It Can Happen Here

Last week I published a post titled "Bernard Madoff and the Jews of Palm Beach." I wrote about a Palm Beach devastated by the potentially 50 billion dollar scam. I described the world at the Jewish Palm Beach Country Club where Madoff was an esteemed member managing the fortunes of many members.

The piece had hardly been posted when the New York Post emailed asking to reprint it. Since then the Jewish Voice has also asked to reprint it, and I felt that I had written something worthwhile and true.

But when I posted the piece on my own blog, laurenceleamer.blogspot.com, or Leamer.com, there was an anonymous comment that startled me. "I don't know much about the author or about Palm Beach, but what struck me about the post was the title," Anonymous wrote. "It's a sophisticated author's way of expressing anti-Semitism in a way that toes the line between what will be considered acceptable to the most liberal and despicable to those who (sic) no better. ..a sick way to rub it into the face of the victims and espouse what to many will be considered an anti-Semitic title is going too far."

To me there's nothing worse than being called anti-Semitic. There were plenty of positive comments including one from someone who appeared to use his real name. "All Larry is doing is stating the facts, no bias or prejudice," Neil Rogers wrote. "Don't let your insecurities, shame, embarrassment and guilt surface by playing the anti-Semitic card. Shalom."

Even though to my mind I was simply reporting the facts in the context of Palm Beach, I still felt badly about this. My ex-wife and the mother of my daughter is Jewish, and thus by Jewish tradition my daughter and my grandchildren are Jewish. But I am not Jewish and I've come to realize that only someone born Jewish can understand at the most profound level what it means to be Jewish, and the inchoate fears that are an integral part of that heritage.

This got me to thinking about the whole issue and I talked to a friend of mine in Boston, David Goldberg. He has been following the Madoff news in among other places the Palm Beach Daily News where he said there were any number of truly anti-Semitic comments that should have been removed. I went to the website and it was ugly and vicious, worthy of Hitler.

There was one comment posted criticizing these evil rants but for days they sat there. Editor Pat Thomas says that "it became apparent that there were -- along with a number of well-reasoned and interesting comments -- a number of comments that were clearly anti-Semitic and/or obscene." Pleading that she did not have big enough a staff to cull out the obscene and foul, Thomas closed down the comments.

But a bubbling up of anti-Semitism does exist and the more I talk to people about this situation, the more I am convinced that we must deal with it not by giving into fear by shutting down the comments of everyone but by vigorously standing up against such ideas.

The fear is simply this. The Madoff story is being played rightfully and painfully as an overwhelmingly Jewish story, and it may spill onto the whole coverage of the economic debacle and that too would become seen as a Jewish story. Of course, it's ridiculous but I remember when I was doing my last book on Arnold Schwarzenegger and how on my trip to Austria several Austrians told me that the Jews controlled the media and banks of their country, though there are only a few thousand Jews left. It can happen here. As things get worse and people look for scapegoats, the Jews once again can become the targets.

I don't know how we fight the growing anger and hate in America. We fight it in part by being up front. We must stand up to those reeking of prejudice but we almost must stand up to those who find prejudice when there is only legitimate commentary and criticism. As journalists we fight it in part by trying to get the context right. And maybe we fight it a little with a sense of humor too, the true Jewish penicillin. But whatever we do we must never forget and never forgive those who seek to exploit our divisions and fears.

Comments

[ndem]

What is interesting is that a Rabbi wrote on the HuffPost about the Madoff case last week and no one accused him of being Anti-Semitic yet what he wrote was much more critical than what this man wrote in his original piece...I think it is true that only someone from a particular race or religion can truly know and feel what it means, to be set apart even in a very subtle way.

The problem we all have in America is that we ALL became greedy! The Madoff case, and his investors, are just holding a mirror up to ourselves as a country. Not all of us did these things, but the overall tone set in the country for the last twenty years has been one of greed and narcissism.

WE ARE ALL THE SAME! I AM ANOTHER YOURSELF! THERE ARE NO JEWS, CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS HINDUS!!!! WE ARE ALL SIMPLY HUMAN BEINGS! STOP WITH THE DIVISIONS AMONG PEOPLE NOW!!!

That more than anything causes mistrust and understand­ing...do not limit yourself only to your "won"...be open to all people everywhere! Do not give up trusting others, become more trustworthy yourself!

[VoteforPedro]

The definition of antisemitism has changed, as one wag put it. Before it used to mean anyone who didn't like Jews. Now it means anyone the Zionists don't like.

I have been accused of being an antisemite for daring to speak up against the illegal West Bank settlements.

For the record, I'm a half Jew opposed to religious extremism of any variety..

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

I come from a mixed Christian/Jewish family, and I assert that one can't have it both ways. The double-mindedness of this so-called "Jewish story" blows my mind. Jews can't set themsleves up (and apart) like this and then whine about it when the Gentiles dutifully play along.

COMMUNITARIAN TORMENT: Thanks, but I'd just as soon skip it. Even the positive stereotypes and mythologies Jews like to hold about themselves serve to undermine their interests, and possibly even their very safety. Madoff's investors were blinded by their own tribalism and their ethnocentric presumptions that Madoff, being a Jew, was somehow magic with money (nice stereotype, dudes) and would never do them wrong (because the Protocols say so? My GD!!!!! Listen to yourselves!) and therefore they didn't have to do this "due diligence" thing (because they are "special").

Listen: Jews are ordinary humans. Good and Bad. Saints and Sinners. Just like the Gentiles. Fancy that! This communitarian torment that is Jewish community identity needs a major overhaul. I wouldn't be surprised if the 98% of people who are not Jewish see this self-inflicted torment as a kind of handwringing narcissm, crying out for therapy.

[SiberianRat]

IMHO, part of the rise in anti-Jewish sentiment is not only stuff like this but also the brutal occupation of Palestine. To me these issues are about justice, not religion. Let's see, on this blog today we have Jews, women, and gays all feeling slighted and attacked and whatever. What is going on over there?? Are we that splintered and sensitive and blameful?

[Mixpixlix]

Seems to me that too many people are tapping keys without getting the facts. While Madoff did a lot of business within the NY/Florida Jewish community, his tentacles also reached into many non-Jewish households and institutions.

You had to be invited in ... not just anyone could invest with him. He investors got a reasonable rate of return, which is why they were not suspicious. Reports vary from 8 to 12% per year, the problem was the consistency. That should have been an alarm TO THE REGULATORS. Most people are financially ignorant, period. Even a stockbroker was fooled and when she asked questions about the regular rate of return Bernie's answers satisfied her.

It, too, worry about anti-semitism. Like racism in any form it manifest during hard times. We must shine a light on it, we must not let it stand unchallenged. That is really the key. Freedom of speech allows for a lot of angry lunatic to start rabble rousing, it's up to the rest of us to stand up to them.

[babaann]

AGREE. We must be constantly vigilant.

Most rural German people had never SEEN a Jew, before Hitler came into power. This speaks of the power of the rabble rousing lunatics.

It surprises me that anti-semitism can be an issue in the USA in the 21st century. To me this is an example of naive people (me) and the possibility of being caught unaware.

[Zeev]

As previously stated...N­ever Again.

Still on this site especially I've seen a lot of comments that borderline­s...and at times just plain crosses...­the line from polite discussion into anti-Semitic. In the town in Kentucky where I used to live the conservatives called me a liberal because I was Jewish and the Liberals called me a conservative for being jewish. The moderates just joined the others in treating me like Hell spawn. Really some of the stuff that I hear on any story about Israel or Jewish groups on this site usually is followed by a few dozen, very offensive comments.

[djwfutbol]

You seem to be the only one "playing" anything. Thievery and the capacity to defraud are universal experiences. In this case, maybe the folk defrauded happened to be mostly Jewish. It has nothing to do with the crime any more than their having two legs (I assume). What religion are the poor slobs (us) who are being taken to the cleaners by GM?

[godhelpusall]

how is what madoff did to his investors any different from what the Bush administration has done (and is still doing) to American taxpayers ?

[Trogenhorse]

What makes this a jewish story are the people who lable it such. Until reading this story it NEVER crossed my mind that the man was jewish. Nor did I know the names of the people on the list he cheated.
This divisiveness is not NEW. We just came through the MOST divisive election in history. But I learned something really important that will stay with me for years to come...

There are more people in this country who reject racism than don't. If that's true I have to make it my goal and business to be one of the people who rejects the idea/people who dislike jews or anyone else based on nothing but steryotypes and pure ignorance

[Fidgey]

Wondering if you know even one person that was effected because I know many. And, although maybe not deserving of a severe word as victim, they were certainly not co-conspirators. Poor choice of words. These were life savings of most people and not "in on" some scam. They were taken and they were scammed and money they gave as an investment was fraud. What would you call them then?

[yappnmutt]

what makes the story a jewish story is that the perpetrator and all the victims were jewish. if you are not jewish and were looking to invest your money mr. madoff would not have taken your money.

[slc1950]

How do you know this?

[slc1950]

How do y o u kn now this?

[TooLooze]

What makes it a ("rightfully") Jewish story? Were all of the other crooks that have ruined the economy called out as Christians­..or whatever their faith is? Is Obama our "black" President? And that darn Christian Bush.

[grateful4thedead]

As an experienced professional who has spent 31 yrs in the financial services industry, please let me say that this is not nor should it be a Jewish story. This is a story about a man who (allegedly, of course, but who has confessed) ran a Ponzi scheme, in and of itself a criminal matter. Doesn't matter if he is a Jew or Catholic (i'm one of those irish catholic types from upstate NY) or a wasp, italian, chinese, etc. ad infinitum, it simply boils down to an individual who perpetrated a Ponzi scheme. This man isn't the first as we all know and it's probably a safe bet to say that he won't be the last.

As to those that seek to divide based on fear and ignorance, whether it be directed towards jews, catholics, african americans, et. al., the best way to quash that ignorance is through education and open communication in an upfront manner. Free speech is such a magnificent clarifying agent and we should support and encourage that approach.

[HARVIN]

Never again.

[JBS]

The problem I have with the story is that Jewish or not, those being portrayed as victims were in fact co-conspirators.

They knew the fix was in, but they all just thought it'd be someone else who'd get swindled while they lined their own pockets.

[MsLiz]

I must have missed a lot of the reporting of this story. I never got the impression that any of the investors knew it was a Ponzi scheme.