Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is calling upon California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to take immediate action to address a seemingly growing anti-Semitic trend among teens in La Quinta, California.
High school seniors have been engaging in a chase game called “Beat the Jew,” which involves a runner called “a Jew” being chased by “Nazis” in cars. As the popularity of the game grew, a Facebook page was created which outlined the rules of the game: “The objective for the Jew is to run down Hwy. 111 to a specified checkpoint before the Nazis can catch up to him, tackle him down and capture him.” The Facebook page, which had attracted 40 members, has since been shut down.
“I am absolutely appalled and sickened,” said Hikind upon learning about the game from Rabbi Shimon Posner, director of the Chabad of Rancho Mirage, California. “These high school seniors are allegedly the future of America. What does it say about us as a nation when tomorrow’s leaders aspire to become Nazis who hunt Jews?”
Local officials in California have not deemed this game a hate crime, stating that because all the students were willing participants, no criminal act was committed. Students who played “Beat the Jew” claimed that it was nothing more than a game, and was not about targeting Jews.
“History bears witness to the unspeakable atrocities which befall us when we fail to educate our youth about racism and anti-Semitism,” Hikind wrote to Governor Schwarzenegger. “I urge you to act in your official capacity to ensure that those who partook in this vile game are not only punished, but made to understand why their behavior is so particularly egregious.”
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT BY USA TODAY:
Some high school students in the California desert have been chasing each other around, as they are known to do. But this involves a game they call “Beat the Jew,” the Palm Springs Desert Sun tells us.
School officials and police say no hate crime was committed in the pursuit, which involves a runner called “a Jew” being chased by “Nazis” in cars.
Students have apologized, said Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Sharon McGehee. They weren’t disciplined because it happened after school and not on school property.
“There was no threat; there was no crime,” she said. “They just played a game that had an ugly, insensitive, stupid name.”
Many of the students, all of whom participated willingly, said they played without knowing the name of the game; others didn’t think about its insensitive nature.
La Quinta police Lt. Jason Huskey told the paper that because everyone played willingly, the game likely does not carry criminal implications.
How did officials learn about it? Facebook, of course.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
9 Responses
Insensitive is rather an understatement, in my opinion.
Nevertheless, it is not criminal, nor should it be. The only solution is education.
It seems that the officials are turning a blind eye and a deaf ear so that they don’t have to admit to the obvious anti-semitism of the game. I think the politicians are too intimidated to stop the game. R”L!
Sister:
What CAN they do to stop the game? Nothing, really.
IT IS ONLY A HATE GAME IF THEY WERE AGAINST BLACKS ARABS EVERY THING IS GAME
Ironically, Governor Schwarzenegger’s father was a known Nazi sympathizer in Austria. Any indication of how the California Governor himself stands on these issues?
It sounds like it was essentially an innocent chasing type of a game (no different really than tag) that nonetheless carried a grossly insensitive expression which clearly implies strong anti-semitic undertones. This being the case, it is a serious exaggeration to state that “What does it say about us as a nation when tomorrow’s leaders aspire to become Nazis who hunt Jews”. There is no reason whatsoever to go so far as to say that this game shows that these youngsters are aspiring to become Nazi, Jew-hunters. Racial undertones? Yes. But outright aspiration to become Nazis? Certainly not.
Why is it so important to understand this?
We Jews must realize that we are still in galus. Vis a vis ourselves, we must not dupe ourselves into thinking that we are full fledged citizens who have the same rights as everyone else. We are guests in the countries of our exile, and, as such, are dependent to a great extent on the good graces of our hosts (this is not at all to deny “Lev melachim b’yad Hashem – it is simply describing the mechanism and practical application of the Hashgacha ha’elyonah b’zman galus which tragically is “af ani eilech imachem ba’chamas keri…v’ein kan ha’makom l’ha’arich). Certainly we should implement the full range of power that we wield as a result of the tremendous freedom and rights that our hosts bestow upon us – but, as guests, we must know what is the proper way to do so and what is the improper way to do so.
The improper way is that which Hikind just did (albeit most probably unwittingly), namely by vociferously demanding a disproportionate response to a relatively minor incident. “Yelling and hollering” implies that we feel we are just as much “the boss” as they are. Even though they would never ever say that they look at us as guests, the fact of the matter is that deeply ingrained in their consciousness is that they are the “boss” (albeit gracious [and they are extremely gracious – and may Hashem bless them for that]) and we are their guests. A host, however gracious he may be, is very likely to become upset if his guest starts acting as if he owns the place.
The correct approach is one of calmness, deliberation, controlled, respectful tones – in short, a respectful (albeit firm) request as opposed to a vigorous demand. When taking this approach, our hosts are likely to be pleasantly disposed to us since we are maintaining our awareness of our “place”.
A careful reading of Jewish history will show that this was always the traditional approach to shtadlanus, and that in more recent history, one of the propaganda techniques used in Nazi Germany was to raise the terrible ire of the German people by making them feel extremely bitter over the fact that “Jews are taking over our country” (which in a certain sense was true).
We really need to avoid giving the Gentiles any reason to feel that we are “taking over their country” – and making disproportionate, vociferous accusations and demands does not help us in this regard, rather it can only be very detrimental in the long run.
I’m happy that Hikind is on this. Now we can all sleep better at night.
To quote Borat –
Throw the jew down the well
So my country can be free
You must grab him by his horns
Then we have a big party
Thanks Dov for looking out for us as Always
R”L when have we become so thin skinned, crying victim every time we may feel a little insulted, and our feelings are hurt is a modern day version of uvichukoysayhem lo salaychu!
we are supposed to be above this there is nothing antisemitic or insensitive about teenagers being teenagers and playing a stupid game.
What does cause anti semitism though is so called jewish reprasentatives and politicians playing the race card putting us in the spot light and acting as if we have so little self worth that we can be hurt by some childs play across the country
Adarabah, we must thank hashem that we live in a country where we where there is freedom to practice our religion openly and there is freedom of speech where we dont have to answer to goverment for the games we play.
lets hope and there will never be a day in America where our children can be punished for playing galuchim!