Sadly, scarily, and with great disrespect for America (which I am sure they don't intend), more than a few American Jews - including my own mother and leaders of the Pennsylvania Jewish community, are claiming that Barack Obama is the new Hitler. And while these words are disgraceful, my intent is not to endorse Obama over McCain because of what certain McCain supporters have said or done. This is about a political sickness taking root in the Jewish community, one which threatens the memory of the Holocaust, the integrity of the Jewish people, and the future of this country.
When I first heard my mom make this comparison, I attributed it more to her love of provocation than to any genuine sentiment. But in light of a pro-McCain e-mail that went out to 75,000 Pennsylvania Jews suggesting that a vote for Barack Obama could bring another Holocaust, I realized that there was something deeply wrong. In fact, further checking has shown me that this trope has been circulating around the Republican Jewish Coalition and its supporters, for months.
How can the same people who pride themselves on maintaining the importance of Holocaust memory invoke the real horrors of the past as a political tool? Ironically, mobilizing that kind of fear and memory of past defeat was used by early Nazis to mobilize Germans in support of National Socialism in its early stages.
I appreciate the real terror which these otherwise good people must be experiencing to be driven to this kind of behavior. But do they not see that the comparison itself denigrates all that they value about the strength of this country and the accomplishments attained by Jews precisely because this is not Weimar Germany? America now is not Germany then, and it shows a profound lack of appreciation for American Jewish experience to miss that point.
It also concerns me that no actual repudiation of the e-mail has been forthcoming. The author was fired, but neither those who signed the letter nor the McCain-Palin Campaign have actually said that it was reprehensible. They simply say that "it went a little too far" or that they never actually read the document. Astounding -- especially when it comes from people who have, properly in my view, questioned the language and metaphors used by some people supporting Obama.
This election should not be a Vince Lombardi football game in which winning is the only thing. And for Jewish leaders to contribute to that kind of polarization betrays not only their role as leaders, but the kind of intellectual openness of which Jews are so proud.
Take strong positions, this election is too important not to. And I don't believe that either side can be really certain that their's is the best path, not in these challenging times. But unless you advocate the assassination of Barack Obama, you dare not compare him to Hitler.
After all, if we could stop a real Hitler from attaining power, would any of us hesitate to kill him first? I hope not, and I can give you six million good reasons why not - 13 million if you allow me to count the non-Jewish victims of the Shoah. They are the same millions of reasons that I call upon to stop us from making that comparison, and make real amends for having ever done so.
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
i am trouble about obama he is not a good person he has no real experience in what he is doing he did nothing in ill why cnt people see that he will attempt to destroy this great country it is not because he is black if a black man had experiebnce and knew what he was doing that would be ok obama needs to be stop but the americam people wont do anything about it men and woman have fought and die for this great country dont let obama hurt this country thanks for reading this message
This is the real link about the Jewish community......
A few months ag, I thought this was silly. Now that Obama has nationalized the banks, the auto industry, and fired the CEO of General Motors-- I guess he is JUST like Hitler. Very scary
It appears that Obama is paving the way for Iran to conduct another holocaust, helped by the capos Soros and Emmanuel. What do you expect from a follower of a Nation of Islam pastor?
Look at the site of the National Black rRepublicans Association. The site is nationalblackrepublicans.com. This group says Barack is NOT whom they wanted to represent their race in history. Obama is a communist.Adolph Hitler hated his own Jewish heritage, and look what he did to the Jews. Obama obviously hates his white background. Remember he said his grandmother showed "typical white behavior." in his national race speech? If Obama will stab his own grandmother in the back in front of national media, he will think nothing of doing this to others. This remark of Obama's alone should have shown people that Obama is a man whith little class. No one but the blind and the stupid voted for Obama. America is on its way down due to Obama and his crooked administration. Martin Luther King was a Republican who did not believe in the socialism Barack believes in. Barack is not Christian. The church he belonged to for twenty years tried to make blacks think they have to depend on the government. Talk show host Jerry Springer is Jewish and he supported Obama. Springer had relatives who died in the halocaust. He has laughed publicly at people who think Obama is communistic. I am shocked Springer of Jewish decent could be so damned blind. Obama wants a halocaust and he wants it for white people. Ther are many black politicians for whom I would vote for Presidential office. Obama is a communist, and he is racist. shame on those too stupid or blind to see through this man and his evil intentions.
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