Rabbi Marc Gellman writes in Newsweek an “open letter” to Bernard Madoff:
You are responsible for reviving the “Jew game.” I heard of the Jew game from a boy who became a man last Saturday. I asked him once if he had ever experienced anti-Semitism in school. That is when he looked at the floor and told me about the Jew game. The game, played by anti-Semitic kids in school, was one in which they would hide around a corner, throw a quarter down the hall, and then when somebody picked up the quarter, they’d run at the person, shouting, “You’re the Jew!”
You did not cause the anti-Semitic insults about Jews and money, but you caused them to be revived. Not since Julius Rosenberg spied for the Soviet Union has one person so damaged the image and the self-respect of American Jews….
You revived ancient bigotry against our people. You gave credence to the horrid accusations about Jews being untrustworthy and greedy…. You have given the Jew-haters material for a decade of hate gardening. You single-handedly revived the Jew game.
Count me skeptical that the Madoff scandal has or will fuel anti-semitism. (Gelman doesn’t actually say whether the bar mitzvah boy’s story of the Jew game was something that only appeared after Madoff.) I don’t think the scandals of Ivan Boesky or Michael Milken triggered a wave of anti-semitism, nor have the role of Jewish foreign policy advisors in the unpopular Iraq war,
I do agree with Gelman’s passionate condemnation of Madoff — not because it will increase anti-semitism but because it was a betrayal of Jewish ethics.
For me, the “Jewish question” that has been insufficiently tackled is whether many Jewish investors trusted Madoff because of his prominent role in Jewish philanthropy. Did he use his donations to Yeshiva University to help burnish his reputation for integrity?
And — an admittedly hypothetical question — if Yeshiva University had an inkling that they were being so used, would they have had an obligation to turn down his money?
posted January 3, 2009 at 12:15 pm
As a Jew, he shames me. He took advantage of his “jewishness” to make people feel comfortable,and then deceived them. He is the poster boy of Der Stummer.
As a community activist, I was involved in a pro and counter rally yesterday for Israel. The Pro Hamas sides had signs of Jews, with hooked noses and dollar signs, with Madoff and Israel being equated to Nazi’s. The war on Gaza, is now being linked to the ills of this greedy horrible man. He has hurt the Jews for years to come, sixty years after the holocaust. I take collective guilt, as Jews should be better than this. We have to have the world watching us every second, Israel defending her citizens against terror is this example. Madoff is a “shonda” on the Jewish people, and I hate him for that.
posted January 3, 2009 at 7:30 pm
For those of us who aren’t children, Madoff as a symbol of Jews in business only has meaning to the extent he confirms our personal experience with other Jews. And he confirms my personal experience with other Jews.
posted January 5, 2009 at 11:39 am
Right Robert. And when Ken Lay/ Enron put thousands of people out of work and wiped out their life savings as well, did you consider his religion and condemn that faith? I doubt it.
posted February 8, 2009 at 4:41 am
There is the worldwide financial and economic downturn. Madoff has made himself the symbol of the corruption which is one central cause of it. This no doubt revives a lot of the economic anti- Semitism about Jewish bankers, and controllers of the world.
There is at the same time a worldwide Islamist, Neo- Nazi Fascist, and Far- Left- Progressive Anti- Semitic campaign to deligitimize Israel.
Many also blame Jews for controlling the Media, for controlling Washington, for controlling the Controllers, whoever they happen to be.
It is a tremendously worrying situation. Living in Israel I feel it most dangerous in regard to possible Islamist, whether Arab or Iranian attacks with non- conventional weapons.
We need more non- Jews to speak out in defense of those values of respect and tolerance which are the heart of the democratic tradition.