Posted by
Sue on Saturday, June 30, 2007 9:38:44 PM
06/17/07
I have just finished Chaim Potok's , In the Beginning. Like the "Chosen" and "I am Asher Lev", the story of the Jews continues to run through my psyche...the "why" I have crying out in my soul for decades. I am not a Jew. But, I don't believe that it is necessary to be Jew to experience the hate that they have, and do on a daily basis. And, therein lies the dilemma: why are the Jews so hated in Western Culture? It is an answer I have thought to discover and reading Potok is certainly worth the while on this. He never says "why", but if you understand the life of Jews, it might give you an indication. He is such a good writer, or should I say was? He left us in 2002, only 73, so young. He has a particular way with the details and emotions in the world he depicts so well, his characters exude themselves onto the page and into your soul if you are a human,
Not only is childhood a very tough period to go through just as a regular kid, but, add to that smallness, or being slight, maybe not so good looking, or, uncomfortable with yourself or others, maybe too smart, or brash. Why just about any behavior will draw attention. Now, add to that being Jewish and all that entails, and I am amazed that they turn out so many smart adults (not all, by a long shot), and more amazing still that they could keep their humanity when everyone else has lost theirs. And still, they keep on keeping on. Again, not all of them, but enough of them, They have done so much for Western Civilization. Unlike any other group of people except our very own Founding Fathers. It is remarkable and maybe understandable why the population of Earth wishes them dead! They will not give up and are an easy target. How brave of the rest of us! But, how blind so many of them are. One blog I read is by a Jew, lives in California is a screenwriter. Great blog and I have posed my question, why? This blog writer is smart, open, reasonable and is a traditionalist. He has no answer. But I keep asking and looking.