Beamers

As you walk through the streets of Israel, or drive through them, or ride through them, it's very surprising to see so many BMWs. The mutilated peace signs are everywhere. It's an eighties Yuppie's dreamland. I mean even the majority of the bus's are beamers.

There are two reasons why this is odd. The first is that of dollars, or should I say shekels. News flash: Beamers are luxury cars. In a country with financial problems, or is at least expensive to live in, it's astounding as to the amount of BMWs here.

The other reason is that the cars are German. To this day, I know some American Jews that still refuse to buy German cars, because of what Germany did fifty plus years ago. For that reason, they also won't buy Beetles, because Nazis helped make it. But, the Germans have been so apologetic to the state of Israel that they actually sell the cars here for virtually the production price.

Not only does this all add up, but it explains a lot about Israeli vs. American Jews. American Jewry does technically predate the Revolutionary War, with Benjamin Franklin helping build the first synagogue in Philadelphia, John Adams a big supporter of Jews, and Nathan Hale himself, being Jewish. But it really took off in the middle part of this century, the identity of "Jewish Americans," was helped by the influx of Jews from the Holocaust, and the story really came out.

Consequently, there's a very strong awareness of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and Nazis, with literally hundreds of movies on the subject, the subject still being used endlessly on talk shows, etc. The Jewish influence has given, rightly, a second hand reaction thought of evil to the sight of a swastika, especially in America. You could even say that it is the anti-anti- Semitism that helps keep American Jewry on its respirator. Therefor, in addition to the movies, the books, the stories, the talk shows, the museums, etc., there are the American Jews who refuse to purchase anything from Germany.

Israel, on the other hand does not look at the past with regrets. Well, at least, it doesn't cry about its wounds. When it made Yad Vashem, and Yom Hashoa, it initially was not supposed to strictly memorialize the six (I keep hearing seven now) million, but to show the [very] few strong resistances to the whole thing. The ghetto uprising has had a disproportionate focus, as well as the non-Jews who tried to take a stand.

The point is, that as unJewish as it may sound, they don't dwell on the negative past we've had. The Chiloni Jews of America will at least mention the Holocaust, Chilonim in Israel will at least generally celebrate Purim. Israel will accept what it can get from the past, but they move on. After Entebbe, Yonis appeared everywhere. (Hope they enjoy themselves when they go to India.) Now, it's a normal name. It moves on. If people want to offer apologies, they accept, but they don't demand for the past.

Both can be insulted; both methods can be praised.

But it is kind of weird. In World War II, Jews killed by Germany; Jewish state buys German cars at a cheaper price than the Germans. In World War II, America bombed by Japan, America buys Japanese cars at a cheaper price than the Japanese.

Get me outa here!!!

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Actually, the next entry is just jokes, this is the real next entry

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Michael Kadish

"I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, two men are called a law firm, and three or more become a Congress." --- 1776

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