Conference taveng::bagels

1124.0. "Cardinal Law Denounces Anti-Semitism" by POWDML::JULIUS () Wed Oct 30 1991 21:16

The Jewish Advocate Oct 18-24, 1991

'A Cardinal Teaches By Example'
By Alan M. Dershowitz

(copied without permission)

A small gesture by a great Church leader deserves to be praised 
and contrasted with the actions and inactions of other "leaders".  
On Sunday, October 6, at a large anti-abortion rally in Boston, 
Cardinal Bernard Law rose to address the crowd.  He looked out at 
the cheering audience - many holding anti-abortion signs - and he 
paused.  Amidst the signs, he noticed one in particular.  It 
blamed abortion on "the Jews."  

Before beginning his speech, the Cardinal demanded that this 
anti-Semitic sign be removed.  "I want you to put down that 
sign," he repeated three times.  Finally, the sign holder  - a 
well known anti-Semitic agitator named Joseph Mlot-Mroz, who leads 
an organization of "Polish Freedom Fighters in the United States" 
- obeyed his Cardinal and removed the sign.  Only then did 
Cardinal Law begin his speech.

In his speech, Cardinal Law added the following spontaneous 
response to the anti-Semitic sign:  "No people in history have 
suffered as much from hatred and violence than our Jewish 
brothers and sisters.  We can never forget that."

Cardinal Law's emphatic denunciation of anti-Semitism was 
especially welcome in the context in which it occurred.  I doubt 
that there were many Jews in the anti-abortion audience to which 
he spoke.  Although Orthodox Judaism prohibits abortion in most 
circumstances, most American Jews favor a woman's right to 
choose.

Cardinal Law, unlike Pat Robertson and some other religious 
leaders, did not condition his criticism of anti-Semitism on 
agreeing with his Church's political agenda.  He recognized 
anti-Semitism for what it is:  an unmitigated evil and an 
unqualified sin.

Pat Robertson, on the other hand, refused to condemn anti-Semitic 
protests against the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ" - 
which was neither written nor directed by Jews - unless the 
Anti-Defamation League also condemned the film and demanded its 
withdrawal from circulation.  Jews should not have to negotiate 
condemnations of anti-Semitism from people who claim to be our 
friends.

Contrast Cardinal Law's brave act with the cowardly silence of 
many African-American leaders during the recent Crown-Heights 
riots in Brooklyn, during which a Jew was murdered and others 
injured, following the accidental death of a black youngster.  
Speaker after speaker at black rallies said nothing, as 
anti-Semitic signs - some praising Hitler and demanding that the 
genocidal job he began be completed - were proudly held high.  
Many of these same leaders have refused to condemn the 
anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic rantings of City College Professor 
Leonard Jeffries.  Some black leaders, especially 
Mayor David Dinkins, did condemn the anti-Semitism, but too many  
others said and did nothing.

And contrast Cardinal Law's forthright condemnation of 
anti-Jewish hatred with the vacillations of 
Cardinal Joseph Glemp, the Primate of Poland.  Cardinal Glemp     
declared that he was not an anti-Semite, but then in the same     
breath he told his Polish followers that historians and           
sociologists would prove that he was right in blaming "the Jews" 
for many of Poland's problems, ranging from alcoholism to communism.

Indeed, his statement denying that he was anti-Semitic while 
continuing to scapegoat the Jews, made it sound like one could 
maintain these bigoted accusations without being labelled an 
anti-Semite.  Even after his visit to the United States - and his 
meetings with several Jewish "leaders" - Cardinal Glemp could not 
bring himself to make a clean break with Poland's anti-Semitic 
past and with his own bigoted statements.  Maybe he will 
someday, but as of now, his efforts at clarifying his previous 
anti-Semitic positions have, if anything, made matters worse.

Perhaps Cardinal Glemp will follow President Mikhail Gorbachev's 
lead.  After years of vacillation, Gorbachev has finally 
denounced anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and recognized its 
continuing impact there.  After several years of pussyfooting 
around the issue, Gorbachev finally acknowledged that "social 
expressions of anti-Semitism have not been surmounted, and 
certain reactionary articles are exploiting this fact."

Last year I had the opportunity to meet with President Gorbachev 
in the Kremlin where I asked him to condemn anti-Semitism.  He 
promised me - as he had promised others - that he would, on the 
right occasion.  That occasion was the ceremony marking the 50th 
anniversary of the slaughter of 30,000 Jews at Babi Yar, outside 
of Kiev.
 
Neither the spontaneous denunciation of anti-Semitism by 
Cardinal Law nor the belated acknowledgement of its existence in 
the Soviet Union by President Gorbachev will bring an end to this 
most persistent of bigotries.  But the failure of other "leaders" 
to condemn this evil, unconditionally and promptly, contributes 
to its persistence.

People of all faiths who deplore bigotry of all kinds must join 
together in praise of Cardinal Law's small gesture of solidarity, 
as we praised the Pope's gesture of speaking at the synagogue in 
Rome several years ago.  Out of such gestures are bridges of 
brotherhood and sisterhood built.

    
    
    Re: .0
    
    Although I disagree strongly with Dershowitz on a lot of
    issues, I must say that he has consistently been a courageous 
    spokesman for Jewish causes, never shrinking from a confrontation.
    This is both remarkable and praiseworthy in that he's *made it* -
    he could easily have changed his name, married a gentile and
    spent his free time at social events with "Beautiful People."
    He's chosen to stand up for his people because he sees the
    Jewish "leadership" in this country for what it is - a pathetic,
    farcical array of know-nothings and do-nothings who cowtow to
    every pressure and show their faces only when they think their
    jobs may be endangered. 
    
    Dershowitz is most of all, a proud Jew, a rare breed indeed in
    this age.  
    
    Jem

    re .0

    Praise is due to Cardinal Law for his actions and to Alan Dershowitz
    for writing the article.

    However Dershowitz is less than well informed in his praise of Gorbachev:
    
       > After years of vacillation, Gorbachev has finally denounced
       > anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and recognized its continuing
       > impact there.  After several years of pussyfooting around the
       > issue, Gorbachev finally acknowledged that "social expressions of
       > anti-Semitism have not been surmounted, and certain reactionary
       > articles are exploiting this fact."
       
    Dershowitz does not seem to realize that Gorbachev is still
    "pussyfooting around the issue". A major reason for anti-semitism in
    the Russian (up to 1917) and Soviet (since 1917) Empires is that
    anti-semitism was officially perpetrated. This state-sponsored
    anti-semitism greatly amplified any residual and already existing East
    European anti-semitic tradition of the masses. Instead of working to
    eliminate it, the Soviet gov-t starting with Stalin condoned it and
    even promoted it.
    
    Gorbachev never acknowledged that Soviet anti-semitism was the policy
    of the Soviet gov-t. Instead he blames "social expressions" and "certain 
    reactionary articles".
    
       > Last year I had the opportunity to meet with President Gorbachev  in
       > the Kremlin where I asked him to condemn anti-Semitism.  He 
       > promised me - as he had promised others - that he would, on the 
       > right occasion.  That occasion was the ceremony marking the 50th 
       > anniversary of the slaughter of 30,000 Jews at Babi Yar, outside  of
       > Kiev. are exploiting this fact."
    
    "Right occasion"? Why wait? In fact, the independent Ukrainian
    authorities were already ahead of Gorbachev. They were the first to
    acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of the victims at Babyn Yar
    were Jews. They denounced anti-semitism on any number of occasions. The
    50th anniversary of Babyn Yar was commemorated with a national period
    of mourning. A huge menora was build at Babyn Yar, and several
    delegations, including Israeli, attended the memorial services at the
    site. Ukrainian president acknowledged anti-semitism and expressed
    commitment of Ukraine to renewed and healthy Jewish-Ukrainian relations.
    
    Surely it will be hard. But Yeshivas, Jewish newspapers, theaters and
    cultural societies are opening in Ukraine. Kyiv and Odessa
    Universities are going to have Hebrew departments. When will Gorbachev
    (as irrelevant as he is rapidly becoming) make similar moves? Probably
    never, for the power is no longer his. But at least he could place the
    major blame where it belongs.
    
    Dershowitz is wrong. Gorbachev is not a role model for anybody. On the
    issue of anti-semitism he is being wagged as the proverbial dog's tail.
    
    Alex