Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on February 9, 2022

By Clifford Kulwin

Contrary to popular belief, where there is smoke there is not always fire.

On the Monday, January 31 episode of The View, the ABC daytime TV talk show, there was a conversation about antisemitism. Co-host and West Orange resident Whoopi Goldberg, a Black woman who is not Jewish, observed that The Holocaust is not about raceits about mans inhumanity to man.

Goldbergs remarks, Reuters reported, brought down a firestorm of criticism from Jewish groups and othersinfuriated by Goldbergs assertions.

The most visible and significant of these denunciations came from Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League: No @WhoopiGoldberg, the #Holocaust was about the Nazis systematic annihilation of the Jewish people who they deemed to be an inferior race. They dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous. #ENOUGH.

The following day, ABC suspended Goldberg from The View for two weeks. This was a bad decision, an unnecessary diversion from a relevant news topic at the cost of, among other things, humiliating Whoopi Goldberg.

The View panel was discussing the McMinn County, Tennessee, Board of Educations decision to withdraw the graphic novel Maus from its eighth-grade language arts curriculum, citing rough, objectionable language and a drawing of a nude woman. Maus, published by Art Spiegelman in 1992, won the Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into over thirty languages. It is widely viewed as an ingenious retelling of a story of the Holocaust, which is also how I see it.

Goldbergs colleague Joy Behar commented that the nudity concerns were likely a canard to throw you off from the fact that [those behind the book ban] dont like history that makes white people look bad. Goldberg, referring to the Holocaust, responded, Well, this is white people doing it to white people, so yall gonna fight amongst yourselves.

The conversation turned to book banning as a means of avoiding discussions of less attractive chapters of American history. During the panel discussion, Goldberg said, Lets be truthful about it because the Holocaust isnt about race. Its not about race. Its not about race. Its about mans inhumanity to man.

Co-host Ana Navarro pushed back: But its about white supremacists going after Jews.

Goldberg responded, But these are two white groups of people! The minute you turn it into race it goes down this alley. Lets talk about it for what it is. Its how people treat each other. It doesnt matter if youre Black or white, Jews, its each other.

Did Goldberg mean the Holocaust had nothing to do about race? To me, if it seemed that she was putting racism in the Holocaust to the side, it was only to make a different, perhaps more thoughtful, point, that, with skin color not playing a role in its anti-Jewish violence, the reality of the Holocaust itself is even more extraordinary, terrifying proof of what people are capable of doing to other people. She could have been more articulate in her wording, but thats what happens in unscripted television.

In a 2019 New York Times interview, Goldberg remarked that its only been in the last few years that people seem to have stopped listening to one another. When asked if she had an explanation, she responded, Because there arent a lot of reminders of the past. I grew up during a time when there were still World War II veterans around, there were still Holocaust survivors around. Then all those folks started dying off.

Here, Goldberg echoes a fear Jewish leaders have been articulating for years: as the generation of survivors passes on, with no one living to bear witness, Holocaust denial will become easier. But less than three years later, she doesnt get it?

Tuesdays memo from ABC News President Kim Godwin opened with a statement that Goldbergs on-air comments the previous day were misinformed, upsetting and hurtful. She goes on to praise the ADLs Greenblatt, now apparently American Jewrys official pardoner, for the educational conversation on Tuesdays The View, adding, I appreciate their conversation and his acknowledgment of Whoopis efforts.

She then quotes a post-appearance Tweet from Greenblatt: Deeply appreciate @Whoopi Goldberg inviting me on to @TheView today to have an important discussion on the importance of educating about the Holocaust.

But then, Greenblatts Tweet continues with these unexpected words: Whoopi has been a long-time ally of the Jewish community. Godwins memo goes on to state, Whoopi has shown through her actions over many years that she understands the horrors of the Holocaust and she started todays show with that recognition.

Heres where things start to break down. She is a long-time ally of the Jewish community. Concrete actions over many years show she understands the horrors of the Holocaust. Nevertheless, her comments Monday evoked immediate excoriation in the strongest possible language and a two-week suspension.

Monday evening, Goldberg Tweeted, On todays show I said the Holocaust is not about race, but about mans inhumanity to man. I should have said it was about both. She goes on to add, The Jewish people around the world have always had my support. I am sorry for the hurt I have caused. The Tweet ends, Written with my sincerest apologies, Whoopi Goldberg.

I cannot imagine more appropriate, even humble, responsibility-assuming words, so I scratch my head over the browbeating and humiliation many in the Jewish community continued to inflict upon her, as well as on the two-week suspension meted out by ABC that, if not a big deal financially, must still be pretty embarrassing. This is a world I dont know, so I can only guess at motives.

But as a Jew and a rabbi, Im embarrassed. And thats an important word.

The 12th-century rabbi Rashi, one of the most revered figures in Jewish history, endorsed the Biblical commandment to rebuke one who deserves rebuke. However, he added that the commandment to give constructive criticism does not give one license to criticize the sinner in public, since the other will become embarrassed.

Jewish tradition embraces this principle. And it should especially be embraced in the case of a long time ally of the Jewish community, who understands the horrors of the Holocaust.

Clifford Kulwin is rabbi emeritus of Temple Bnai Abraham in Livingston.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.

More here:

As a Jew and a rabbi, Im embarrassed about what happened to Whoopi Goldberg | Opinion - NJ.com

Category: Rabbi
Tags: