Holocaust Memorial Day was this past Sunday.
I just found out that one of the local Huntsville Rabbis was interviewed by WHNT 19 News about the meaning of the day.
What an awful interview it was.
The questions were awful and the answers were weak.
It’s not a paradox the the Holocaust happened in an “intellectually refined” culture like Germany. Intellectuals have always been able to rationalize away the most inhumane barbarism. The intellectuals of the 20th Century killed 100 million people pursuing their Utopian visions.
There is nothing more “intellectually refined” than some academic explaining on paper how if only these few million people were terminated, everything else would run like clockwork according to the plans that the intellectual laid out.
The the interviewer brings up Antisemitism and then brings up a parallel to Anti-Muslim feeling.
What the hell dude?
Considering who is responsible for the majority of Antisemitism in the US and Europe (hint, they usually yell “Allahu Akbar” before they start stabbing) that was tone deaf as fuck.
Then it goes over to the Pittsburgh shooting for a while and a talking about “trying to love one another.”
What a whishy-washy pile of pablum.
I think my midlife crisis is going to be to become a Rabbi. Then I can give an interview on local TV, if just once.
“This is what we are doing for Holocaust Memorial Day. First we are going to say the Mourners Kaddish for the dead. Then we are going to have a lecture on the dangers of Socialism – lets not forget the Nazi is short for “National Socialism” in German – and an elite that believes they have the intellect to create a Utopia if only they had the power to control society.
Then we are going to go out to the range where I have set up a special Never Again theme IDPA course. The shoot targets are marked with Swastikas and the non-shoots with stars. We have plenty of guns, gear, and ammo. We will be doing a safe gun handling class before for any new shooters and then we will go hot.
It should be a good day of learning for all.”
I know I will never be asked to give an interview ever again, but just once I want a Holocaust Memorial Day message that a little firmer than an under cooked matzoh ball.
I want, just once, to see a Rabbi like this on TV.
I suspect he hasn’t been interviewed on TV, but your description sure reminds me of Rabbi Dovid Bendory, who writes on the JPFO blog. I just pulled up a random item from his page: “Armed and Jewish”: “Comments by JPFO’s Rabbinic Director, Rabbi Dovid Bendory, at Picatinny Army Arsenal in New Jersey on May 5, 2011. The subject of the Rabbi’s speech was “Justice and Accountability in the Face of Genocide: What have we learned?” Righteous self defense and defense of the innocent is core to moral human behavior.”
Another rabbi like that seems like a very good thing.
Tell me when and where- I’ll make the drive, sit the service and bring a case of .45ACP for the range.
Taggart