahane until a terrorist murdered him (I’m sure there are white supremacists out there who would love to do the same to the Reverend Buffoon)
Didn’t you ever hear Chasidim yelling “Nazi” at any Gentile that so much as looks at him the wrong way??
As far as blacks are concerned true they can vote & that slavery has been abolished over 100 yrs ago nevertheless there’s no denying that rascism exists as does anti-semitism.
The Reverend Buffoon does not represent the Black community any more than any “jewish leaders” represent you & me. However you gotta admit that sometimes we benefit from the fuss they make “on our behalf” (and sometimes not). Similarly I’m sure sometimes blacks benefit from the Reverend Buffoons outbursts as well.
Comment by ani oymer — October 21, 2009 @ 2:22 pm
I have met responbsible people in NY who believe that Al Sharpton simply has learned effectively how to use drama and schtick as a tool to effectively advance the interests of his constituency, that he does so quite deliberately…they say that in negotiations and meetings he’s much more the calm deliberator. If that is the case . . I think we could use such a person in our community.
An afterthought - maybe Joseph?
Comment by YonasonW — October 21, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Oh, how can you write such things about the great community leader, Reverend Sharpton? You must be a racist. You must attend mandatory cultural sensitivity and diversity training before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Comment by yammo — October 21, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
“Liberal Jews look down at the more observant Jews”
This is a ridiculous generalization that only helps increase sinas chinom.
Most liberal jews are not interested in our lifestyle for themselves, but by no means look down at us.
Comment by commonsense — October 21, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
commonsense (#8) I think you are mistaken -
Many frum people have frei relatives. And my own experience, and my observations of friends, is that the put downs and resentment often shows its face when our “lifestyle” clashes with theirs on a personal level.
For example, when requesting that a family “event” be held at a hall with a valid hoshgacha - when you “only” can eat at “those” restaurants - when you can’t eat at “anyone else’s” house - or come to a some “important” get together at 8:30 on a summer Saturday night.
Some non-observant family will be respectful and accommodating, but many many will react as if you’re a threat to their very Jewish identity.
Comment by YonasonW — October 21, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
YonasonW, I thought tony smith, akuperma,and yourself were accusing me of being another Al Sharpton.
And Joseph is by no means an Al Sharpton just like you are someone who wears a black hat and wear a beard.
But, I thought I had a white beard and a streimel…
Comment by Flatbush Bubby — October 21, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
We need an Al Sharpton like a bull needs udders.
Comment by AinOhdMilvado — October 21, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
Huh???
Comment by berelshain — October 21, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
We ARE IN “GOLUS”,that is why we can’t have an al sharpten. We have to remain low key.
Comment by yehudah y d — October 21, 2009 @ 4:20 pm
Boteach gets us a laugh.
Comment by cherrybim — October 21, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
Flatbush Bubby (#12) - I often disagree with you;I don’t dislike you, and I never called you an Al Sharpton. And if you have a white beard (me too) and a streimel, what pray tell does your husband wear?
Comment by YonasonW — October 21, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
Do you really think Al Slim Shady Sharpton has been a help for the shchoyrim? Punkt Farkert, people like him and the rev jackson are not a help rather they are a hindrance. When they talk most people have nothing nice to say about the brothers. Those two loudmouths would be no place if they shut their mouths and lost their bull horns.
Comment by mark levin — October 21, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
Mark is correct. Most non-AA people consider those two loud-mouthed bigots, rabble rousers, and at least a majot nuisance.
How many brothers got jobs or college education due to those wind makers? How many stopped shooting drugs, or their own neighbors, for that matter?
MLK at least had them marching to stop segregation. These clowns are just a reminder why people want nothing to do with their folk.
Comment by sammygol — October 21, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
We do. Every PURIM we have plenty of people acting like Al Sharpton. Blame it on all the gemara we do growing up - it makes it very hard to act Sharpton-esque without large amounts of ethanol.
Comment by akuperma — October 22, 2009 @ 5:45 am
We as a people are far to decent to have anyone that is as low as Uncle Al…however we have Dov Hikind, Avi Weiss and had the late Meir Kahane (may he rest in peace) I can’t imagine any Jewish leader to ever be as crude and vile and a cronic liar as Al.
Comment by 12786 — October 22, 2009 @ 6:15 am
“while Jews on the other hand, see money and the chance of earning a buck at every street corner”
This line sounds like it could have been written by a an anti semite
Comment by Yitzi W — October 22, 2009 @ 9:10 am
#8, You make a lot of sense. I want to add as a reminder that most liberal Jews dont know Torah Judaism. Most, if not almost all, did not go to a cheder, then yeshiva high school, and then beis medrash, and then became liberal. They just dont know. And there are two sides to their coin. One side IS feeling a bit superior in their “moderness”, yet, when actually involved with frum people doing mitzvos, they mostly are very humbled and very respectful.
Comment by veryinteresting — October 22, 2009 @ 12:27 pm