It is with sadness that I discovered a new “Jewish” book online called “Bad Jews.” I refuse to link to garbage.
“Bad Jews” is written by a self-loathing leftist apologist who happened to have been born Jewish. This “academic” (it’s always an academic) is Emily C. Tamkin.
The book is meant to inoculate leftist Jews from legitimate criticism and demonize attacks against George Soros (May his name be erased) as anti-Semitic.
Dear non-Jewish friends: Do not let leftists put you on defense or apologize for things you have nothing to apologize for.
1) The worst attacks on George Soros are true. He IS a convicted felon in absentia for insider trading in France. He DID make his money destroying currencies and impoverishing millions around the globe. He DID say in a videotaped interview that the happiest days of his life were as a teenager when he sent Jews to the gas chamber. These are not conspiracy theories. They happened.
2) Most attacks on George Soros have nothing to do with Judaism. Many Soros critics have no idea that he is even Jewish. Attacks on Soros are ideological, not ethnic. He’s a leftist. Conservatives disagree with leftism. When a white liberal attacks Clarence Thomas, it does not make them a racist. Liberals hate his conservative ideology.
3) It is perfectly legitimate to attack Soros for funding destructive leftist causes. He DOES fund Antifa & BLM. That’s not conspiracy crazy stuff. He gives to the organizations who fund various leftist rioters and agitators.
4) Judaism is based on Torah values. The Torah is what Christians refer to as the Old Testament. The Torah is non-partisan. Nothing in the Torah endorses radical environmentalism, veganism, transgender rights, or any other issues the left obsesses over. Those are political issues. The Torah is not a political document. Leftist Jews believe what they believe politically because they are leftists. Judaism has nothing to do with it. As a conservative, I passionately support supply-side tax cuts in marginal rates. I’m also pro-gun. Those are politically conservative positions. I happen to be a proud Jew, but Judaism has 0% correlation with tax policy, even if your CPA is Jewish.
5) Legally, any person with a Jewish mother is legally Jewish. However, that is not the same thing as living a Jewish life or having a Jewish identity. Plenty of people born to Christian fathers (Christianity goes by the dad) don’t live according to Christian values. The 9/11 hijackers called themselves Muslims, but Islam forbids prostitution and gambling. The 9/11 hijackers were in casinos and with prostitutes before the attacks. That does not mean those acts were sanctioned by Islam. Far too many leftist Jews have adopted leftism as their religion and then tried to falsely claim their beliefs were inspired by Judaism. This claim is false. Again, the Torah has no political ideology.
If any of you have questions about Judaism, ask me. If I do not know the answer, I’ll ask one of many Orthodox rabbis I know. Do not let leftist Jews try to convince you that leftism and Judaism are one and the same. They never have been. As a politically conservative Republican Jew, I categorically reject the false notion that being Jewish requires being a liberal Democrat. This has never been true. Liberals bleating it does not make it so.
eric