I was not clever enough to come up with that phrase; it came via a conversation between two people, one of them writing of it in an essay about Victor Klemperer and his lifetime of avoiding his Judaism, then forced to accept it, deny it though he might, and a lesson hard learned and harder earned. Yet, the question remains. Did he finally understand its wider implications and did others as well, or are too many of us wishing, praying, trying to be that "palatable Jew" tolerated by non-Jews, able to hide in plain sight as quietly as possible, downplaying their Judaism more and more as the times grew and continues to grow, in leaps and bounds, tougher and rougher, more open, and quite frankly, ever more frightening, more so than I, certainly, have felt before, along with so many, many others.
What is a palatable Jew? One that is acceptable to the public at large, able to be grudgingly accepted within the boundaries of society, though ever on the outer limits, almost permanent outliers, accepted with strong limitations and hesitations. they, in turn, always morph into accusations born of rigid denseness, permanent hatred, impossible to be believed, and yet, here they are, again, flaunted, cheered, in a supposedly civilized, advanced society. Uh huh!
Scratch the surface of the majority of people out there and see what comes to the surface, hidden, now not so much, and is routinely becoming part and parcel of conversations in loud voice, in conversational tones, tinged with the acridity of hate, the delight in expressing openly that which heretofore had been verboten. Oh, the blessed luxury to be free, to engage openly in spreading hate, inciting hate, even violence. Such a wonderful country, a beautiful world. Yes indeed.
What makes a Jew palatable? No clue, not at all, other than for one to stay out of notice of public eye, cut ties to Judaism and Jewish relations and friends, avoid synagogue like a plague. Forget the menorah, the succah, the seder with neighbors and friends. Discount anything and everything hinting of Jewishness and then, perhaps, a slight perhaps, you will be spared, at least for a while, the consequences which others will face for the crime of being a Jew, for being one who refuses to hide, who refuses to cave, who insists that as always Jews will survive the worst thrown at them. They will defy all the invective, the unwanted attempts to interrupt and interfere in Israeli internal politics, to deny Jews, Israel common rights granted to all people, to all nations.
Why is it, I wonder, in rage, that the entire world, down to school boards in the most insignificant hamlets feel it is their right, even their god given duty to comment, to vote on the Israel-Hamas war? Do they do this as a routine with other issues? Are their votes taken re Sudan, now collapsing once again into chaos, where children are actually starving skeletons, not working with miraculous two-day delineations? Wherefore and why are the Jews different? No answer makes sense other than the residual, ever there, never dying, embers and flames of hate, of Jew hatred, of joy in legally accepted and cheered on words of violence and vitriol. Ugly words and even uglier acts of bloodshed.
Why, again? Because people have a nasty core within which must be resisted for the temporary, guilty joy it emits and pay more attention to the permanent harm it ignites and refreshes with combustibles, real people, who until then were their neighbors, their bosses, their subordinates, the kids' playmates.
Nope, the palatable, tolerable, correct Jew no longer. Literally, it is off with their heads not via a demented Queen of Hearts but via the actual legislators and voices of people who have bought into this ugliness, this horrifying existential threat.
Does anybody out there care? Other than Jews? Is there anybody else out there who can maintain proper viewpoints, devoid of acid eating away at souls of haters and bodies of the hated? Who will openly brave the ugly currents of history and stand up for what is right, the moral way of life? Are there? Will they? I know there are. I know them personally, as concerned as I am, as all other Jews are, or should be. Will that be enough? Sure as hell was not in WWII and the very open years preceding the official outbreak of war. Why will. would, it be different now? No actual true base upon which to base this hope, other than the stubborn bird of hope which always manages to remain safe, even if hidden for a long time.
Think I am overplaying the daily state of affairs? Here a few statements overheard, in the open, no sotto voce, no shame, simply expressing common thoughts and feelings. Then the ever-present article wailing for the Palestinians, the same ones who hosted their unwilling guests, who murdered with great glee, now claiming civilian status, immune to consequences they instigated!! Articles accusing Israel of terrible crimes, ironically, genocide - to the nation so horrified, terrorized, still bleeding from the wounds of genocide inflicted upon them.
Evidently, they never read the speech of Shylock as he demanded answers as to why Jews are treated differently. Are they not humans, who bleed, who see, who live lives. Are our present Jews and Israelis any different. Why are our losses minimized or discounted? Are we to always be forced to cede our futures to hate, to see our children smashed against walls and then say thank you for that privilege!! Are we not permitted to mourn our kids, our spouses, our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our people? Are we constantly to be forced to see our kid's march off to war, that which we attempted to avoid time and time again, and then when we defend ourselves, we are condemned for that? Is it not permissible, even required, to defend our citizens and hope for peace. Hear our music and you will listen to songs yearning for peace, not the war crazed liturgy of our opponents.
Why are we supposed to live, to accept this:
Constant disruption of life, and endangerment of others as in Sundance, as in blocking roads and bridges, in attacking government buildings;
" increased swatting threats,
two young women are chatting on a crowded bus. They are 19 or 20 years of age. They discuss shopping for a while and then move on to their next topic.
“Don’t the Jews make you feel sick? People are finally seeing them for what they are … They are getting their comeuppance …”
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