My Shoah refugee parents, and all of their survivor community, would often exclaim in Yiddish about “Americana Yoldim.” (simply translated as 'fools') Even as little children, we somehow understood that they were NOT speaking of Americans generally. They were referring specifically to American Jews.
Like the kinds who said things like: “We had a tough time, too. We could only get meat three times a week.” And get this, in relation to the acceptance of 180,000 refugee Jews, some like my parents ending up in a Brooklyn ‘slum,’ some Yoldim said, with quiet irritation, “We didn’t know so many of you survived.” (OUCH!)
Of course, there were wonderful American Jews of all classes who aided them and other refugees, but the ‘Americana Yoldim’ quotient was high for decades. I guess it still is.
Israel has long been the target for Yoldim. For decades I heard on the planes returning from my many trips to family, American Jews saying the most stupid things about Israel. Their image of stuffed-toy Zionism was challenged by the necessary strength and straightforwardness of many Israelis. Now those little criticisms have blown up into some weird variant of “white guilt,” even though most Israelis are indigenous to the region, with even Ashkenasis measuring over 50% (MENA) Mid East North African DNA.
Language being the most salient aspect of community and shared ancestry, Hebrew is as indigenous to the region as Arabic and any other language dismissed by Pan-Arabist ethno-linguistic supremacy. Once the region was home to an array of languages and ethnicities before that supremacy took root in the Arab nationalist movement, akin to past Pan-German intolerance of other languages and ethnicities across a vast multicultural region. The Arab League-Nazi alliance was a 'natural.' Decades have passed and things do change. Support on-the-ground peacemakers, Arab and Jew. No other movement is worthy of Jewish concern. Free Palestine from Hamas. Free Israel from Kahanists. salaam / shalom
Yes !!!
well stated Andy ...
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
My Shoah refugee parents, and all of their survivor community, would often exclaim in Yiddish about “Americana Yoldim.” (simply translated as 'fools') Even as little children, we somehow understood that they were NOT speaking of Americans generally. They were referring specifically to American Jews.
Like the kinds who said things like: “We had a tough time, too. We could only get meat three times a week.” And get this, in relation to the acceptance of 180,000 refugee Jews, some like my parents ending up in a Brooklyn ‘slum,’ some Yoldim said, with quiet irritation, “We didn’t know so many of you survived.” (OUCH!)
Of course, there were wonderful American Jews of all classes who aided them and other refugees, but the ‘Americana Yoldim’ quotient was high for decades. I guess it still is.
Israel has long been the target for Yoldim. For decades I heard on the planes returning from my many trips to family, American Jews saying the most stupid things about Israel. Their image of stuffed-toy Zionism was challenged by the necessary strength and straightforwardness of many Israelis. Now those little criticisms have blown up into some weird variant of “white guilt,” even though most Israelis are indigenous to the region, with even Ashkenasis measuring over 50% (MENA) Mid East North African DNA.
Language being the most salient aspect of community and shared ancestry, Hebrew is as indigenous to the region as Arabic and any other language dismissed by Pan-Arabist ethno-linguistic supremacy. Once the region was home to an array of languages and ethnicities before that supremacy took root in the Arab nationalist movement, akin to past Pan-German intolerance of other languages and ethnicities across a vast multicultural region. The Arab League-Nazi alliance was a 'natural.' Decades have passed and things do change. Support on-the-ground peacemakers, Arab and Jew. No other movement is worthy of Jewish concern. Free Palestine from Hamas. Free Israel from Kahanists. salaam / shalom