Lasted 15 Minutes

Despite my generally tendency to keep my two meters distance from Jewish agencies long before social distancing became the norm, there have been a few that deserve my loyalty.  I have been very respectful of the American Jewish Committee and of the Anti-Defamation League, taking advantage of their seminars and agency contacts to not only the movers and shakers but to the thinkers.  Each of these, and some other venerable Jewish organizations that have contributed much to the world, had its origins but repurposed itself as one key issue resolve and another took its place.

I found myself particularly irritated at an introduction to an ADL seminar, introduced in something of a diatribe by their executive director, a worthy man who may have had the unfortunate challenge of succeeding his retired predecessor who I regard as the most inspiring agency leader who I ever met personally.

The ADL was formed in that era when many of our organizations from unions, to scouts, civic advocacies appeared on the American scene, largely a consequence of immigration with common interests and recovery from a Gilded Age which presided over an economic inequality and leverage of the rich over the struggling not seen again until recent times.  It's precipitating event was a public expansion of anti-Semitism in response to the murder of Jewish Bobby Franks by two Jewish assailants.  Needless to say, the image of Jews murdering each other creates a very negative stereotype, and quite an inaccurate one.  The Anti-Defamation League grew from that event, intended to marginalize anti-Semitism in America.  While American anti-Semitism never quite got fully marginalized let alone disappear, it is much less in America now than in 1924.  In fact, in recent years it has become more expanded in America and globally, and with some measurable mortality.  Still we should try to avoid those Type 1 errors of attributing improper significance.

Recent events have shifted how we need to promote ethnic benevolence.  Jewish Covid-19 conspiracy theories exist but really impact hardly anyone.  Racial horrendo's have come more to public awareness, each police driven death as a sentinel event or capturing unwarranted brutal conduct by police officers on usually Black captives on cell phones no longer surprises anyone.  Putting somebody's knee on a captive's airway seems more like what a feline huntress would do to a gnu.  It has no place in any kind of professional conduct, not even overt warfare where a captured soldier is simply disarmed and put with the other POW's.  Any member of the discerning public seems motivated toward proper treatment of individuals in a way I've not seen since public outpourings for the children bombed in an Alabama church nearly sixty years ago.  This time it's about the indignities of African-American life.  Jews are supporters.

Yet the executive director's opening remarks diverted to Jewish problems, and in a way that detracted from the mission of the event to share ADL expertise with the Black community under assault.  It's not about us this time.  Anyone who mistakes that falls within my concept of a schmendrik.  Abe, the iconic ADL director who contributed so much to my analysis of equity and who I had the honor of meeting once, knows what a schmendrik is.  The African-Americans don't, but I think they got to see one doing a self-serving diatribe as a diversion from serving them.  I left the Zoom meeting while he was still speaking.  The rest of the seminar may have been worth enduring this.  I'll let others offer the feedback from where I left off.