Dear Bubbe and Zaidy

I've been thinking a lot lately about my Uncle Milty. It usually happens this time of year around the High Holidays. He was the one who made sure I carried on the family tradition of going to shul, admitting my sins and asking for forgiveness before G-D. My father, being a Holocaust survivor abandoned his religion way before I was born. So it was left to the uncle.

This year, however, my wife had to drag me to Yom Kippur services. Why? Well, maybe it's because I've seen the people I respected the most, all of the bubbes and zaidies who put up with bigotry, racism, religious zealotry and Nazis abandon the basic tenets of what it means to be a Jew.

With all due respect to Sarah Silverman, I do not see this as a laughing matter. It is impossible for me to justify how "my people" will not vote for Barack Obama because he has a funny name, or, worse, to paraphrase Jackie Mason, is a "fancy schvartze."

Have you become so comfortable, Bubbe and Zaidy down in your South Florida condo communities that you have completely forgotten from whence you came? Even though, on these, the holiest of holy days on the Jewish calendar we promise our redeemer that we will never forget? That we will be tolerant, and righteous and KIND?

My Uncle Milt was once turned down for a job at Con Edison, the New York-area utility. It was the late 1930's, his father had just passed away, and it was up to him to support his immigrant mother and his younger brother and sister. He dropped out of high school. There were jobs at Con Ed. The interviewer asked him if his last name, Grosswirth, was German? Uncle Milty said, "It's Jewish." The interviewer insisted it was German... my uncle, however, did not relent. The interviewer told him that Con Ed would not hire Jews so please say he was German. Well, my uncle never got the Con Ed gig.

All of you, my dear Bubbes and Zaidies, have family stories like these. When did you forget? How did you forget?

Some of you won't vote for Barack because of his name. Okay. Did you know that Barack is the Muslim equivalent of Baruch...Hebrew for Blessed? The beginning of EVERY blessing to G-D we ever utter. Some of you have said you'd vote for him if he changed his name to Barry. WHAT? When did we forget as a people, our being persecuted for our names? How many times did your name exclude you from employment, club membership or staying at a hotel?

Surely my family wasn't the only one asked to display our "horns" by ignorant Southerners back in the 1960's. Surely my family wasn't the only ones that were told to go find a "jew hotel." At what moment did you forget this, Bubbe and Zaidy?

Not voting for Senator Obama because you are afraid is an insult. It's an insult to those who were murdered because of our names and our religion. It's an insult to those of us who came after you. To vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin simply because they are not Barack Obama is not only a shondeh, it is quite simply, ignorant.

McCain/Palin have come to South Florida to scare you. To drop the name of the Holocaust on your laps. They've intimated that Obama consorts with terrorists. That he is not a friend of Israel. But here is the record:

Gov. Palin belongs to a church that believes Jerusalem is the launching pad for the Rapture. Gov. Palin sat idly by in this church while leaders of Jews for Jesus proclaimed that Israel was getting what it deserved because they refused to acknowledge Jesus as the messiah. Gov. Palin is not a friend to our people.

Sen. McCain, for all of his "straight talk" has advisers on his campaign staff that have records as lobbyists for Saddam Hussein and Saudi Arabia.

And the most heinous is that these two Americans who claim to put "Country First" have spent the past two weeks whipping up crowds into frenzy with hatred for Obama. Didn't those hate-filled rallies with cries to do harm to Obama remind you of anything, Bubbe and Zaidy? Have you finally forgotten the Nazi rallies in the 1930's that were used to whip up crowds into similar frenzies while blaming the Jews of Europe for all of its economic ills?

Surely, Bubbe and Zaidy, you recall the days of McCarthyism, where scores of Jews were blacklisted from ever working again in this nation because they went to a meeting or a party that happened to have a Socialist or Communist as a guest. And Jewish lives and livelihoods were wiped out because of our names or loose, quite loose, associations.

That is why your refusal to vote for Barack Obama because of his race and name is so perplexing and disturbing. When did we become the very people who threatened our existence?

Bubbe and Zaidy...listen to me. You owe this to us. You gave us eight years of George Bush. Okay, maybe it was an accident. But, you had your Franklin Delano Roosevelt whom you no doubt still revere. Barack Obama is OUR FDR! Let us have our chance to have the America I thought you always wanted for us.

I don't know how my Uncle Milty would have voted. He's gone now. But, I DO know he would not have dismissed Barack Obama because of his name, race or out of unsubstantiated fear!

Look, if you want to vote for McCain/Palin because you think they would be a better team, then go vote. But, if you are voting for them because they are not a fancy schvartze with a scary name, then PLEASE, on Election Day, stay home, for us. Or better yet, find a good mah jongg or pinochle game and leave the future to your little bubbelehs.

Comments

[2toTango]

Well written! And Congrats to Howie!

I certainly hope this article can reach as many people as possible.
If you are not voting for Obama I hope it’s because of his political views and not because
Of his color! It will be extremely unfair not only towards his persona, but towards all of us. Especially now when we are in desperate needs of change!

This article is definitely a wake up call, just on time before the elections takes place.
Please spread the words!

Thanks Howie!

[Leedox]

Bubbe and Zaidy how can you not vote for a man whose first name means 'lightening' in hebrew?!

Ok slightly different spelling but pronounced the same in ivrit (I worked with a Barak on a kibbutz in my wild and crazy days - now THAT'S socialism!).
Barak (Hebrew: בָּרָק‎, "Lightning"), the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, was a military general in the Book of Judges in the Bible. He was the commander of the army of Deborah, the prophetess and heroine of the Hebrew Bible. Barak and Deborah are credited with defeating the Canaanite armies led by Sisera, who for twenty years had oppressed the Israelites.

Hhhmmm a twenty year oppression­....sound familiar? Time for a bit of Shazam!!! (i loved that show...)

[marl626]

voting for a person because he is black is the same as not voting for him because he is black. Unfortunately, most of Obama's change seems to consist of giving honestly earned money to illegals and people scamming the system. It's a wonderful thing to go with the freedom riders and fight for the things that all people are entitled to, respect being one of the most important items. But, when one is put in the position of providing a neverending compensation to the havenots, we find ourselves in a communistic situation. This leaves little incentive to the "haves" to continue working hard.

To tell zaidy and bubbe to find a nice mah jjong or pinochle game is one of the most offensive and insulting things you can say to them (talk about respect). They've come this far with more experiences and intelligence in their little fingers than bubbeleh has in his misguided head. I hope the message you're sending out never gets in the hands of your uncle Milty, unless you want to see a grown man cry.

[marl626]

voting for a person because he is black is the same as not voting for him because he is black. Unfortunately, most of Obama's change seems to consist of giving honestly earned money to illegals and people scamming the system. It's a wonderful thing to go with the freedom riders and fight for the things that all people are entitled to, respect being one of the most important items. But, when one is put in the position of providing a neverending compensation to the havenots, we find ourselves in a communistic situation. This leaves little incentive to the "haves" to continue working hard.

To tell zaidy and bubbe to find a nice mah jjong or pinochle game is one of the most offensive and insulting things you can say to them (talk about respect). They've come this far with more experiences and intelligence in their little fingers than bubbeleh has in his misguided head. I hope the message you're sending out never gets in the hands of your uncle Milty, unless you want to see a grown man cry.

[Daune]

Wow, Howie. Awesome insight into a whole segment of the population that is going to play a big role in the election. You always were too smart for Cleveland radio... but *I* miss you!

[robiform]

Howie, I wish that my Bubbe and Zaidy (and Grandma and Poppy, too) were still alive so that they could vote for Barack Obama. But, in the meantime you continue to persuade your grandparents that they have nothing to fear from an Obama administration, and EVERYTHING to fear from a McSame administration. By the way, this morning while I waited in line to early vote, a gentleman exited from the polls who had to be in his nineties, walked with two canes, but he made the effort to vote, and so should we all!

[Freesia2]

Thank Mr. Greene. You said it all so well.

Of all the crazy things this election has tossed out for inspection, the resistance of Jews to Obama for the reasons you stated has been the most puzzling to me. Of all people, their own history and memories of bigotry, especially if they came here from Europe to escape it, should make the situation crystal clear.

I can imagine your bubbe sitting at a table with a young muslim woman who is crying because she's being punished for her name and faith. Though the world tells them they are enemies, this experience would unite them in perfect understanding. They could both cry, and they'd be crying ironically over the experience of a young Christian man who is suffering bigotry just like them. We all have more in common than the hate mongers would have us believe.

This election is bringing out the best and the worst in everybody. I'm hoping the best prevails. It has to.

[ivskylarvi]

Excellent article Howie. Thoroughly enjoyed it and I can't agree with you more. I am all for Obama!

[Clavis]

Thanks for a wonderful piece. New York City loves Obama!

[CorinneA]

You might want to show them the photo of the Obama effigy that was hung with the Star of David.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUf-cVLoPL4

[jpd5258]

It is a sad commentary on our society when anyone in this day and age refuses to vote for someone because of their color or their name. Thank you for reminding us that we ALL need a wakeup call, not just our older, Jewish relatives.

Thanks for a throught-provoking and incisive blog post. I hope many people read it, think and ACT.

[PCARY]

Howie
Thanks for writing a great heartfelt article and hopefully opening
the eyes and minds of so many people.
I knew you in Brooklyn and I know you are looking at every
aspect of this election. I hope your article reaches the many
people that need to read it .

[edwcorey]

Nice piece, but when you write "Barack is the Muslim equivalent of Baruch," are you saying that "Muslim" is a language?

[GarethHarris]

Thanks Howie,

Even us non-Jews got your message.

We should all place a stone and remember.

[hiprogloho]

Last night my wife and I watched The Way We Were, a love story set in the McCarthy era with Streisand as a righteous political Jew paired with an apathetic WASP played by Bob Redford. Barbra played her anti-war, elitist snob and fascism protestor role to the idealistic hilt and made me miss the way we were in the US of A. Where are these moral minded do-gooders today? Are they still only in Hollywood and not in the halls of Congress? Have foreign national people of the book forgotten their roots vs. an Orwellian establishment? No religion is safe in a world where NeoCons sell fear and hate and fix free elections.