Racism and Orthodox Judaism

Fax sent to Utrice Leid, Host of Talkback, WBAI-Pacifica, by Dave Silver, 8 March 1998

Dear Utrice,

As a Jew who traded in his Orthodox upbringing for Marxism, and who could not get through to 279-3400, permit me to bust some lies and distortions parading as Liberal Theology as told to listeners by your guest Gary Moskowitz, who is Orthodox and pretends to be a progressive activist.

Most cops are good he says. The truth is most cops are racist and will be brutal when either people of color, working class or poor are engaged in a struggle to better their human condition. Your guest said that Giuliani is better able to control the police. What he really means is that he, the mayor, has created a climate in which white police officers can brutalize those who challenge the system for a little bit of justice and feel protected from disciplinary and especially legal action.

Moskowitz made two assertions whose underpinning I believe is essentially racist. Blacks have the same problems as Jews he said. This immediately equates Black and Jewish oppression here in Babylon. Of course the truth is that Jews are an economically privileged group and some wield limited corporate power and are able to get high priced lawyers for their white collar crimes. While many Blacks and Latinos in desperate situations, unable to provide for themselves and families break the law or turn to drugs for survival and fill our prisons. It is sheer chutzpah to put a period after we have the same problems as Blacks.

If only the oppressed and exploited would use the process for a redress of grievances our Talmudic scholar says. Why he even suggests to go to the Supreme Court. My Jewish brother must be on another planet of reality to think that they don’t petition, demonstrate and where Legal Aid permits go to court and appeal. I call this Blame the Victim syndrome as essentially racist in nature.

I also find tinged with racism Moskowitz’ characterization of the murder of Gavin Cato as an accident while Yankel Rosenbaum’s death is murder. If anything the former at very least is vehicular homicide, aided and abetted by the Mayor and Police, while the latter could be called malfeasance and malpractice at Kings County Hospital.

Finally. Orthodox Judaism is given the cloak of a kind of progressive philosophy. The truth is that it is reactionary and sexist at very least. As is the case with all such Orthodoxies a God is substituted for human reason and action to better the human condition and a promise of a better life in paradise. And if we look at the Lubavitcher sect, they are more arrogant, inflexible and less tolerant of the other than ordinary orthodox Jews

Sincerely

Dave Silver