The Gifts of the Jews

December 15, 2020

“I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation.” President John Adams, 1809

Sometimes, when we lose something or are about to experience loss, we realize that we should appreciate that which we have taken for granted. That’s why I wrote my last blog essay, A Wonderful Life (December 7), and the one before that, Thanksgiving Expectations (November 23). And that’s why I’m writing about Jews today.

According to USA Today, on December 8 the only American memorial to Anne Frank was vandalized with swastikas in Boise, Idaho. My first reactions were disgust, anger, and sadness, in that order. I guess I took it personally because I’ve visited the Amsterdam home of Anne and her family where they hid from the Nazis and where she wrote her charming and endearing diary. She died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 15, one of one million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis.

While I hope that the vandals who desecrated Anne’s memorial are caught and punished, along with the perpetrators of other hate crimes, our democracy is being threatened not just by thugs but by something more insidious: ignorance. People are willing to believe conspiracy theories and other false narratives because they are uneducated, gullible, and looking for scapegoats to blame for their problems and inadequacies. And Jews are convenient targets because they are relatively few in number yet arouse jealousy because of their educational and professional achievements.

But rather than bemoaning what I don’t like in the news, I decided to read something positive about Jewish contributions to humanity. The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill focuses most of its appreciation on the early bestowals of the Jews upon Western civilization, rather than their contemporary largesse toward the human race. So I’ll make my own observations about current Jewish magnanimity in a moment.

Cahill may be engaging in a bit of hyperbole when he claims that the Jews are “the inventors of Western culture” – what about the Greeks? – but otherwise his praise seems justified. Among the philosophical offerings that Jews have made to how we humans see ourselves are monotheism (the idea that there is a higher intelligence governing the universe, rather than competing and combative gods and goddesses); the moral behavioral code of the Ten Commandments; freedom (from slavery and from predetermined fate); the idea of people as individuals with unique destinies (not just as tribal members); social justice; and the concepts of progress, change, and hope for the future.

Cahill states that “most of our best words – new, adventure, surprise; unique, individual, person, vocation; time, history, future; freedom, progress, spirit; faith, hope, justice – are the gifts of the Jews.”

He adds that Jews originated the ideas that we should pursue justice for everyone, not just people in our own tribe, and that if we don’t help those in need, including the hungry, the powerless, and the marginalized, we are rejecting God.

And that brings me to what I like about the Jews.

The Jews in the U.S. and elsewhere are a generous people. If you watch PBS programs or listen to NPR, you’ll notice that the names of most of the benefactors are Jewish. A high percentage of the donors to museums, universities, and hospitals are Jewish. Philanthropy is a big part of the Jewish religion and culture, and Jewish social services support people in need from all backgrounds. Too bad that Jews aren’t Catholic, because if they were, many of them would be recognized as saints.

I also deeply respect the Jewish emphasis on the importance of education. In my view, this is the key to their success and a model for the rest of us to emulate. (See the Travel tab on this website’s home page and click on the drop down menu for my Israel essay, “Snorkeling in Jerusalem,” which addresses this subject and related topics).

Thomas Cahill quotes biblical scholar Nahum Sarna acknowledging the importance of study to the Jews as “the universal duty of continuous self-education.” Cahill says that ancient Israel was “the first human society to so value education and the first to envision it as a universal pursuit – and a democratic obligation that those in power must safeguard.”

Creativity? Per capita, Jewish writers, filmmakers, comedians, and scientists probably surpass those of any other culture, religion, or ethnic group in the world.

Humanity needs more Anne Franks: idealistic, creative, resilient, resourceful people. The kind of people who just might be able to help heal the benighted souls who defaced a memorial to a 15 year old girl.

As Anne said in her diary, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.”

Happy Hanukkah.