Yisrael was and is called to be different. Not to assimilate. "And the nations will say, what a great and wise nation this is". "Be setapart as I am setapart" said YHVH.
Japanese national myth has them descended from some god....Arabs in the 19th century 20th century decided that the Quran made them a "nation." And they are without blemish....as you write the Jewish literature shows our shortcomings. And the gentile world uses that against us....especially now the Muslims...we're "betrayers of prophets." I read Daniel Deronda on the way to my first visit to east Mediterranean and then Israel in '73. Would she be our friend today when Israel is still be accused of genocide and brutality on such as Madam Amanpour/PBS/.CNN. We do have Douglas Murray, Brendan O Brien and any number of conservatives. The progressive movement defines itself by hostility to Zionism and Israel.
Thank you so much for your wonderful essay......I always love what Mark Twain wrote about our people, thought it was really great. I have not read George Elliott ' s, Daniel Deronda, but I will......Am Israel Chai....
Interesting, didn’t know George Eliot was a philo-semite. Of course, what Twain misunderstands or wilfully distorts is that change isn’t the same thing as disappearance. Just as the massive changes that occurred from the polytheistic Canaanite origins of the Israelites to modern Judaism should not be considered a disappearance, the evolution of the various groups he mentions into their modern forms should not be also. All groups change, grow and evolve.
I had majored in English literature and naturally *Daniel Deronda* was not on any syllabus; I read it on my own after college and was pretty shocked, after years reading consistently antisemitic literature, to have stumbled onto my first piece of philosemitic British literature. *Daniel Deronda* really stuck with me.
I want to point out that the reason Elliot made her 180° turnaround was that she had bothered to do the research. Most Jew haters — and assimilated Jews — know virtually nothing about Jews but they know a lot of the lies about Jews and they don't know they are lies. The only way a Jew can have self respect is to research their daunting amount of literature and history. The more you dig, the more you find to admire, the more you realize that most of what you were told about yourself by the larger society was a pack of lies.
Last week Daniel Senor gave a talk on the future of American Jewry and one thing he pointed out is that to a large extent, the Jewish youths who want to remain Jewish went to Jewish day school, Jewish camp, or yeshiva. I used to think taking that course was extreme but now I don't. If you don't know your culture and you are surrounded by propaganda that tells you to be ashamed of it, it will take a long time to find out on your own why you should be proud of your heritage.
Thank you for the enlightening article on famous authors' take on Jews and Judaism. Certainly, today's ignorant supporters of Hama/"Palestine" could benefit from reading Twain and Eliot, assuming some have the intelligence to read and comprehend. Without doubt, it is their uniqueness and capabilities which have enabled Jews to survive (and thrive) in the face of centuries of prosecution. (Of course, a helping hand from G-d never hurts.) Even with the assimilation of Jews in multiple countries throughout the ages, they have always maintained enough of their Judaism to stand apart. Jews that celebrate their Jewishness will always survive, while those who hide who they are likely to perish for lack of their anchor.
Thank you for this interesting and heartening essay. I'm now eager to read Daniel Deronda and other George Elliot works as well as the references listed in this article for the late great Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks.
Many of these philo semites believe that Israel is their holy nation just like in the crusades. I believe Mark Twain was different. The issue is for us to keep caring about all human beings like our G-d requires, but also to be the best of ourselves. I would appreciate if in the beginning the intro can say exactly how to ask for these podcasts on Alexa. Thank you.
Yisrael was and is called to be different. Not to assimilate. "And the nations will say, what a great and wise nation this is". "Be setapart as I am setapart" said YHVH.
Japanese national myth has them descended from some god....Arabs in the 19th century 20th century decided that the Quran made them a "nation." And they are without blemish....as you write the Jewish literature shows our shortcomings. And the gentile world uses that against us....especially now the Muslims...we're "betrayers of prophets." I read Daniel Deronda on the way to my first visit to east Mediterranean and then Israel in '73. Would she be our friend today when Israel is still be accused of genocide and brutality on such as Madam Amanpour/PBS/.CNN. We do have Douglas Murray, Brendan O Brien and any number of conservatives. The progressive movement defines itself by hostility to Zionism and Israel.
Odelia
Thank you so much! This is not only brilliantly said but you have given us an important new book and author to read.
Daniel Deronda
Thank you for this enlightening essay.
Brilliant essay, thank you!
Thank you so much for your wonderful essay......I always love what Mark Twain wrote about our people, thought it was really great. I have not read George Elliott ' s, Daniel Deronda, but I will......Am Israel Chai....
Could have shortened this to only two words: "Abrahamic Covenant".
Interesting, didn’t know George Eliot was a philo-semite. Of course, what Twain misunderstands or wilfully distorts is that change isn’t the same thing as disappearance. Just as the massive changes that occurred from the polytheistic Canaanite origins of the Israelites to modern Judaism should not be considered a disappearance, the evolution of the various groups he mentions into their modern forms should not be also. All groups change, grow and evolve.
Brilliant essay.
I had majored in English literature and naturally *Daniel Deronda* was not on any syllabus; I read it on my own after college and was pretty shocked, after years reading consistently antisemitic literature, to have stumbled onto my first piece of philosemitic British literature. *Daniel Deronda* really stuck with me.
I want to point out that the reason Elliot made her 180° turnaround was that she had bothered to do the research. Most Jew haters — and assimilated Jews — know virtually nothing about Jews but they know a lot of the lies about Jews and they don't know they are lies. The only way a Jew can have self respect is to research their daunting amount of literature and history. The more you dig, the more you find to admire, the more you realize that most of what you were told about yourself by the larger society was a pack of lies.
Last week Daniel Senor gave a talk on the future of American Jewry and one thing he pointed out is that to a large extent, the Jewish youths who want to remain Jewish went to Jewish day school, Jewish camp, or yeshiva. I used to think taking that course was extreme but now I don't. If you don't know your culture and you are surrounded by propaganda that tells you to be ashamed of it, it will take a long time to find out on your own why you should be proud of your heritage.
Am Yisrael Chai
Thank you for the enlightening article on famous authors' take on Jews and Judaism. Certainly, today's ignorant supporters of Hama/"Palestine" could benefit from reading Twain and Eliot, assuming some have the intelligence to read and comprehend. Without doubt, it is their uniqueness and capabilities which have enabled Jews to survive (and thrive) in the face of centuries of prosecution. (Of course, a helping hand from G-d never hurts.) Even with the assimilation of Jews in multiple countries throughout the ages, they have always maintained enough of their Judaism to stand apart. Jews that celebrate their Jewishness will always survive, while those who hide who they are likely to perish for lack of their anchor.
Thank you for this interesting and heartening essay. I'm now eager to read Daniel Deronda and other George Elliot works as well as the references listed in this article for the late great Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks.
Many of these philo semites believe that Israel is their holy nation just like in the crusades. I believe Mark Twain was different. The issue is for us to keep caring about all human beings like our G-d requires, but also to be the best of ourselves. I would appreciate if in the beginning the intro can say exactly how to ask for these podcasts on Alexa. Thank you.
You can probably throw in Churchill to the philo-Semitic mix (at least according to the historian Andrew Roberts).