Who Didn’t Want Us dead?
A stirring poem was written by Rabbi Pinchus Lipschultz in response to the horrific headline of the New York Post regarding the murdered Williamsburg Chasidic Jew Menachem Stark:
I look at the picture of his face,
And see his smile.
I hear his children saying Kaddish.
And his father.
Overwhelmed with grief,
Wife, 7 children,
Awash in tears.
Communities around the world
Mourn.
A young life cut down,
Giving, loving,
Holy soul,
Snuffed out.
I look at the front page of the paper.
I see mean,
Vicious,
Hatred,
Screaming loudly to the city and
world.
I think back to
Lavan.
Eisov.
Nevuchadnetzar.
Trotsky, Lenin & Stalin.
All the way back in time.
Until this very day.
Who hasn’t wanted to see us dead
and buried?
Jewish blood has always been cheap,
Nobody cared when they came after
us.
We’ve been burnt at the marketplace.
Stomped.
Gassed.
Shot.
Given up for dead.
Yet here we are,
Persevering,
Succeeding,
Growing.
They can’t stand it.
They can’t stand us.
We are alive.
Where are they?
Titus.
Ferdinand, Isabella.
Mussolini.
Hitler.
Why, they ask, are the Jews titans
of industry and commerce?
Real estate, stocks and bonds?
Why do they have influence?
Why aren’t they dead?
They are all cheaters.
They are all liars.
Underworld cut-throats.
They poisoned the wells,
They killed our babies,
For matzos.
They froze us in the winter,
Boiled us in the summer.
The Jews.
It’s all their fault.
The rotten,
Smelly,
Jews.
Till today they wonder
How to get rid of us.
They cover their hate with smiles,
Feigned ignorance,
And legal shenanigans.
“We love the Jews,” they say.
Sure, just as Paroh did.
All types of charges,
Allegations,
Fraud.
The Jews, they say, don’t care about
laws,
Violations,
Fidelity,
Children,
Abuse victims.
They kill their baby boys,
To satisfy an ancient rite.
They rob, cheat and steal.
They can’t be trusted,
Disloyal citizens.
They control the banks,
The press,
But not the Post.
We thought it was different here.
America is not Russia,
Or Germany,
France or Rome.
It’s not,
But the hatred is here as well.
The quiet murmurs,
Suspicions,
And tricks.
We need reminders,
From time to time.
Don’t get complacent.
Don’t get too comfortable.
Remember we’re not home,
We’re far away,
Homeless,
On a comfortable bench,
In a nice park.
We pine for geulah,
Moshiach,
Redemption,
Salvation.
Uva leTzion goel.
This poem was originally printed in Yated Ne’eman.
Wow
To the point
What a downer
Atzvus doesn’t lead to anything good. The New York Post headline was over the line, but it wasn’t an attack against Jews. It was saying that Stark had so many enemies (allegedly) that the police didn’t know where to start looking for his murderers. Nothing more.
To Whom It May Concern
To me, the writer of this poem has chosen an odd time to write such a broad thesis. Furthermore, I find too many stereotypes within it. It is not know from which ethnic or religious group perpetrated this crime.
There is hatred and suspicion for other groups of people, too. I don’t like to read that someone puts us in this light. We are not the only ones!
Not a free country after all
A radio show host, many years ago, said,”You think you live in a free country? Open up your own garbage pick-up company, and I’ll come to your levaya.”
Let’s assume – judge every Yid favorably – that his failure to pay his debts was because he fell upon hard times. But that depends on who you borrow from.
Many businessmen do borrow from “unconventional” sources other than your typical bank or credit card company. But, it is well-known that no matter what mafia you borrow from, there is no option of bankrupcy by them. They are smart, ruthless, evil, cold-hearted – don’t care about your children (who will support them without a father?) or hard times. They just want their money back with interest.
If you don’t (especially in the millions!) – this is one of many times they made an example of somebody. That’s the grim reality when you borrow lots of money, especially from shady characters.
Missing the point!
When you run to call everything anti-semitism, you cheapen the word.
There was NO anti-semitism here. A guy was murdered horribly. There was a motive. The NY Post wrote a sensationalist article about him. That’s what they do! They are a tabloid.
They didn’t say “He was Jewish, who wouldn’t want him dead?” They said, “He was involved in lots of shady deals and treated hundreds of tenants horribly. Which of them wouldn’t have wanted him dead?”
Where is the anti-semitism?! Stop calling it that!
To #2
How dare you rationalize something so despicable!!! call it what you wish it cannot and must not be excused. And owing people billions of dollars is still not an excuse to murder!
...
You illustrate what happens when emotions rule and intellect takes the back seat.
Right On, Rabbi!
Unexpectedly awakening to the knowledge of being Jewish, everyone of these thoughts run like a movie through your mind.
However, when one grips the fact that the Gd of the Jews has always taken care of His own even during judgment, one cannot help but be exceedingly thankful to have be given the privilege of being born Jewish.
Thank you!
To #5
no; nothing to do with being Jewish! LOOK AT THE PICTURE! it is pure Jew hating!
Seriously?
#9 – He is Jewish, so his picture depicted an Orthodox Jew. That is the picture his family released to the media! What do you think they should have done – Photoshopped it to take off his beard and streimel? Seriously!
to #5
You couldnt be more accurate.
leah
bde.terrible