by Dr. David Fialkoff, Editor / Publisher; photos by my daughter

My daughter is in Hawaii. I know it's not the same as having a baby or becoming an orthodontist, but, especially in a historical sense, I am proud of the fact.

The Jews, through film, music and political action, created our concept of America. The freedom and opportunity extended to us, had to be extended to all.

We were at the forefront of the labor and civil rights movements. To annotate a recent speech by the US Vice President: You better thank a union member [and the Jews] for the five-day work week, sick leave, paid leave and vacation time.

Margaret Mead asked her mentor, Franz Boas (a Jew and founder of Columbia University's Dept. of Anthropology and the Museum of Natural History), "Do you think that Jews have an extra gene for social justice?"

After millennia of apartheid, pogroms and forced exiles, America was for us the "golden medina," the Golden Country.

We had our moments; doing very well in Spain before the Inquisition, Europe before World War Two, and many Arab countries before the State of Israel. But those all ended very, very badly.

I don't know how Vienna's high society Jews felt in 1930. But I remember my father and his three brothers, all comfortably middle class, as they reflected back to their Depression era yesteryear. From their attitude, I recognized the relief, gratitude and surprise my people felt at being Jewish in America.

"Look at us now!" was, and still is, the disbelieving,   giddy Jewish-American attitude. Yes, it is already too good to be true, but the kids should have it better. Alles für die Kinder, all is for the children.

The Jewish toddler playing at the beach is swept into the sea by a rogue wave. His panicked mother, jumping up and down, prays frantically for his salvation. A moment later, another wave deposits the young boy safely on the sand at her feet. Babe in arms, the grateful mother, with tears still wet on her cheeks, notes matter-of-factly, "He had a hat."

With hate crimes against Jews and the specter of anti-semitism rising, this appreciation of American fair-treatment is again strongly reverberating, this time for my daughter's generation.

(Polls show that Americans still overwhelmingly support Israel. The recent pro-Hamas protests are all being funded by Iran and multinational corporations that want a part of Iran's vast natural gas reserves.)

For the Jews, at least for this Jew, America's geography mirrors a psychological reality.

An old, old joke tells of a Polish Jew about to emigrate, bidding his friend goodbye. His friend tells him, "You're going to America? Say hello to my cousin in Chicago."

Another, more recent joke has a Jewish couple from Brooklyn flying to vacation in Hawaii. On the long flight a recurring dispute between them is the correct pronunciation of the state's name. Influenced by a Yiddish accent, he insists that it's Havaii. While she is sure that it is Hawaii. Having landed, standing at the baggage carousel, he turns to the man beside him and asks, "Excuse me sir. How do you pronounce the name of this state?" The man responds, "Havaii." At this the husband gives a quick smirk to his wife and, turning back to the man, says, "Thank you." The man responds, "You're velcome."

The first generation of Jews made it to New York. The second generation spread out as far as California. Now my daughter is in Hawaii. She's only visiting there for 10 days, but, as I say, the geography is a metaphor, a metaphor of belonging. And it's good when the Jews belong.

The end of the Spanish Empire began when they expelled their Jews. Baghdad declined in every way: governmentally, educationally, economically... after the Jews, who were one-third of its population, left, following the 1948 pogrom there. Germany descended into totalitarian madness during the 30s. Stalin's Soviet Union also persecuted the Jews, and we know what living there was like.

The Jews are the canary in the coal mine. You might think that you can do without us, but, history shows that when it's bad for us, soon it's bad for everyone: "First they came for the Jews..."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to run; my daughter is calling... from Havaii!

**************

Dr. David Fialkoff presents Lokkal, our local social network, the community online and off, Atención robustly reborn for the digital age. If you can, please do contribute content, or your hard-earned cash, to support Lokkal, SMA's Voice. Use the orange, Paypal donate button below. Thank you.

Discover Lokkal:
Watch the two-minute video below.
Then, just below that, scroll down SMA's Community Wall.
Mission

Visit SMA's Social Network

Contact / Contactar