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soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Holocaust, Antisemitism, Missionaries (9/12) |
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Frequently Asked Questions on Soc.Culture.Jewish
Part 9: The Holocaust, Antisemitism, and Missionaries
[Last Post: Thu Feb 5 11:07:09 US/Pacific 2004]
The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer
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[5]reading lists. Similar questions can be found in the books
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------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: ORGANIZATION
This portion of the FAQ contains answers to the following questions:
Section 15:
Churban Europa (The Holocaust)
1. [5]Why do Jews seem to treat the Holocaust as their tragedy alone?
2. [6]Where can I get information on the Holocaust?
3. [7]How do I get tickets to see the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum?
4. [8]Is there any online information available on Yad Vashem?
Section 16:
Antisemitism and Rumors about Jews
1. [5]Why is antisemitism used to mean anti-Jewish?
2. [6]Is there any truth to the myth of the Jewish American Princess?
3. [7]What is the connection between Judaism and Freemasonry?
4. [8]How do I counter antisemitic postings such as the infamous
"Protocols"?
5. [9]Did the Jews kill Jesus?
6. [10]Can you tell me about the Disputation at Barcelona?
Section 17:
Countering Missionaries
1. [5]Are groups calling themselves "Jews for Jesus" or "Messianic
Jews[sic]" Jewish movements?
2. [6]Is belief in Jesus-as-G-d compatible with any Jewish movements?
3. [7]Countering the Question: Why Don't Jews Believe in Jesus as the
Messiah?
4. [8]What do missionary groups believe?
5. [9]What sort of deceptive terminology do missionaries use?
6. [10]How can these missionaries be countered?
7. [11]Who is financing "Jews for Jesus" and similar groups?
8. [12]Are the key Christian beliefs derived from Judaism?
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 15.1: Why do Jews seem to treat the Holocaust as their
tragedy alone?
Answer:
Jews don't, and in fact, a hefty percentage of articles on the
Holocaust go out of their way to mention the number of gentiles
murdered, as well as soldiers and civilians killed in the war itself.
Jews focus upon it for several reasons: (1) It destroyed a third (1/3)
of world Jewry, almost all of European Jewry, and obliterated the
entire European Jewish culture. (2) It was directed primarily at
Jews--Hitler himself wrote that his real war was against Judaism and
the idea of absolute morality, the antithesis of amoral nationalism.
(see his discussions with his friend, Hermann Rauschning) (3) It
happened just 50 years ago, which is recent.
It is important to mention other attempts at mass extermination or
national destruction, such as Armenian, Cambodian, East Timorese,
Kurdish, Native Americans, Stalin's purges, etc.
One should also mention other large scale injustices such as Black
African enslavement in America, but to make clear that even if it is
not the same as the Holocaust, it's still a moral problem.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 15.2: Where can I get information on the Holocaust?
Answer:
Additional information may be found in the [5]Antisemitism Reading
List, found at [6]http://www.scjfaq.org/rl/ant-index.html/.
Information is also available on the newsgroup
[7]soc.culture.jewish.holocaust, which is a storagehouse for all kinds
of information from various sources on the Holocaust in Europe that
occurred between 1942-1945 (along with the events leading up to it
that happened in the early 30's). In that group you will find
Holocaust materials from both personal testimonies of survivors and
their families and "hard" facts from historians and observers. The
newsgroup has a archive at [8]http://www.holocausthistory.org/.
The [9]Nizkor Project (An Electronic Holocaust Educational Resource)
[Home Page: ] has also made the following
information on the Holocaust available; it can be used to answer the
"revisionists":
* A two-part FAQ on Auschwitz. The URL for [10]part 1 is:
.
The URL for [11]part 2 is:
.
* A two-part FAQ on Operation Reinhard -- A Layman's Guide to
Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka. The URL for [12]part 1 is
. The URL for [13]part 2 is
.
* A two-part FAQ on the Institute for Historical Review. The URL for
[14]part 1 is
. The
URL for [15]part 2 is
.
* A two-part FAQ that provides common answers to the various
revisionists claims that the Holocaust never occured. The URL for
[16]part 1 is
. The URL for [17]part 2 is
.
If you are using WWW or Mosaic, the relevant pointer is:
[18]http://www.nizkor.org/faqs
The Nizkor Project also offers a direct and well-documented response
to the IHR's "66 Questions & Answers About the Holocaust," at
[19].
The Nizkor Project's archives are now searchable, using URL
<[20]http://search.nizkor.org/search.html>.
Alas, Nazi-ism didn't end with the Holocaust, and there has been a
resurgance of neo-Nazi groups in Germany. Between October 1992 and
April 1993, the [21]Simon Wiesenthal Center
([22]http://www.wiesenthal.com/) conducted a covert operation to
determine the strength, financial base, and ultimate leadership of
Germany's neo-Nazi movement. Center officials also wanted to find out
the links between Germany's radical right and similar organizations in
the United States, and to determine the degree of commitment on the
part of German police towards the enforcement of laws passed by the
German parliament over the years to thwart the resurgence of Nazism in
the Bundesrepublik. The results of this operation are documented and
[23]available on the net at the URL
.
A [24]Holocaust bibliography is also available at the URL
. It contains thousands
of listings for those interested in research.
You might also contact the [25]Simon Wisenthal Center:
9760 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
voice: (310)-553-9036
fax: (310)-277-5558
e-mail: [26]webmaster@wiesenthal.com
WWW:
Reference librarian/archivist: Paul Hamburg
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 15.3: How do I get tickets to see the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum?
Answer:
Opened in April 1993, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto
uprising, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
D.C., summons all who enter its portals to rise to an important and
extraordinary challenge: to remember and immortalize the 6 milion Jews
and millions of other Nazi victims of World War II--Gypsies, Poles,
homosexuals, the handicapped, Jehovah's Witnesses, political and
religious dissidents, Soviet prisoners of war--who were murdered in
the most horrifying event of our time: the Holocaust.
The main task of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is to
present the facts of the Holocaust, to tell the American public as
clearly and comprehensively as possible what happened in that darkest
chapter of human history. To this end, the Museum has reconstructed
the history of the Holocaust through multiple media: the meaningful
arrangement of objects as well as the presentation of documentary
photographic and cinematographic materials. This museum holds the
world's largest and most diversified collection of Holocaust-related
objects; but in its display it is a "conceptual museum" rather than a
traditional, object-oriented one: it's primary purpose is to
communicate concepts, complex information, and knowledge, rather than
merely to display objects of the Holocaust, unrelated to the
historical context of each individual exhibit.
A visit to the museum, or a tour through the virtual exhibition, can
be an interesting and challenging learning experience but, at the same
time, it also will be a thought-provoking, disturbing, and personally
upsetting one. And so it should be.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a free, Federal Museum
dedicated to presenting the history of the persecution and murder of
six million Jews and millions of other victims of Nazi tyrrany from
1933-1945. To accomodate large numbers of visitors expected by the
museum, and to ensure a meaningful experience for every one, the
museum is open on a time-ticket basis, which means that a ticket is
required for admission, and that tickets are marked with a specific
time and day in order to regulate the number of people passing through
the exhibits at any given time.
Tickets may be obtained in one of three ways: you can visit or call
Ticketmaster at 1-800-432-SEAT and purchase tickets for a specified
date and time using a credit card. Currently, there is a $3.50 phone
charge and a $1.00 per ticket handling fee. Tickets to the museum are
free, except for the handling charges which go directly to
Ticketmaster. A second method of obtaining tickets is to go directly
to the walk-up window and request them. Demand is heavy, and only a
portion of each day's tickets are set aside for walk-up business. The
last, and most difficult, method of obtaining tickets is to call your
elected representative and request assistance in finding tickets. The
Museum is not part of the Smithsonian system, and therefore some
Congressmen do not bother to request complimentary tickets from the
museum. Some do.
The Museum is open from 10:00-5:30 daily, except for Christmas (go
figure!) and certain Jewish holidays (to be determined). The telephone
number is (202) 488-0400. Their [5]home page is available at
[6]http://www.ushmm.org/
.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 15.4: Is there any online information available on Yad
Vashem?
Answer:
Yad Vashem is the Holocaust memorial of the Jewish people. Located in
Jerusalem Israel, it was established in 1953 by an act of Parliament.
At the core of the Holocaust was the decision to kill the Jews--six
million of whom were murdered. These events are of monumental
significance for the contemporary world and, by directing visitors to
confront this history, we hope to stimulate them to grapple with
issues that strike at our basic nature as human beings and to gain
insights about our societies and about ourselves.
The name YAD VASHEM comes from a passage in the Book of Isaiah:
"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial
... an everlasting name [a "yad vashem"], that shall not be cut
off." (chapter 56, verse 5).
Yad Vashem is available via WWW using the following URL:
[5]http://www.yad-vashem.org.il/
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 16.1: Why is antisemitism used to mean anti-Jewish? Aren't
Arabs Semites too?
Answer:
The word "anti-Semitism" was coined in Germany in 1879 by Wilhelm Marr
as a more euphonious way of saying "Judenhass" (Jew-hatred), and has
always meant exactly that. Its antonym, "Semitism" connoted a positive
attitude toward the Jewish people. The word has become too sanitized
and too easily misunderstood, which is exactly what Marr tried to
accomplish with the word's creation.
According to a (now discredited) nineteenth century theory that held
that racial groups and linguistic groups coincide, Semites are natives
of a group of Middle Eastern nations that are closely related in
ethnicity, culture and language. Under this theory, the modern day
Semites would be the Jews and Arabs. In ancient times, the Assyrians,
Canaanites, Carthaginians, Aramaeans and Akkadians (one of the
ancestors of the ancient Babylonians) were also counted among the
Semitic nations. It should be noted that many of these groups
contributed much to the development of modern culture, in particular
the Phoenicians (Semitic seafarers including Canaanites, Aramaeans and
northern Israelites), the Babylonians, as well as the Arabs and Jews.
One theory that has been voiced among the practitioners of ancient
history is that these groups emerged from a common home in Arabia
during the early Sumerian period. More likely, they were descended
from various waves of people who entered the Middle East, only the
last of which brought the Semitic languages. Like the Babylonian king
Hammurabi, Abraham appears to have been an "Amurru" or West Semite, a
group that spread out from the Levant to as far east as Ur and
Babylon. Hebrew and Aramaic are both West Semitic languages.
The modern day "Semites" all claim to trace their ancestry to Noah's
son, Shem, from whom they take their name.
Given that the theory of "semites" and non-"semites" is now
discredited, the preferred term to use is "Antisemitism", which has a
general connotation of "anti-Jewish". When written in this fashion, it
helps to eliminate the confusion with the discredited theory. (The use
of the non-hyphenated form is a suggestion of the distinguished
historian James Parkes). Emil Fackenheim, the Jewish philosopher, has
also adopted this spelling, explaining "... the spelling ought to be
antisemitism without the hyphen, dispelling the notion that there is
an entity 'Semitism' which 'anti-Semitism' opposes" (Emil Fackenheim,
"Post-Holocaust Anti-Jewishness, Jewish Identity and the Centrality of
Israel," in World Jewry and the State of Israel, ed. Moshe Davis, p.
11, n. 2).
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 16.2: Is there any truth to the myth of the Jewish American
Princess?
Answer:
While there may be a few token women who fit the stereotype, it's a
cruel slur frequently directed at Jewish women in general, and not
always by Jews. (see William Styron's Sophie's Choice, especially
chapter 7, for some very offensive Jewish portrayals, including the
JAP.)
The most common use of the slur "JAP" is by Jewish men who rationalize
their habit of dating gentile women by slandering the Jewish women
whom they could be dating. Many who use the term are unaware of its
offensive nature, so if someone uses it innocently, politely ask them
not to use the term.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Question 16.3: What is the connection between Judaism and
Freemasonry?
Answer:
The following is extracted from a paper by Paul M. Bessel of Arlington
VA that accompanied presentations in February 1989. The FAQ would
would like to thank David Kaufman ([5]davidkman@hotmail.com) for
providing this information; the full text of the presentation may be
obtained from him. The full text is online at
[6]http://www.bessel.org/masjud.htm.
Jews were actively involved in the beginnings of Freemasonry in
America. There is evidence they were among those who established
Masonry in seven of the original thirteen states: Rhode Island, New
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia.
A Jewish Mason, Moses Michael Hays, helped introduce the Masonic
Scottish Rite in America. Paul Revere served under him as Deputy Grand
Master. There were several other Jews who held the masonic titles in
the late 1700's: Solomon Bush in Pennsylvania, Joseph Myers in
Maryland and later in South Carolina, and Abraham Forst of
Philadelphia in Virginia in 1781. Another Jewish Grand Master was
Moses Seixas in Rhode Island from 1791 until 1800. There were many
other American Jewish Masons in early American history, including one
in George Washington's original Fredericksburg Lodge.
Jewish Masons played an important part in the American Revolution,
with 24 of them serving as officers in George Washington's army. In
addition, several helped finance the American cause, including Haym
Salomon, a Philadelphia Jewish Mason who with others contributed and
raised money for the American war effort and loaned money to
Jefferson, Madison, Lee, and others for their personal expenses.
Salomon was imprisoned by the British and died in his 40's bankrupt
and with penniless heirs.
There is evidence that Jews, including rabbis, continued to be
involved in the Masonic movement in the United States. There have been
at least 51 Jewish American Grand Masters. Today there are many Jews
active in Masonry in America and other countries. Israel has about 60
Masonic lodges with 3,000 members.
Jews had also been involved to a small extent in the formation of
modern Freemasonry in the early 1700's in England. Until then Jews
were not permitted to participate in many of the ordinary activities
of life. Then the Enlightenment concept of the universality of all
people brought about a society where people's religious beliefs did
not affect their rights as citizens. Jews were gradually permitted to
exercise the rights of citizenship and to pursue their lives as they
wished.
Many Jews viewed joining Freemasonry as part of their "emancipation"
from the old legal and social exclusions. Modern Masonry was as much a
product of the Enlightenment as the emancipation of Jews. Many society
leaders were Freemasons and if Jews could join this fraternity that
would prove they were being accepted. They could also use the
opportunities presented by their participation in a social
organization with Christians to prove the two could prosper by their
association. Freemasonry's philosophy of the brotherhood of all people
indicated Masonry would accept Jews as members.
There are many common themes and ideals in Masonic and Jewish rituals,
symbols, and words:
* Belief in G-d, prayer, immortality of the soul, charity, and
acting respectfully to all people are essential elements of
Freemasonry as well as Judaism, and of course other religions too.
* Masonry and Judaism, as well as other religions and statements of
ethical standards, teach that we must discipline ourselves and
keep our passions in check. Jewish masons follow rituals in
synagogues and in Masonic lodges to help them develop this
ability.
* Judaism and Masonry give the greatest respect and support for
freedom of individuals. Judaism teaches that everyone is capable
of good or evil and attempts to help us use our free will to
choose the righteous path. Masonry teaches that those who are
morally fit can find "light" in Masonry if they desire it of their
own free will. The concept of exercising free will to accept the
law and atone for past transgressions is what Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur are about.
* Light is an important symbol in both Freemasonry and Judaism.
Contrast the holiday of Chanukah with the use of light in Masonry,
where it represents the Divine spirit, religious freedom, and
rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and of the spiritual
Temple within us all.
* One of the fundamental symbols of Masonry is the Temple of Solomon
and the Second Temple, which also figured as the central part of
the Jewish religion. King Solomon, one of the greatest figures in
Jewish history, is also one of the most important figures in
Masonic rituals.
While there are many common aspects of Judaism and Freemasonry, it
also should be recognized that because of the history of attempts to
force Jews to convert they can be uncomfortable about being asked to
say Christian prayers or otherwise indicate non-Jewish beliefs. Some
parts of Masonry use New Testament prayers, references to Saints, the
cross as a religious symbol (although it is stated that the cross is
being used as a symbol of religion in general rather than the
Christian religion), and one Masonic organization requires aspiring
members to swear to support the Christian faith. Jews must deal with
these references to other religions by remaining quiet or not
participating in those parts of Masonry.
Did Masonry always welcome Jews? No. Although a Jew, Edward Rose,
became a Mason in a London lodge in 1732, this event apparently
excited attention and led to other lodges debating whether they should
permit Jewish members. Eventually, significant numbers of Jews joined
English Masonry where they were apparently welcomed. French Masonic
lodges, and those in different countries affiliated with the French
Grand Orient during the Napoleonic occupations, admitted Jews without
restrictions. In 1869 a Jew was Grand Master of the Scottish Rite in
Paris. However, later in the 1800's French society became more
anti-Semitic, culminating in the Dreyfus affair where a French army
officer was unjustly accused of treason mainly because he was a Jew,
and French Masonry unfortunately also became more anti-Jewish. Today,
some parts of French Masonry are officially neutral about religion and
do not even require a belief in G-d. In Scandinavia, according to some
sources, Masonry is officially Christian and does not accept Jewish
members.
It is probably not surprising that the country with the longest
history of anti-Semitic prejudice in Freemasonry as well as in society
is Germany. Most lodges there did not permit Jews to be members, and
they even questioned visiting Masonic brethren about their religion at
the doors of their lodges and barred Jews even if they were Masons in
good standing in other lodges. This caused lodges in England, the
Netherlands, and the United States to protest but they did not
retaliate against visiting German Masons.
German officials feared secret societies as potential sources of
subversion, so the Prussian government became involved in Masonry as a
means to watch and control it. The future Kaiser Wilhelm I was the
patron of the three Berlin Grand Lodges for many years, and he decided
that Jews would only be permitted if there was unanimous agreement.
Since one of the Grand Lodges was known to be adamant against
accepting Jews, this forced the others who wanted to be more tolerant
to maintain anti-Jewish policies.
In Russia, Freemasonry was also suppressed because of the belief it
might be used to support political activity against the Csarist
regime, at the same time that Jews were prevented from obtaining
rights of citizenship in that country.
Various claims were made by those who wanted to keep Jews out of
Masonry. Some said Masonry was a Christian institution and Jews could
not become members unless they converted. Some said only Christians
could possess the good character necessary to achieve Masonic ideals.
Others said Masonry has Christian symbols and prayers but Jews could
become Masons if they simply complied with requirements such as
swearing on the Christian Gospels and eating pork at Masonic meals
(both violations of halacha), without having to convert. However,
there was also an argument that if a Jew voluntarily complied with
Christian practices he showed he was contemptuous of his own religion
and had a bad character, and was thus unworthy to be a Mason.
Another argument was that Jews preferred to be in their own social
groups. It was said they should not try to push their way into Masonic
lodges where they were not wanted, would be uncomfortable, and would
make others uncomfortable by their presence. Some Jews did join lodges
that were primarily Jewish and the B'nai B'rith organization in its
early days had a ritual parallel to Freemasonry.
Finally, there were the rawest antisemitic arguments. Some of those
who wanted to keep Jews out of Masonry said the Jewish religion was
inherently evil, or that Jews were racially and genetically evil and
could never be permitted in Masonry even if they converted.
In general, Freemasonry's attitudes toward Jews mirrors those of the
rest of society. Jews became more acceptable from the late 1700's
until the 1870's. From that time on, anti-Semitism increased in many
countries. This also occurred in Freemasonry, but by then Judaism and
Masonry were being jointly attacked.
Freemasons and Jews always had critics. Eventually the bigots realized
they could promote their ideas by tying Masons and Jews together as
objects of hatred.
Critics said Freemasonry and Judaism were dedicated to undermining the
institutions of existing society, including Christianity and the
State, and pointed to the secrecy associated with both as proof of
their evil intentions. Masons and Jews were said to be involved in, or
benefited from, radical efforts such as the American, French, and
Russian revolutions. Masonry and Judaism promoted free will of men,
contrary to efforts of those who sought to insure that people had the
"correct" thoughts. (This may explain why the Roman Catholic Papacy
has expressed its antagonism toward Freemasonry so frequently and
strongly since 1738, and why extreme conservatives in other religions
also oppose Freemasonry.) Gradually the charge was made that
Freemasons and Jews were both evil and they were purposely supporting
each others' radical schemes.
Ironically, Masons and Jews were also sometimes accused of being too
reactionary. Aristocrats often belonged to Masonic lodges, and some
German Masons promoted the return of the Kaiser after World War I
brought about a republic. Also, some Jews still dressed and acted in
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