I, George, an American Jew: Approaching October 7 (2026)
I, GEORGE, AN AMERICAN JEW
APPROACHING OCTOBER 7 (2026)
I never imagined that October 7, 2023 would have turned into
a defining moment for many fellow American Jews, including myself. I knew there would be killing, including
mass killing. I didn’t imagine that it
would become THE GENOCIDE (or “The Kristallnacht”) for fellow Jews.
Many American Jews, from our twenties to eighties feel
deeply victimized, in ways that a generation earlier suffered, related to The
Holocaust.
Being Jewish means slightly different (at best) things to
each of us.
I met K my first week at The University of Wisconsin in
September, 1969. We share an Anti-Zionist
perspective, along with other things such as a love of men’s college basketball,
and jazz music.
He recently told me that it was only since October 7th,
that he really deeply rejected the notion that being one of “the chosen people”
meant that he was “better” than non-Jews.
For me, the words “the chosen people” was never related to
“supremacy”.
Many fellow American Jews growing up in the 1950’s shared
with me learning that the State of Israel was “The safe place” (for Jews). Leon Uris’s books taught us how “special” and
heroic Jews were in fighting off the powerful Arab armies. We learned of these crazy, violent Fedayeen
who attacked innocent Israeli’s regularly.
My father died a few months after my Bar Mitzvah in
1964. Three years earlier he took my
brother (age 8) and I (10 years old) with our mother to a Civil Rights related
march around the County Square in Lafayette, Indiana. We were taught to think for ourselves and
not feel pushed to be like others around us.
I also learned from my father that “intellect” and “learning”
(“book learning”) were everything. Shabbat (Sabbath- Friday evening) meals,
were the only time all four of us weren’t reading our book at the dinner table.
Many of my peers have advanced degrees from major
universities. Their children are, if
anything, more highly educated with law degrees from Ivy League Schools and similar.
Stanley Finkel
(1931-2022), Palo Alto, California –
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/stanley-finkel-obituary?id=32913156
Stanley Finkel, father,
husband, ophthalmologist was born 90 years ago in New York City in 1931. He was
raised in the Bronx during the depression by parents who fled Hlusk, Belarus as
teenagers. His parents worked in the garment industry in Manhattan. His life as
a child of poor Jewish immigrants was a quintessential American success story.
He attended high school in the Bronx where he met Anita Zerpoli. Stanley and
Anita went on to attend University of Michigan as an undergrads. They married
when Stanley was the ripe old age of 20. Stanley later graduated from the
University of Michigan Medical School. Their first son, David, was born during
their student years in Ann Arbor.
With little money after medical school, he joined the United States Air Force.
During his Air Force service he completed his medical residency in
ophthalmology.
Stan was a mathematics students
of my father’s at The University of Michigan around the time I was born in Ann
Arbor. I remember him telling me that
if he’d become a lawyer, as a Jew, he’d have only been able to work for a
Jewish law firm or in private practice.
As a physician, he indicated, he knew he’d have no problem finding work.
While Anti-Semitism persists, my
former bridge partner’s got a law degree, her husband is retiring relatively
soon as a lawyer, and three of their four children are lawyers.
So where does the divide come
between many fellow Jews and me?
Intellectually, we support “justice issues” such as racism (related to
Black People), reproductive justice, related to equality between people of all
genders, and similar.
I will refer you, my reader to
three relevant books, that are meaningful for me. On May 9, 2026, I had a wonderful hour plus walking with Peter
Beinart (an Orthodox Jew) in Central Park on Shabbos (Saturday, the
Sabbath). His book: - see:
https://www.georgemarx.org/2025/09/being-jewish-after-destruction-of-gaza.html
From my review of the book: “Being
Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning, Peter Beinart’s latest
book, is interesting for those curious about: Judaism, Israel and
Zionism. Peter Beinart focuses significantly upon his perception that we
Jews believe that we are “The Victims” in various contexts (incorrectly).”
In 2021, well before October 7 –
my review stated:
It was during the
comparatively progressive presidency of Barack Obama – seen by many as the most
favorable to the Palestinian cause since Jimmy Carter more than three decades
earlier – that negotiations collapsed under the weight of years of collective frustration.
The Palestinians had become fed up with a quarter century of talks that always
prioritized Israeli concerns over their own. As these talks dragged on
with no end in sight, Israeli settlement constructed increased exponentially,
and the occupation become ever more repressive. (p.6-7) - https://www.georgemarx.org/2021/05/progressives-palestine-book-review.html
.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/media/marc-lamont-hill-cnn/
CNN said Thursday that it had severed ties with
contributor Marc Lamont Hill following controversial comments the liberal
pundit made about Israel.
“Marc Lamont Hill is no longer under contract with CNN,”
a spokesperson for CNN confirmed in a short statement.
The move was first reported by the media news website Mediaite.
Hill, who is also a professor at Temple University in
Philadelphia, made the controversial comments during a meeting at the United
Nations held for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian
People on Wednesday.
In his remarks at that meeting, Hill said “we must
advocate and promote non-violence,” but added that “we cannot endorse a narrow
politics of respectability that shames Palestinians for resisting, for refusing
to do nothing in the face of state violence and ethnic cleansing.”
Hill also called for a “free Palestine from the river to
the sea.”
The comments were immediately condemned by critics who
said Hill was calling for the end of the Israeli state.
Hill did not respond to a request for comment Thursday
afternoon, but in a series of tweets he addressed the issue.
“I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people,
or any of the other things attributed to my speech. I have spent my life
fighting these things,” Hill wrote.
“My reference to ‘river to the sea’ was not a call to
destroy anything or anyone,” Hill continued in a separate tweet. “It was a call
for justice, both in Israel and in the West Bank/Gaza. The speech very clearly
and specifically said those things. No amount of debate will change what I
actually said or what I meant.”
Note: This happened
in 2018.
I came last evening hoping to hear inspiring words from
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a man I greatly admire. I experienced Dr.
Hill's brilliance and warm heart far more than I could have hoped for. I
also was welcomed and loved by the warmth of many members of the greater
Chicago Muslims for Palestine, who gave me far, far more than I could possibly
have imagined.
Respect is important to me. I was shown so
much from so many people. I am thankful! I am blessed!
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill gave a powerful, impassioned
speech! He spoke directly to Palestinian Muslims. His
speech was far different than his incredible November 29, 2019 speech at the
United Nations. where he spoke to all of us. While Dr.
Hill did not speak directly to me as an American Jew, his words resonated in
their inclusivity. He explicity made clear that he was not speaking
against Jews and white people. Dr. Hill was very clear that Israeli
governmental policy is the problem.
https://www.georgemarx.org/2019/03/dr-marc-lamont-hill-american-muslims.html
(March 4, 2019)
I came last evening hoping to hear inspiring words from
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a man I greatly admire. I experienced Dr.
Hill's brilliance and warm heart far more than I could have hoped for. I
also was welcomed and loved by the warmth of many members of the greater
Chicago Muslims for Palestine, who gave me far, far more than I could possibly
have imagined.
Respect is important to me. I was shown so
much from so many people. I am thankful! I am blessed!
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill gave a powerful, impassioned
speech! He spoke directly to Palestinian Muslims. His
speech was far different than his incredible November 29, 2019 speech at the
United Nations. where he spoke to all of us. While Dr.
Hill did not speak directly to me as an American Jew, his words resonated in
their inclusivity. He explicity made clear that he was not speaking
against Jews and white people. Dr. Hill was very clear that Israeli
governmental policy is the problem.
Dr. Hill's love for the Palestinian people was made very
clear in the speech. He also spoke strongly about the importance of
both Black (and White) people supporting Palestinians and for Palestinians to
support the struggles Black people including in cities like Chicago and
Detroit. His words were powerful, emphasizing non-violent struggles
that may of necessity take more than our own lifetimes to succeed.
Equally significant to me was how well we were treated by
both our hosts of American Muslims for Palestine and the others who attended
the dinner. Our hosts included both women and men of varying
ages. Many, if not most of the women's heads were covered.
I surmised that they were devout Muslims. References to the
Muslim religion were made throughout the presentation.
The people I met were far, far more caring of us than I
could have imagined they would be. We were shown to our table by
several very helpful people. Before the proceedings begun, a man
came to our table thanking us as Jewish Voice for Peace Members for doing our
work. The American Muslims for Palestine Annual Report in its page
on the Chicago Chapter included a picture showing Jewish Voice for Peace
members demonstrating with Palestinians.
https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/cuny-under-fire-for-antisemitism-complaints-hires
CUNY, Under Fire for Antisemitism Complaints, Hires
Prominent Anti-Israel Scholar as ‘Presidential Professor’ [incl. Marc Lamont
Hill]
August 23, 2023 Dion
J. Pierre
The City University of New York (CUNY), a
higher-education consortium with 25 campuses across the five boroughs, has
hired prominent academic and anti-Israel commentator Marc Lamont Hill as the CUNY Graduate Center’s
“presidential professor” of urban education, a university spokesperson
confirmed to The Algemeiner.
Hill’s hiring this week has already stirred controversy
in light of both his past comments concerning Israel and Zionism and numerous
civil rights complaints alleging that CUNY itself fosters a hostile, antisemitic environment in which members of the
Jewish community are threatened and harassed.
--
https://www.georgemarx.org/2026/09/american-doctor-amazinghorrifying-film.html
AMERICAN DOCTOR – is a 2026 documentary film.
The film follows three American physicians of different
backgrounds. Dr. Mark Perlmutter is a Jewish American orthopedic surgeon from
North Carolina; Dr. Thaer Ahmad is a Palestinian American emergency physician
from Chicago; and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a trauma surgeon from California of
Pakistani Parsi heritage.[5] The
three doctors operated primarily out of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis during
two visits to Gaza, before and after the 2025 ceasefire.[6]
HOLDING LIAT - https://holdingliat.com/ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holding_Liat
During the October
7 attacks Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband Aviv
Atzili were kidnapped from their home in a kibbutz near the
border. Liat parents, Yehuda and Chaya Beinin, deal with the fear of their
daughter's fate. Alongside many other relatives dissatisfied with Benjamin Netanyahu's government disregard of the
hostages, Yehuda intensifies his public campaign against the Gaza war,
and the inevitability of casualties among the hostages.
Yehuda travels alongside Tal, his youngest daughter, to
the United States hoping to gather support against the Israeli government
inaction, yet he finds that American politicians
unconditional support for Israel is also reflected upon Netanyahu. In
Portland, ceasefire demonstrations take place and American academic and
historian Joel Beinin, Yehuda's brother, gives a lecture about
the Nakba.
Through video chat, the brothers' old disagreement over the basic principles of
the state of
Israel is revealed, as Joel argues that the Kibbutzniks' original socialist
ideals were coopted by a colonialist agenda.
I would note that the latter film is a documentary film
produced by Jewish family members of the family portrayed in the film. It is a GREAT film – for Jews and others –
such as American Christians – to discuss the issues. Liat’s father strongly disagrees with one of
his grandsons in the film! This film may
not be appreciated by some strongly Pro-Palestinian Jews (Jewish Voice for
Peace, San Francisco Bay Area – wasn’t interested in supporting a Berkeley
showing I helped get off the ground) as well as some Palestinian People because
it is not – “Anti-Zionist”.
--
During World War II, many claimed that they did not know
that Jews and others were being exterminated because of their “identities”. During the current – attacks upon Gaza and
Lebanon and Iran, there is little hiding what is happening. Israeli soldiers are taking selfies of
themselves.
I hope that more people who support The U.S. Government’s
support of Israel as well as American and Israeli Jews will listen and learn.
Hajo Meyer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajo_Meyer
Aug 26, 2014 · (Electronicintifada) I mourn the loss of Hajo
Meyer, a friend who fearlessly raised his voice to combat Zionism and to
express his support for the struggle of the Palestinian people for
(this link is no longer good)
Hajo Meyer: 1924-2014- spoke words in 2014 – approaching his
death at the age of 90, which easily could have been made since October 7. He survived Auschwitz as a young man and
compared Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian People to what he faced as a Jew
in Germany and The Netherlands.
Listen - deeply! It is unsettling! Thanks!
Comments
Post a Comment