Earlier this week, we brought the school community together to reflect on Charlottesville. An educator and a student shared each their personal reflections about Charlottesville (see below) as we deepen our work to make JCHS among the most emotionally inclusive and intellectually diverse high schools in the country.
Yael Krieger, the educator, challenged us, “What would it look like for JCHS to be a school that celebrates the diversity within the Jewish community [and] committing itself to the principle of human dignity?” Mira Kittner, the student, exhorted us, "It's an important time, don’t check out! When the spirit of hate, bitterness, and division seems stronger than ever, each of us must tune-in and step-up.”
For me, recent news about neo-Nazis and White Supremacists combined with the frightening scenes from Charlottesville -- including chants of "Jews will not replace us” and “America belongs to white men” -- brought me back to when I was about 10 years old and very different images of "Nazis." And as if Charlottesville did not fan the flames against those who are vulnerable as foreigners or strangers, the US government seemed to throw gasoline on the flames by announcing a repeal of #DACA
When I was a kid there pictures of real Nazis in black-and-white history book images of Nazis and their collaborators imposing terror through mass killings of those they "othered" (mostly Jews) and countries they wanted to dominate. And there were contemporary color images on television and in the movies of Nazis lampooned and ridiculed as inept losers. Their hatred of the other - of foreigners, strangers, gypsies, and Jews - was satirized.
For instance, Mel Brook’s popular comedy film (later made into a Broadway musical) "The Producers" was about a pair of Broadway con-men who get folks to over-invest in a play assured to be a flop called “Springtime for Hitler.” Brooks can be heard in the film calling out, "Don't be stupid, be a smarty; Come and join the Nazi Party.” Or the top ten TV comedy, "Hogan's Heroes," which takes place in a Nazi prisoner of war (POW) camp. Brooks and Hogan lampooned and ridiculed Nazis, Hitler, and the Third Reich.
Some found these comedic efforts in poor taste; others found them hilarious. Either way, the Nazis and their ideology were defeated, vanquished, and satirized. Even today it seems 'okay' to make fun of the Nazis. Although comedians tend to shy away from making fun of the Holocaust. [I highly recommend Ferne Pearlstein's 2016 documentary, "The Last Laugh," about whether the Holocaust can be funny, now on Amazon Video.]
Humor helps us shrink the real, historical Nazis and bring Jewish values forward. For example, one joke included in "The Last Laugh" is about two Jews sent to assassinate Hitler with secret intelligence about where he’ll be at a certain time. The two Jews stake out the location and hide waiting for the specified time of Hitler's arrival. A few minutes before they get themselves ready. Then at the precise time, they check their watches, but there's no Hitler. Five minutes go by, they check their watches again. No Hitler. Thirty minutes, no Hitler. One hour, two hours, no Hitler. One Jew turns to the other, with concern on his face saying, "Gee, I hope nothing bad happened to him!” (See "The Last Laugh" at 01:55.)
Which is what I was thinking about after Charlottesville. Vanquished Nazis might be fodder for comedy, but neo-Nazis and White Supremacists are no laughing matter. Their ascendancy and support are frightening. Too many people are taking them just seriously enough to march with them. And too few are taking them seriously enough to denounce them.
A phrase in this week's Torah portion reminds us of the need to denounce bullies, thugs, neo-Nazis and White Supremacists and to take seriously those who threaten the most vulnerable members of society.
The phrase is just three words and actually echoes precisely the same three-word phrase from an earlier Torah portion. Two weeks ago, in Re'eh, Torah enjoins us, "Don't subvert justice [for those appearing before the court] " (Deut. 16:19) It is a general statement about justice being enacted justly. Justice for all.
But this week, in Ki Teitzei, the same three-word phrase is seemingly narrowed, "Don't subvert justice [for] the foreigner, the orphan, [or] the widow." (Deut. 24:17). Justice for those who are most vulnerable.
If Torah already mandated justice for all, then why add a special clause for foreigners, orphans, and widows? Because Torah knows often we take advantage of or act unjustly toward those who are vulnerable. Foreigners, orphans, and widows stand in for all "others' who are marked that way through no purposeful acts of their own. And because society tends to treat them unjustly, Torah comes as a corrective to encourage special vigilance in taking responsibility to ensure justice for them.
For me, it is similar to the phrase "Black Lives Matter." Of course, all lives matter. That is the general statement. But because Black lives are particularly marginalized and made vulnerable, there needs to be a corrective to encourage special vigilance. The phrase, "Black Lives Matter," is that type of corrective.
When we see neo-Nazis and White Supremacists on the rise, those who marginalize the "other" hear this as a dog whistle exciting and encouraging them. But we should hear it as an urgent alarm to stand up for those who are most vulnerable, to rise up against hatred and bigotry, to be vigilant in denouncing those who prey on the vulnerable. As Mira said, "each of us must tune-in and step-up."
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