Great update from Berlin, Vivian. This sentence hit me:
"With Jews everywhere, it seems, there is this reluctant acknowledgement that society is moving in the wrong direction, but each person seems to believe that they will somehow manage to sidestep calamity"
What drives the believe in avoiding the calamity all see clearly in front of their eyes? Is it the same story as 20% that left pharaoh's Egypt and 80% lacked the wherewithal to pack up and go?
Hi Peter. Good question. Best I can venture is......human nature. Some people are predisposed to prefer to see things as they wish them to be. Many of us fall into the habit of referring to those as being "optimistic".....and those who see and articulate reality as being pessimists. I don't see things that way. It's more about pragmatism/realism and avoidance. Change is a scary thought to so many......they prefer the devil they know. There were millions who got out of the USSR and Eastern Europe in the decades before WWII. Millions didn't. Everyone had good reasons for staying.......but usually it was oe of two things......they were too poor to pull together the means to split......or too established to just pick up and go. The middle, for the most part, bailed. Such as it was. That's my reading.
Hi Vivian,
I'm approaching 90 years of age and was beginning to believe that I would
leave a world free of overt antisemitism. Your excellent article showed me
that Jews have a long way to go in order to be left in peace.Please keep
helping us to reach that goal.
HN
Keep the faith, Harvey......I mean.....but keep it real..:) Thanks for reading and being here.
Great update from Berlin, Vivian. This sentence hit me:
"With Jews everywhere, it seems, there is this reluctant acknowledgement that society is moving in the wrong direction, but each person seems to believe that they will somehow manage to sidestep calamity"
What drives the believe in avoiding the calamity all see clearly in front of their eyes? Is it the same story as 20% that left pharaoh's Egypt and 80% lacked the wherewithal to pack up and go?
Hi Peter. Good question. Best I can venture is......human nature. Some people are predisposed to prefer to see things as they wish them to be. Many of us fall into the habit of referring to those as being "optimistic".....and those who see and articulate reality as being pessimists. I don't see things that way. It's more about pragmatism/realism and avoidance. Change is a scary thought to so many......they prefer the devil they know. There were millions who got out of the USSR and Eastern Europe in the decades before WWII. Millions didn't. Everyone had good reasons for staying.......but usually it was oe of two things......they were too poor to pull together the means to split......or too established to just pick up and go. The middle, for the most part, bailed. Such as it was. That's my reading.