I normally don’t do this, but a rather enthusiastic email from a reader made me think that I should include a transcript of this week’s podcast for those of you who read this blog, but don’t click the link to listen.
Of course, reading it doesn’t get my vocal inflections, and I have to say I surprised myself by the amount of hatred that came out when I spoke the murderer’s name.
But here you go. The script for this week’s On Second Thought:
I have some questions for my Christian listeners. When you go to church on Sunday, do you ever wonder if a gunman will break into your church and start indiscriminately shooting?
When you’re going to the gym at the YMCA, do you have armed policemen standing outside the door? Do you have to go through security checks to get to a lecture at the Y?
When you drop your children off at religious school, does that school have armed guards and bullet-proof glass?
When you go to services on Christmas and Easter, do you have to increase security, not because of the added number of worshippers, but because of possible terrorist attacks?
Jews do.
And not just Jews in one or two countries. Jews all over the world have had to increase their security over the past few decades, especially since the spring of 2002. That was when Ariel Sharon launched Operation Defensive Shield to stop the daily terror attacks and suicide bombings that had plagued Israel for months.
Let me point out here that although Jews the world over had not targeted Arabs, Muslims, or mosques in retaliation for the suicide bombings of Jewish sites, the moment that Jews began to go after the terrorists, Muslims the world over began targeting Jews. Anti-Semitic attacks—including the bombings of synagogues—rose worldwide, and are still at the highest levels they’ve been in years.
Last week, I attended a solidarity rally for Israel. It was sponsored by the Richmond Jewish Community Federation. The Federation wanted to raise funds to get all civilians—Jewish, Arab, and Druze—out of the range of the Hezbullah rockets falling on northern Israel.
I love going to events where there are large numbers of Jews. I love the people, and the music. I love the Yiddish accents and the Israeli accents and the sprinkling of Hebrew, and the Jewish inflections in everyone’s speech.
But there’s a corner of my mind that always worries that my synagogue, or my Jewish Community Center, or my meeting place—has come onto the radar of the terrorists who think that killing American Jews is making a statement against Israel.
That’s what happened Friday afternoon at the Seattle office of the Jewish Federation. Naveed Afzal Haq, a Muslim who said he was angry at Israel, searched on the Internet for Jewish-related buildings. When he found the Jewish Federation, he packed his two semi-automatic pistols and went looking to kill.
He hid behind a potted plant in the lobby until a thirteen-year-old girl approached the locked door. Then the coward held a gun to her head and forced her to let him into the building with her security code.
“I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel,†he said, and started shooting. He shot six women. One is dead. Three were in critical condition with shots to the stomach.
One of the two who was only lightly wounded was pregnant. She protected the baby in her womb with her arm, and that arm is where the terrorist shot her. Later, she managed to call 911, and persuaded the terrorist to talk to the dispatcher. This is what he told her:
“This is a hostage situation and I wanted these Jews to get out.â€
He also said, “These are Jews and I’m tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East.â€
The dispatcher talked him into surrendering. But it was too late for Pat Waechter.
The woman he murdered was a 58-year-old mother of two. She converted to Judaism some 40 years earlier, and devoted much of her life to community service. She spent her life helping others.
None of that mattered to her killer. All that mattered to him is that she was a Jew. She was guilty of a capital crime, and he was her executioner. Her crime? Existence. She was a Jew.
The Jewish philosopher Emil Fackenheim says that Jew hatred has three stages:
You cannot live among us as Jews.
You cannot live among us.
You cannot live.
This is the hatred we face. This is what we fight. This is why we say, “Never again.†Because we will not sit quietly while the Naveed Afzal Haqs of the world strike at us.
The FBI and the Seattle police may not be able to call this a terrorist act, but we’re not stupid. We know the score. And in spite of this, the Jewish community of Seattle went to synagogue on Friday night and Saturday morning.
I’ll be going to my local Jewish community events as they come up. People want to kill me because I’m a Jew? So what else is new?
I rarely post transcripts of mine because I’ve already written them as posts a day or two earlier.
My Christian friends are usually shocked that one-fifth of the dues at my synagogue go to full time security.
I am an ardent supporter of Israel, and have said repeatedly that I stand with Israel unequivocally in the current conflict. I have also spoken out quite forcefully against the kind of violence against Jews you describe, both here and abroad.
I also happen to be a devout and practicing Christian — one of many, many American Christians who support the Jewish state in more ways than one, and who stand up against anti-Semitism on a regular basis. You and I have exchanged a number of e-mails over the years, so I feel fairly confident that you know me well enough to understand the spirit in which I ask the following: What is the point of your first few snarky questions in this post? Jews are …. better? Christians are clueless? Christians are not outraged about what happened in Seattle? What, exactly, are you trying to say?
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GOYLady (I’m sorry, the acronym was just too obviously amusing), since this post resonated with me, I thought I’d try to answer your questions. I often feel, even when talking with the most sympathetic, empathetic of my Christian friends, that they sometimes don’t have the same personal feel for being a target of terror that I do. By asking it in a questioning form, if you answer yes, then you do understand; if you answer no, then maybe you’re closer to understanding.
If I may be so bold, in the same way that I can empathize with the plight highlighted in your “Decisions” post, but, not having lived it, could not internalize it.
Either way, I would not take this as a criticism, or an assertion that non-Jews don’t get it.
Grouchy Old Yorkie Lady: Those questions were not snarky. They were meant to be completely serious.
They are simply an example that Christians do not have to secure their places of worship, or the places where they gather, the way that Jews do. It’s a statement of fact, meant to shock my Christian readers/listeners into understanding what Jews go through simply to live in this world.
If you know of a Christian community (not in a muslim country) that can answer “yes” to those questions, I am the one who will be shocked. As far as I know, only Jews have to have these safeguards.
last year, I had to direct a few teachers from other schools to our (community jewish day) school for a small event, and it was pretty clear to me that they were shocked by our security — no outside sign for the school, an exterior wall with gates for the driveways, a plainclothes, polite, but clearly serious guard at the gate, etc. It startled me a little that I was so used to it, too!
And it always makes me mildly fearful — well, no, more angry than fearful, but it’s a strange mix — that I have to make my child something of a target in order to give them a jewish education.
MY says:
Well some had to in the past:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/203zyefm.asp
MY also look at JihadWatch and DhimmiWatch for examples of Christians under fire world wide. It is a global Jihad. I sort of know what you are saying but Christian school girls are some of the victims of the current Jihad too.
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What you say is true, but, on the other hand, as an evangelical Christian, I note than when I do get to a Christian gathering, I am not treated to a lecture on how we Chritians and the nation are in mortal danger from the Jews, whereas, once you get through the security, more than one Jewish organization leader will explain that the Jews and the nation are in mortal danger from evangelical Christians. I guess we’re the ones all that security is there to protect against?
Whoops. The early reports were wrong. The shooter is Christian. But he’s still brown if that helps.
Hey, patriotboy: So, how come he didn’t say he was an American Christian, angry at the way his people were treated in Israel? My quote was taken from the very newspaper you think backs up your assertion. Sorry, but it doesn’t fly, not in light of what he said to the 911 dispatcher. Say, that’s the Seattle PI, too.
Your insinuation that I am a racist makes about as much sense as your assertion that he wasn’t a Muslim, particularly when the very article you link says he stopped going to his Bible meetings.
Reading comprehension much? If you need help, I’m sure I can find you a remedial reading teacher.
ww: Please. Some Jewish leaders talk about the danger from evangelical Christians. That is true. Of course, they’re mostly talking about the endtimers. But you haven’t read anything like that in my weblog, and no Jewish leader has ever pretended that evangelical Christians want to murder Jews.
You also need to be a bit more clear. I don’t understand what gathering you’re talking about. You’re complaining that Christians are telling you that Jews are in danger from evangelicals?
Then go complain to them. I’m Jewish, pal, and you’ve never heard that here.
Well, except for my rants against the J4Js, and that’s because their explicit purpose is to convert all Jews to Christianity, only they lie about it.
jrdroll: I’m talking about American Christians. And while the blacks in Birmingham are most definitely American Christians, they were attacked because they were black. That is a completely different issue, though related by hatred (and isn’t that a sick thought?).
That being said, African-Americans don’t need the kind of security in their lives that Jews do. Those days are, thankfully, mostly over. There are the occasional racist attacks, but as a rule, there are no armed guards protecing black churches from terrorists.
Patriotboy: read the whole article. He was baptized, lapsed, and two weeks ago, returned to the Islamic Center of the Tri-Cities. So really, I’ll go with his self-declaration.
You know, now that I think of it, can I just once—just once—make an assertion without having someone drag up a forty-year-old example attempting to prove it wrong?
Geez, people, if you have to reach back to effing 1963 to find a counter-example, your argument is so weak that it couldn’t break through a tissue.
And before you add in the “But—in Muslim countries” argument, realize that when I wrote my podcast, I knew that the vast majority of my audience is American, Australian, and British. Call me narrow-minded if you wish, but I was talking mostly about American Christians. European Christians would fit in nicely, too. The only ones who need security are those in mostly Muslim nations. Yeah, I know. But they weren’t my subject. I live in America, and was writing about where I live.
You know, I really don’t mean to be dense here — and I really don’t mean to be snarky — but you say you are “talking mostly about American Christians” though “European Christians would fit in nicely too.” Fit in where? If the point is that no-one who hasn’t suffered such discrimination and hatred could possibly understand what Jews live with every day, that would cover the vast majority of modern day non-Jewish Americans and Europeans of any stripe, not just Christians. Yet it’s Christians to whom you pose your questions.
So what is your point in “shocking” your Christian readership? Christians the world over are persecuted every day for their faith to the point of death. Some of them are American Christians moved by their faith to serve others elsewhere at great risk to their lives. And while the Muslim jihadis have a particularly revolting fondness for targeting Jews and Jewish interests, they are targeting all of us — their hatred is aimed at anyone and everyone who is not Muslim. The notion that, because this doesn’t happen here in America (though I wonder what some of the 9/11 victims would think of that argument), we Christians are too naive or sheltered to understand and empathize with the struggles of the Jewish people is just offensive.
As horrifying as the events in Seattle were, as revolting and reprehensible as Mel Gibson’s behavior is, as tragic and regrettable it is that your houses of worship require such security, the vast majority of American Christians staunchly support the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, and — thank God — Jews are still safer here in America than in any other country in the world, bar none. Those against whom you have to defend your houses of worship are generally not crazed American Christians seeking to murder the Jewish infidel. And at the end of the day, the fight against Muslim hatred in the world will not be left — has not been left — to the Jews alone to battle. The truth is that good men and women of many faiths and many countries recognize horror and evil when they see it, and stand against it no matter the cost. Many of them happen to be American Christians.
What was the point again? Ah yes. Jews are targeted and persecuted everywhere, even here in America. And no-one except other Jews can possibly understand it, especially not American Christians (though I am not at all clear on why that might be). Let’s say I concede your point. Now what?
Awesome post!
Sorry if I was unclear. My point is that large numbers of Jewish leaders, like James Rudin, seem to consider evangelical Christians a bigger threat than the security issues you raise. So if this isn’t a big issue for them–and I really can’t name a book about the terrorist peril by anyone affiliated with a major Jewish organization–why do your readers have a moral obligation to be concerned?
I’m a recent convert to Judaism, I converted prior to marrying the most wonderful girl in the world. The perspective of a convert is unique. Christianity is pervasive in America and you dont realize just how much until you’re not including yourself in it anymore. Your comments aren’t snarky or nasty in anyway, it was an attempt to make the christians pause for a second thought at the ease and safety with which they can practice their religion here in the US. It’s hard to believe that it’s any different for anybody else but it most certainly is. Bringing up examples of other countries or the distant past isn’t applicable at all as you’re illustrating a severe contrast in the here and now when everything is supposed to be roses.
My oldest child is reaching the age where she will be starting school at the Temple soon. I will be reviewing their security, and if I find it lacking I’ll be using my concealed carry permit to augment their security personally.
lacking a driving force to hate, most people want to live their lives free from it. They want to get a job, raise a family in a safe place. Denied those things by failed governments in 3rd world countries and railed upon daily with messages of hate and blame, people can be twisted into horrible things hardly recognizable as human at all.
I dont care if you look down your nose at me, I dont care if you dont want to be my friend. But if you threaten my children I will personally defend myself in whatever way necessary. I will not make the mistake of underestimating the hatred or downplaying the reality just because I dont want to live in a world like that. That reality can be changed by our actions, and actions based on what we want the world to be. But just turning your back on the facts wont make them go away.
Yorkie Lady: You are obviously spoiling for a fight here, and seeing slights where none are intended. In fact, you are also putting words in my mouth that I didn’t say.
My point was simply about the security measures that American Jews, and Jews worldwide, have to have every day, for their places of worship, and for the places where they gather.
The rest of your points were not in any way covered in my podcast. I can’t stop you from reading into things, but I can stop myself from getting into a fight with you.
ww: I had to google James Rudin to find out who he was. You are mistaking their PR for power.
The only American Jewish “leader” I know of by name is Abe Foxman, and I don’t agree with everything he says. But I don’t speak for him, and frankly, he doesn’t speak for me. I didn’t elect him. Nobody did. He has a job as the head of the ADL. Don’t think that means that I—or the American Jewish community–agree with everything he says.
And as for mandating a moral obligation onto my readers: You are mistaking me for someone else.
Both you and Yorkie Lady have managed to change the subject from Jews having to install greater security on their places of worship, gathering, and even businesses, to the relationship between Christian evangelicals and Jews.
But while we’re on the subject of my readers, they tend to be mostly Jewish, and as such, are greatly concerned about their personal safety. We’re just like everyone else that way. We want our children to grow up.
You feel free to take whatever moral obligation out of whatever you’re reading into my words. But let me point something out to you: I am, and have always been, a plain speaker. I write what I mean, plainly, and leave my readers no reason to infer, interpret, or otherwise analyze my words.
If you don’t read it in my posts, it isn’t there.
Don’t ask me to argue a point I haven’t made.
And let me add: Wheelswithinwheels has managed to sum up the point I was making.
A well written post, pointing out a horrifying reality that most people in America were not aware of.
Personally, I want to add: this isn’t a “who’s most oppressed” competition! I am full of compassion for the situation of Christians in many countries where their freedom and safety is threatened, in many places the threat to them is far greater than the threat to me. Indeed, I think, if anything, the experience of the last few years has increased my sensitivity to their plight!
The US is an incredibly free and tolerant society and I give thanks every day (quite literally!) that my granparents came here in the early days of the 20th century. But it still startles me how the freedom to worship and live as a jew here has begun to come under threat. I do know people who choose not to send their children to day schools, at least in part out of a sense of danger. This is very troubling to me, and I have a sense that many other people in the country are oblivious to the problem. In some ways that’s perfectly normal — different constituencies have different issues and priorities of concern to them — but this seems somehow very fundamental to me and I can’t help wanting to let other people know.
For me, the mood of fear for the safety of my own children began around six or seven years ago, when that neo-nazi shot up the JCC in Los Angeles. This may have to do with my own age, and the age of my children — Maybe I was just oblivious to earlier threats, certainly I had occasionally encountered mild antisemitism, but it never deeply concerned me. Still, this one hit home — and it certainly led to lots of changes in the security of our own JCC summer camps and day school.
I think I’m rambling, so I’ll stop for now.
I thank God every day for the ease with which I am able to celebrate my faith here in the United States, and it grieves me deeply, as it has for years, that Jews do not have the same experience, here and elsewhere. I am certainly not spoiling for a fight, Meryl, and I think that given our respectful exchanges over the years on difficult subjects my heart and intentions would be clearer to you. I was — and am — honestly trying to understand what point you are trying to make by bringing Christians into what is a horrific reality for Jews the world over.
As for putting words in your mouth, I quoted directly from your original post and your comments thereto. If, in trying to understand your point, I reached an erroneous conclusion about what those things meant, I apologize.
And I’m sorry that you aren’t inclined to enlighten me further, because I am genuinely interested in trying to understand what Christians have to do with the circumstances you describe.
I think your post was spot on. I published it at my place this morning verbatim with no comment from me. Your eloquence speaks for itself.
What’s not to understand, already?
Methinks a lot of people doth protest too much.
Cheers from this Christian to you! Carry on.
Okay. I will try once again to make my points.
The point is that Christian schools in America do not have to have armed guards, bulletproof windows, and full-time security to prevent terrorists from coming into a Christian school and murdering the children there.
Jewish day schools do.
The point is that when you go to church on Christmas, you don’t have to show an armed police officer your ticket, proving you belong there and are allowed to come to services. Jews do. I have had to show my High Holy Day tickets to police officers since the 1990s. When I was growing up, the most I had to do was wait for the nice policeman to stop traffic and wave me across the street.
The reason I brought up Christians in the first place is because as far as I know, this situation is endemic across Jewish America, and nonexistent across Christian America. That is the only reason. I thought that perhaps Christians might be shocked to find out Jews have to have armed guards during services on the holiest days of year, and have had to have them for many years.
The point is not that Christians are never threatened for their faith. The point is that the situation is getting to the point where Jews are being threatened for their faith all of the time. When you compare Christians going into non-Christian countries and risking their lives for their faith, you are utterly confusing the point.
Jews in America aren’t risking their lives for their faith by going to other countries on missions. They are risking their lives for their faith by doing the everyday things that most Americans take completely for granted.
That is the point I was trying to make. It has nothing to do with evangelicals and the way some Jewish leaders think about them. It has nothing to do with Christian missionaries. My point is this: In this country, Jews are increasingly at risk simply for the fact that they are Jews going to synagogue, or work, or school.
That is as clear as I can make it. I hope it makes you understand what I was saying above, because I’m done now.
Grouchy old Lady:
My guess is that the original post is spurred by loneliness. When Jews feel threatened in America, we feel lonely. Most of our friends (unless we are orthodox and maybe even if we are) will be Christians.
Normally we feel more kinship with our good neighbors. But when we are targetted, we feel more isolated because our neighbors, although they may be concerned for us, do not share this experience.
We are at the TOP of the hit list for a larger group of nutcases than any other group on Earth. Whenever they lose it (Mel Gibson w/ inherited anti-semeticism+alchohol or Naveed Al Haq w/ Suras 2-9 +untreated bipolar or NeoNazi w/ gun+liberty or FR after losing to GER or GER after losing to FR., they go after US.
Christians get verbally attacked by Athiests/Socialists but are the majority or at least the plurality of the country. You are seldom isolated when attacked. Attacks bring you together with most of your friends. Attacks tend to isolate us from most of our friends–not because of our friends but because of us. This is a poinient feeling which has nothing to do with any fault of Christians.
I talked with both Chr. and J. friends after the Seattle attack. All were concerned, but the Jews remembered the California attack and were aware of attacks in OTHER places. Jews share a calculus of risk. Christians know that if they stick together in America, they will defeat any attacker. Jews know that if we stick together, we can still be obliterated as a community. We don’t expect it here, but it can happen. If cities get too hostile, we leave. There is a calculus of fear which isolates us.
When the nut in Seattle killed, Seattle protected Mosques with police at city expense.
All the synagogues already had offduty police at their own expense, since 1999. If it gets too dangerous, their congregants will leave. Christian Seatlites will only vaguely wonder why their neighbors are leaving.
Jews are not alone in America. But we are still lonely. It isn’t a flaw of America. It’s a flaw in the world.
P.S. For any jihadi reading this: The reason Israel has Nukes is so that if jihadis make the Israel uninhabitable for Jews, the world will be uninhabitable for you.
To the Christians on this thread who feel attacked:
Most of my non-Jewish friends are Christians. Most of them just aren’t very aware of this stuff. The ones who are, have learned it over the years, the way I have learned some of what my non-white friends face daily.
As the daughter of an interfaith marriage, this was made extremely clear to me–when I go to shul we have security. When I go to mass with my father, we don’t. Not unless the pope is in town. Real simple.
Imagine, for a moment, Christmas day, and the police checking to make sure you’re safe, that you can come in to church. Don’t feel ‘bad’ for not having this in your life–depending on who you are, you may be facing other oppression, or NOT, and that’s also fine–the goal here is to end oppression, not compete to garner more of it–but be aware of the experience. Think what it would be like. And remember that, when you wonder why American Jews seem so paranoid at times.
That’s all. We all have to imagine each other’s worlds to understand them, because no one has all experiences. Thank God.
I’m a Christian and I understood this post perfectly, Meryl. I suppose I can see how it may have started off a bit “snarky,” but it was dead spot-on. You’re 100% correct in your points.
I recently attended a “Stand With Israel” rally near my home and was surprised — and saddened — by the sizeable police presence outside of the JCC (where it was held) when I drove in. I though I was going to get patted down upon entering, but thankfully that did not happen. But it was fairly obvious that there were numerous plainclothes security people inside the center.