Publishers are asking us to remove our Jewish names, sever our connection to Israel, and make our books less Jewish. Meanwhile, obvious antisemitism is treated as a harmless “viewpoint.”
My wife is a Jewish-American novelist and I can attest that all this is true, in both book publishing and Hollywood, where mentioning Judaism, Jewishness or Israel is dangerous for Jewish writers, unless it's in the context of denouncing Israel and Zionism. Western liberals have turned all these terms into swear words and hate terms and, as art and culture are pretty much entirely liberal and progressive, it's now mandatory to be Free Palestine!—or else you can expect a cancellation mob to target you at any moment and brand you a genocidal baby killer.
As for publishing, the sad irony here is that this still a heavily Jewish field in all aspects from executives to agents and managers and editors etc. But most of these people are secular and if they have any sacred beliefs they get them from NPR and the NY Times, so they quickly do as their chosen cohort demands and join in the Two Minutes Hate against Israel. Also, in their minds, the fight against Trump and MAGA is much more urgent and existential than the fight against Hamas.
If the choice is between sticking up for the Jewish state and the right for Jewish national self-determination and losing their careers and social lives, it's not much of a choice at all. And as everyone lives a tribal life now among the same people with the same views and news, most Progressives (Jewish or otherwise) don't know anyone who thinks differently. They move as a single scared herd, regardless of wealth, status or degrees.
These people are simply responding to the demands of the newest dual loyalty test instituted in the Diaspora: either publicly denounce Israel and Zionism or find another career and maybe even become a social outcast. For the time being, when it comes to publishing and culture, the Palestinians are George Floyd and Israel is Derek Chauvin, and just like this mania replaced BLM mania, none of this will die down until Western liberals find a new crowdsourced moral crusade to join.
I have a simplistic answer. An agent refuses to take on a work because of Jew-hatred or fear thereof? SUE them. There has to be a cost to these schmucks.
The ease with which people - and corporations and organizations - tolerate Jew-hate is the part that shocks me, but is the proof of the way this sickness continues to reinvent itself.
The situation is only getting worse. It started Oct 8. Luckily there are Jews starting their own publishing house and small imprints welcoming Jewish authors. We can do our own protest by not buying any books by S and S. I’m starting a Jewish writer’s group. We will share our work and ideas in a safe environment.
I’m reading “The First Ghetto: Venice and the Origins of Modern Antisemitism”. It documents the lives of Jews in Venice beginning in the 1400’s. The Golden Age of Venice for the Jews (1589-1630) meant that Jewish immigration was encouraged for their mercantile skills and overseas connections, and their ability to lend money at interest (Christians were not permitted). The Jews lived in Ghetto Nuovo and Ghetto Vecchio, which were locked at night. They had to wear a distinctive yellow hat when they ventured out of the Ghetto.
Every several years, the Jewish community had to renew their “charter,” ,which regulated living and working conditions, often negatively influenced by papal authorities under the Inquisition. The community was heavily taxed, and taxes often increased as Venice was frequently at war with its Italian neighbors and the Ottoman Empire. Venice, although small in size, controlled Cyprus (lost to the Ottomans in 1570), Crete, and Corfu.
The “Golden Age” ended in 1630 with the onset of the Bubonic Plague, which killed a third of the population. The Jews were blamed; some were expelled, and those who remained were taxed and restricted.
They printed numerous Hebrew books until the papal inquisition threw hundreds of books into bonfires and destroyed the printing presses.
I have been blessed to live my 75 years not significantly affected by antisemitism. However, October 7th and its aftermath have invigorated the anti-semites; as has the current administration’s tacit acceptance of right-wing extremism, and the rise of Christian nationalism. Some Democratic candidates and elected officials are virulently anti-Israel while claiming they are not antisemitic. Friends are pursuing foreign passports. The main destinations reported are Germany, Italy, Poland (EU access), and Israel.
I worry about the world that my children and grandchildren will be living in. Is the Golden Age in America coming to an end?
As a 1/8 Jewish Catholic allow me to share a bit of Irish wisdom: muceoilic! Which in the Gaelic means turn all those bastards into pork sausage. Works especially well with jihadis
Painful to read and then, so necessary. I hope Simon and Shuster reads this. I hope this is published widely. I hope S and S are shamed. Money is money, but blood money is blood, period.
This paragraph in this important essay states the what is happening in every industry and context: "Now, think a moment. But really think. Had she said the things about African-Americans, Asians, or really anyone else, Simon & Schuster would have dropped her in a heartbeat. They would have issued some sort of statement that they do not tolerate racism, and then disavowed her." Exactly. In every circumstance, the "Jew" is the accepted exception and abuse is of Jews is not only tolerated, but normalized.
Imagine if Ukrainian identity was treated as a pariah after Russia invaded Ukraine and Russia treated as the victim. Imagine if the western media used the Kremlin as its source to report on that war. Imagine if there were massive protests in the west against Ukraine. Crazy, right?
The worst massacre of Jews since the holocaust perversely resulted in Israel and the Jewish people becoming stigmatized rather than the perpetrators and their evil cause.
This would not be tolerated against any other group. But when it comes to Jews, anything goes. One is free to spew the vilest hatred against Jews, call for their genocide and be a published "author". Jewish authors, let alone Israeli ones are being told they can't get published.
The left proclaims inclusivity while they are really disgusting Jew-hating bigots who practice blatant discrimination and dehumanization of Jews and pretend they are moral for doing so.
The left is sick in their minds and souls. They pander to and stand on the side of evil,
The sad part, Laura, is that the whole Ukraine/Russia scenario is actually happening. Not on the same scale as the Israeli situation, but it's out there, if you look.
The perversity of humans. I really don't understand.
As someone has already suggested here, all these actions seem ripe for legal action--a big, fat, class action suit sounds in order. Name names and bring shame to those promoting hate while posing as intelligentsia. I'd also like to give a shout out to Howard Lovy for founding the brand-new Canary Publishing, a place where Jewish content and authors are celebrated.
"diversity is "our" greatest strength, but not Jewish diversity because when we say "our"we don’t mean Jews." Statement from Simon and Schuster DEI department.
My wife is a Jewish-American novelist and I can attest that all this is true, in both book publishing and Hollywood, where mentioning Judaism, Jewishness or Israel is dangerous for Jewish writers, unless it's in the context of denouncing Israel and Zionism. Western liberals have turned all these terms into swear words and hate terms and, as art and culture are pretty much entirely liberal and progressive, it's now mandatory to be Free Palestine!—or else you can expect a cancellation mob to target you at any moment and brand you a genocidal baby killer.
As for publishing, the sad irony here is that this still a heavily Jewish field in all aspects from executives to agents and managers and editors etc. But most of these people are secular and if they have any sacred beliefs they get them from NPR and the NY Times, so they quickly do as their chosen cohort demands and join in the Two Minutes Hate against Israel. Also, in their minds, the fight against Trump and MAGA is much more urgent and existential than the fight against Hamas.
If the choice is between sticking up for the Jewish state and the right for Jewish national self-determination and losing their careers and social lives, it's not much of a choice at all. And as everyone lives a tribal life now among the same people with the same views and news, most Progressives (Jewish or otherwise) don't know anyone who thinks differently. They move as a single scared herd, regardless of wealth, status or degrees.
These people are simply responding to the demands of the newest dual loyalty test instituted in the Diaspora: either publicly denounce Israel and Zionism or find another career and maybe even become a social outcast. For the time being, when it comes to publishing and culture, the Palestinians are George Floyd and Israel is Derek Chauvin, and just like this mania replaced BLM mania, none of this will die down until Western liberals find a new crowdsourced moral crusade to join.
Well said.
Thanks
I have a simplistic answer. An agent refuses to take on a work because of Jew-hatred or fear thereof? SUE them. There has to be a cost to these schmucks.
Seems like there are plenty examples of discrimination against many Jewish and Israeli writers trying to get their work published.
This is unforgivable. A sickness.
The ease with which people - and corporations and organizations - tolerate Jew-hate is the part that shocks me, but is the proof of the way this sickness continues to reinvent itself.
Looks like the Literary world has a very SMALL TENT. I guess those committed to diversity and inclusiveness include only certain kinds of people.
The situation is only getting worse. It started Oct 8. Luckily there are Jews starting their own publishing house and small imprints welcoming Jewish authors. We can do our own protest by not buying any books by S and S. I’m starting a Jewish writer’s group. We will share our work and ideas in a safe environment.
I’m reading “The First Ghetto: Venice and the Origins of Modern Antisemitism”. It documents the lives of Jews in Venice beginning in the 1400’s. The Golden Age of Venice for the Jews (1589-1630) meant that Jewish immigration was encouraged for their mercantile skills and overseas connections, and their ability to lend money at interest (Christians were not permitted). The Jews lived in Ghetto Nuovo and Ghetto Vecchio, which were locked at night. They had to wear a distinctive yellow hat when they ventured out of the Ghetto.
Every several years, the Jewish community had to renew their “charter,” ,which regulated living and working conditions, often negatively influenced by papal authorities under the Inquisition. The community was heavily taxed, and taxes often increased as Venice was frequently at war with its Italian neighbors and the Ottoman Empire. Venice, although small in size, controlled Cyprus (lost to the Ottomans in 1570), Crete, and Corfu.
The “Golden Age” ended in 1630 with the onset of the Bubonic Plague, which killed a third of the population. The Jews were blamed; some were expelled, and those who remained were taxed and restricted.
They printed numerous Hebrew books until the papal inquisition threw hundreds of books into bonfires and destroyed the printing presses.
I have been blessed to live my 75 years not significantly affected by antisemitism. However, October 7th and its aftermath have invigorated the anti-semites; as has the current administration’s tacit acceptance of right-wing extremism, and the rise of Christian nationalism. Some Democratic candidates and elected officials are virulently anti-Israel while claiming they are not antisemitic. Friends are pursuing foreign passports. The main destinations reported are Germany, Italy, Poland (EU access), and Israel.
I worry about the world that my children and grandchildren will be living in. Is the Golden Age in America coming to an end?
As a 1/8 Jewish Catholic allow me to share a bit of Irish wisdom: muceoilic! Which in the Gaelic means turn all those bastards into pork sausage. Works especially well with jihadis
Painful to read and then, so necessary. I hope Simon and Shuster reads this. I hope this is published widely. I hope S and S are shamed. Money is money, but blood money is blood, period.
This paragraph in this important essay states the what is happening in every industry and context: "Now, think a moment. But really think. Had she said the things about African-Americans, Asians, or really anyone else, Simon & Schuster would have dropped her in a heartbeat. They would have issued some sort of statement that they do not tolerate racism, and then disavowed her." Exactly. In every circumstance, the "Jew" is the accepted exception and abuse is of Jews is not only tolerated, but normalized.
Imagine if Ukrainian identity was treated as a pariah after Russia invaded Ukraine and Russia treated as the victim. Imagine if the western media used the Kremlin as its source to report on that war. Imagine if there were massive protests in the west against Ukraine. Crazy, right?
The worst massacre of Jews since the holocaust perversely resulted in Israel and the Jewish people becoming stigmatized rather than the perpetrators and their evil cause.
This would not be tolerated against any other group. But when it comes to Jews, anything goes. One is free to spew the vilest hatred against Jews, call for their genocide and be a published "author". Jewish authors, let alone Israeli ones are being told they can't get published.
The left proclaims inclusivity while they are really disgusting Jew-hating bigots who practice blatant discrimination and dehumanization of Jews and pretend they are moral for doing so.
The left is sick in their minds and souls. They pander to and stand on the side of evil,
These authors should self-publish.
The sad part, Laura, is that the whole Ukraine/Russia scenario is actually happening. Not on the same scale as the Israeli situation, but it's out there, if you look.
The perversity of humans. I really don't understand.
Maybe it's time to start a new publishing house aleph z
Join the Guerre and Shalom Publishing House.
As someone has already suggested here, all these actions seem ripe for legal action--a big, fat, class action suit sounds in order. Name names and bring shame to those promoting hate while posing as intelligentsia. I'd also like to give a shout out to Howard Lovy for founding the brand-new Canary Publishing, a place where Jewish content and authors are celebrated.
Disgusting
"diversity is "our" greatest strength, but not Jewish diversity because when we say "our"we don’t mean Jews." Statement from Simon and Schuster DEI department.
Excellent point and well said.